Terra: Fútbol in Alajuela, Costa Rica

Terra: Fútbol in Alajuela, Costa Rica
Creative Commons Image via The LEAF Project

Soccer is not a sport, it’s an experience. The game pervades every aspect of daily life, making it less of a sport and more of a cultural phenomenon. It is a spectacle on par with weddings and festivals, an opportunity to participate should never be missed.

Alajuela, Costa Rica is not a major city, more like an extension of San José, yet you would never know it by the red and black-clad mass in front of the stadium. January marks one of the first games of the new season, and anticipation among the fans runs high. The local team is La Liga Alajuelense, La Liga for short, and they’ve laid claim to the national championship for several years running. Black and red stripes mark the supporters, and it’s difficult to find a scrap of cloth that doesn’t bear the iconography of La Liga around the stadium.

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Our guide advises us to plan early, as much as an hour and a half, in order to secure tickets. However, as we arrive, we barely make it as far as the street that leads to the ticket counters. Festivities start in the morning, as seen by the bins overflowing with Imperial bottles (one of the major breweries of Costa Rica, and an official sponsor of La Liga). There aren’t lines, as much as there are masses of bodies pulsating towards small windows cut into solid concrete. Order is self-imposed, and flexible depending on the elasticity of your ethics.

Terra: Fútbol in Alajuela
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We strike up a conversation with a local man in front of us, and he happily takes us under his wing. He explains that the stadium has a sunny side, and a shady side. “Sol y Sombra” he says. The sun sets during the match, and one side is shaded while the other receives direct light throughout. The sombra side is generally populated by Liga fans while the sol side goes to the visiting team. Of course, sombra tickets cost more, however in American dollars the difference is negligible. As we advance towards the ticket counter, line jumpers become frequent, “friends” are called in to purchase blocks of tickets. Scalping is discouraged, however often goes unchecked. Additional security is brought in, to little effect. They’re obviously not paid enough to deal with this. While the ticket counters take credit cards, taking cash is a far safer bet in a crowd like this.

Security at the stadium is tight. Local and regional police stand guard at the entrances, scanning for weapons. However, the police will also confiscate loose change, balls, pens, or other objects that could be thrown onto the playing field. Conveniently, local charities set up shop near the entrance to gather the loose change that cannot be brought into the stadium, some travelers have no choice but to make significant donations.

Terra: Fútbol in Alajuela
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On the sombra side local police stand vigil in riot gear. When approached, they were kind and helpful, and happily escorted us to our seats. I believe they represent a visual symbol of self-control, to remind fans that competitive fervor must have safe limits. During the game, when alcohol-induced chaos breaks out, the police calmly restores order with little conflict.

From the kickoff, a chant rises from the stands. The battle hymn of La Liga drifts over the grass like a power aura. The drone of the crowd is bolstered by percussion instruments, bass and snare drums, obviously brought into the stadium by fans. After a few minutes, the ritual becomes evident. The chanting will not cease until La Liga scores their first goal. They did not stop until the final whistle was blown.

The game itself was exciting, however uneventful. A 0-0 tie brings neither joy nor sadness, and that’s good enough. After the game, the party floods the streets. Flags of black and red stream from vehicle windows, and most spectators stumble their way back home. The energy slowly disperses back into town, and the stadium returns to the silent concrete monolith, a symbol of meaning and purpose for the fans of Alajuela.

Michael Van Etten
LEAF Architect

The LEAF Project
www.leaflanguages.org
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