Soccer in San Salvador

Manuel is the quiet one in the class. I am learning more about him through his writing than in class discussions - but I think he is worth getting to know. His love for soccer is unmistakeable. Here is his story:

Thousands of fans are yelling; people are selling sodas and fireworks. There’s a lot happening on a soccer night at the stadium in San Salvador. There’s a party all the time, even if the favorite team is losing. The Estadio Cuscatlan is the biggest soccer stadium in Central America; it has a capacity of over 50,000 people. It is also the most modern stadium in Central America and the Caribbean. The stadium has VIP boxes, a great field for the game, and a LED screen.

I have gone several times to the stadium for different events, but most of them were soccer matches. The teams aren’t that good, but just the fact of being there and the mood of all the people around me makes everything very exciting. You hear screams, you hear curses, you hear drums all around. Huge Salvadoran flags wave majestically. Being there with your friends and family watching an intense match is enough to make your night memorable.

I remember the time I went to see the inauguration of the LED screen. It is huge, 40 meters long and wide. The screen is used to show parts of the game and many, many commercials. There was a special match that night between the Alianza Futbol Club and a team from Puerto Rico. It was a pretty boring game that ended in a tie 0 to 0, but during the half time there was a spectacular show of fireworks that made the whole stadium rumble.

One of my favorite parts of going to the stadium is all the food. There is a burger cart called Mister Burger that sells the greasiest, nasty-looking burgers you will will ever see and love. They are simply great! All of my friends love them, but people say that they can make you sick. I even have friends whose parents don’t let them eat those burgers because they look so nasty.

Going to the stadium is not just about going to see a soccer game. The food, the people, the drums, the flags, the shouts: all of these things make a soccer match more than just a simple show. It is an unforgettable Salvadoran party.