Matthew's Game Report
After enjoying a Korean 2-1 win over Togo in a bar below my school with
some students Tuesday night, among some other enthusiastic fans, I hit a
different venue for game 2 against France.
I went to bed early Sunday as to get up at 1:00am to get ready for school
the next day. Don't worry: classes don't start that early! I had to get
cleaned up then because I was to meet some students/friends of mine near
City Hall at 2:00am, where hundreds of thousands were to gather to watch
Korea and France for a 4:00am kickoff.
Leading up to the match, there were live musical performances from famous
Korean pop artists, who also led the crowd in a number of Korean team
cheers, getting everybody fired up. The streets were jammed to create a
giant red herd that went farther back than I could see in every direction
from the huge screens at the center. The fans, known as the "Red Devils",
dressed themselves in jerseys, scarfs, lighted devil horns, face paint,
neon bracelets and necklaces, and were armed with large noise-making
sticks, creating a festival atmosphere. I myself was sporting my own Korea
team jersey, and like at Halloween, many girls took advantage of the
carnival mood to doctor their own outfits, parading around in costumes
that might keep one from watching the game. My Korean listening is sharp
enough, and I heard no complaints from anyone at all.
Not long after kickoff, Thierry Henry quickly put a blanket over the crowd
with his goal just 9 minutes in, as it seemed that France was the real
deal after all. The anxiety of the Red Devils was obvious throughout the
rest of the game, but this Korean team has been making late comebacks a
trademark.
Keeping France at 1-0 for 70 minutes after such a strong start was
encouraging, and most people probably would have been satisfied if it
would have ended at that. But things just got nutty when Park Ji Sung of
Manchester United, already a Korean hero and favorite, knocked the
equalizer past Fabien Barthez at about 81 minutes. Noise sticks fluttered
in the air as a mosquito's wings buzz, only there were a couple hundred
thousand mosquitos around me, as people jumped, bobbed, cried, screamed,
hugged, laughed, freaked out.
While the crowd had sat in the streets for most of the game, it was
standing-room only for the last ten minutes, and Korea held on to get the
draw, what felt like a win to all present. Following the final whistle, a
huge flag began to spread out over thousands of fans, as many rushed in to
get underneath. People were wild, as the night had paid itself off.
It was now daylight, and I made my way to school (conveniently only a ten
minute walk), where I traded my red shirt for a tie, and waited out the
clock before my 7:00am class.
I'll be looking forward to the final Group match against Switzerland
Friday night (Saturday 4:00am), along with a whole nation of anxious
soccer fans. There is debate about whether the rain will prevent my crew
from hitting Sangam Stadium, which will be packed to watch the big screen,
and have us enjoy the match at a bar. Either option sounds good to me, as
there is nowhere that is hidden from the vibe engulfing the country at
game time. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Matthew Boulton
posted by Access South Korea Now @ 3:19 AM
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