World Cup Finals Atmosphere

Yesterday, I fulfilled my life-long dream of attending a World Cup Finals match.

There was no shortage of celebration and camaraderie amongst fans before, during and after the game.

I sat behind the goal right next to the South Korean supporters. At first I was skeptical because as an American, I would like to see the winner of the tournament come from a country on our side of the world, a.k.a Uruguay.

But as the fans started to filter in my allegiance switched to the Koreans. Korea has one of the biggest fan bases in the world considering the size of their population. I’m sure their spirit and support throughout the match emulates the popularity of the sport in their nation.

A huge South Korean flag blanketed the entire section of stands I was sitting in, during the national anthem. Hundreds of fingertips rippled the white flag, with blue and red in the middle, up and down.

Fans representing around 30 nations were in attendance. The countries on display ranged from the U.S. to England to South Africa. Avid supporters draped themselves in flags, rocked replica jerseys, covered their face in paint and some wore team scarves.

Most of the Korean fans wore a national bandana around their head with hand held flags secured in the back of it.

The Vuvuzuela that most Americans have been complaining about were ever present. The Koreans seemed to have embraced them just as much as the African continent. They blew red and black ones throughout the game. They voiced their appreciation for their team as the horns got louder.

The Vuvuzuela was the best part of the game experience. I think without this instrument, the World Cup would not be truly African. It originated in Africa, so to ban it would be injustice. With it though, you have a true taste of the continent.

Similarly to attending a game live, the Vuvuzuela is more enjoyable in person than on TV. And if you are still fed up with the buzzing sound of it on your TV, clearly you have not been watching the tournament regularly. It annoyed me when I first heard it, but it has gotten to the point where I don’t even notice it anymore. I think most countries have accepted it and it appears like a small portion of them will live on for the next couple of World Cups, especially when African teams take the field.

A Mexican player said that it didn’t affect his performance on the field. He said there is pressure to perform and it adds a lot of noise, but it is the player’s responsibility to worry about what is happening on the field. He added that Vuvuzuelas are what makes this World Cup African.

Another way in which this sporting event was different from any other in America, and something that surprised me, was the respect shown by opposing fans towards each other. With thousands of Vuvuzuelas sprinkled throughout the stadium, it shocked me that there was dead silence for both national anthems.

My preconceived notions before the tournament were that fans are hostile, but I have not witnessed any violence. Korean fans honored Uruguayan goal scorer Luis Suarez when he was subbed off with a round of applause him for his solid performance. They also never wavered, standing behind their team the entire match even though they trailed for the majority of it. Koreans are the biggest die-hard fans I have ever seen. After the match the South Korean players stood in front of our section and bowed in unison in gratification of the Korean faithful.

The world’s biggest sporting event lived up to it’s billing.