Football vs. Soccer

For almost a year now I've been meaning to write about my trips to see the Xelaju Super Chivos, the football team that calls Quetzaltenango, Guatemala home.

(FYI: "Chivos" are goats. "Super," I think, means super. Put it together and you get the Super Goats.)

Really, my goal was to translate all of the incredibly filthy things that the crowd yells/chants/sings about the opposing team.




I mean, I could just paraphrase and tell you that in the crowd's mind, all the opposing player's mothers are... um... women of ill repute. And so are the player's sisters and wives. And also the players themselves. Except the players are all attracted to men. Especially the goalie. He's REALLY attracted to men.

But that really wouldn't cover it, because the beauty is in the details. And in the passion with which these messages are conveyed. A passion that sometimes includes pyrotechnics and flaming, airborne objects. (Fire brands for everyone! Now throw them! Huzzah!)

It's a passion that is fueled by a lot of booze.

But it looks like I'll never get the chance to write that all up. So here are some videos that you should compare and contrast. The first is from a recent D.C. United soccer game that I went to. The MLS is getting better. The game was actually pretty good. And a few hundred - maybe even a thousand - of the fans were very passionate. We joined their midst for the second half of the game and had a jolly good time.




But HERE are the videos that I pieced together from my trips to see the Super Chivos. See the difference?