Football Game

So, this last Saturday we were invited by some friends to go to a professional football (soccer) game here in Frankfurt. The crew included Steve, an OU grad who married a German, Christina, Steve's wife's good friend, Jens, Christina's boyfriend, and Shea and me.
All professional German league games are played at either 3:30 or 8:30 on Saturday and Sunday. We were catching the 3:30 Saturday game of the fighting team from Frankfurt known as Eintracht Frankfurt against the rival FC Schalke 04. Both teams rank around the middle of the top tier German league of football.
Jens was the one able to get everyone the tickets and of course he is an avid (read crazy) Schalke fan. We ended up with great seats on the first row of the middle level of the stadium, almost directly above the visitor section, with a great view of the game.
Let me start by talking about the game. Not being the biggest soccer fan before coming, I'd have to say having now been to a live game I'm pretty hooked. Shea really had a great time too. Watching it live really makes you appreciate the strategy of the game and the athleticism of the players.
Schalke scored first just before half time. Frankfurt was able to tie it up with about 20 minutes to play, but Schalke headed-in what was the game-winning goal with about 15 to play. Schalke took the 2-1 victory and serenaded the Frankfurt fans on their walk out with their songs of victory.
Now, how best to describe the atmosphere directly below us in the visitor section...let's see...did everyone see Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome? Seriously, it's that intense.
I say this and it is not a joke- the visiting fans are put in a caged off section of the stadium, and they go absolutely monkey-butt crazy for the duration of the game. There are no seats in the section, no bleachers, no nothing that anyone can destroy or throw. They wave team flags and raise banners ridiculing selected opposing players. One member of their crowd sits atop the cage throughout the game with a megaphone and leads the crowd in chants, songs, cheers, and whistles from the player introductions until it was over. I don’t think they stopped for half time. It is like the Aggie student section on steroids, with all the arm in arm singing and cheering. There are security guards stationed every 5 feet in the visitor section, who are basically there to ensure no one is trampled to death by their fellow fans.
We were originally supposed to have different seats, so we asked Jens, "Jens where were we suppose to be originally?"
He points down to the visitor section and laughs.
Shea and I must have been pretty good recently because karma awarded us with not having to experience all that.
Needless to say, beer is served throughout the course of the game, and though the weather was probably in the 40's, there were a growing number of fat guys without their shirts on as the game progressed into the second half.
All in all, we had an awesome time and though that one section was rough, we never felt unsafe. Even, with Jens wearing his Schalke jersey and scarves as we left. We certainly hope to go to another game- it was a lot of fun- oh, and we learned how to insult ref’s in a foreign tongue.