Homs, Syria: 5 Americans + 1 WILD Syria v Iran soccer game
We arrived in Homs from Hama a few hours before the Syria v Iran soccer game to try to find a way to buy tickets as we had been told it was a very important match and tickets were probably sold out. We were a bit shocked when our taxi arrived a few blocks from the stadium and several guys approached us with handfulls of tickets asking for $2 per ticket. Our taxi driver assured us the tickets were not fake so we each bought one and proceeded to follow the throngs of people dressed in the local team colors and waving flags as they walked to the stadium.
When we got to the stadium we walked up to an entrance and were turned away as we were told in broken English that our women could not come into that section with us. It turned out that women of any age had to sit together in one small section and the rest of the stadium was for men only. This upset all of us, especially Shan and the other woman with us, and we didn’t think it was the safest plan to split up since we didn’t know what to expect once we got inside or how we would find each other after. Then we noticed a light-skinned man with his wife and child going into the stadium together through an entrance with no line, and so we rushed over to find out why they were able to sit together but not us. One of the guys with us spoke some Arabic so he was able to learn that this entrance was for fans from the visitingteam. The family that had entered before us was Iranian and in the visiting fan section men and women were allowed to sit together. If we wanted to sit together then our only choice was to enter if we were chearing for the Iranian team Saba.
I’ve been to enough soccer matches in other parts of the world to know it’s not always the friendliest, wisest, and safest decision to sit in the visiting fan section of an important match. But never would I have imagined what this might be like in Syria where rabid local fans were everywhere; and by the way did I mention that we Americans would be supporting an Iranian team? Ha!
Well it was our only option for sitting together so we went for it, and it was one of the best decisions we have made in this whole trip, no doubt about it. We went into the stadium still a couple hours before the match started and were overwhelmed that nearly the entire stadium was already packed except the visiting fan section we were in. We started chatting with our fellow Saba supporters who were thrilled (and bewildered I think) to learn that Americans had come to this match to support their team, and ended up holding the Iranian flag with them and helping play their drums and lead their chants of “Go Iran, Go Saba!” If you don’t believe us check our the pictures.
By the time the game started the stadium was literally spilling over with people as we learned that everyone had made lots of fake copies of tickets (like we bought too easily on the street) and therefore the game was completely oversold. People were sitting everywhere, on railings, staits, the scoreboard, and even the huge board with a picture of President Assad. And in the section next to us were women, only women. And they ended up being some of the loudest cheerers and liveliest dancers and flag wavers throughout the match.
On our way into the match we were patted down like at any soccer match, but unlike normal they confiscated a lighter from one of our friends and my pen. We guessed they took the pen for fear I might write something seditious (ha ha) but couldn’t figure out why they took the lighter…. until the Syrian team scored the first goal. People who smuggled in lighters also had smuggled in cans of hair spray so in one end of the stadium people celebrated the goal by torching the hairspray into the air and lighting paper on fire so it flew everywhere. Wow.
The match was intense with cheering and singing like I have never heard before and at the end the Syrian team won 1-0. Apparently it was one of their greatest victories ever and thousands of fans stormed the field. They were waving lots of flags including a Hezbollah flag (not the most comforting thing to see there), and they grabbed the star players to lift them up and parade them around the stadium. But unlike we’re used to seeing players sitting on people’s shoulders, these players whole bodies were lifted up and their clothes and limbs were being lightly tore at. It looked like a scene from funerals in Gaza they show on CNN where people literally tear at the dead person’s clothes. We left soon after taking this in.
Our time at the soccer match was absolutely incredible. It was great chatting with some Iranians and cheering with them and for a small moment bridging the political divide that separates our countries. And it was also really great to witness the passion Syrians have for the soccer team and players the extremes they go to to display this passion. Hama ended up being a great place to crash for a couple days as our hostel was one of the cleanest and best value for the price in the Middle East. And finally, we were really lucky to share the experience with a diverse, interesting group of fellow Americans who appreciated it all as much as we did. For pictures from the game:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shanlovesphotos/sets/72057594139211916/
Tags: Middle East, Syria, Travel
Shan
July 11th, 2006 at 9:01 pm
Green looks good on you Anthony and with new hair uncut even better. Have fun, Mom
January 22nd, 2008 at 4:00 am
Hey i’m alkarameh fan and i’ve read your blog , it’s really nice 🙂
tarek