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by Chris MacLean

Like many countries, soccer is a national past-time in Chile. While the matches have a reputation for being dangerous they are - in my opinion - a must-see attraction for foreigners visiting Chile. At least, those who truly wish to experience Chilean culture in the raw.

Soccer, apart from being the world´s most popular sport, is also a reflection of culture. It's like music, exposing the nature of the local people through the diversity of playing styles that different cities and countries employ. Also, the way the fans display their passion for the game opens up a window to the stereotypical manners of the people in that area.

Like the society, Chilean futbol teams are stratified along class lines, with U de Catholica having a wealthy fanbase and Colo Colo the symbol of the Mapuche and the working class. This makes for more intense rivalries and symbolizes the massive problem of inequality and social stratification in the country.

I had the good fortune of attending a semi-final playoff this past Thursday between "La U" (Universidad de Chile) and Huachipato (a club from Concepción). Led by their Captain Marcelo Salas (nicknamed the "Matador" by the fans). La U, destroyed Huachipato 6-1. With the win they essentially booked their spot in the final to face Colo Colo another Santiago team who boasts both the winniest record in the Chilean pro-league and the highest popularity in the country.

While the news tells us that "futbol fanaticos" in Latin America fight a lot and the games are dangerous to attend, the reality is, like the micros around the city who drive with their doors open or with double the capacity allowed, while the potential for disaster may be there, very rarely do things actually go wrong. As long as you use your head, you will be in store for an enjoyable experience.

In the stadium there are two areas to sit, either in the middles of the oval on either side, or at one of the ends of the oval. The ends are where the fanatical supporters sit. One end is for each team. At Estadio Nacional, it is always the south end which is occupied by supporters of La "U".

In order to get the full experience of going to a game, I of course got a "seat" right in the middle of the south entrance emerged amongst the "Los Azules" faithful (La U is adoringly called "Los Azules" by their fans). I had done my best to fit in with the rest of the fanaticos, I was wearing the bluest shirt I had.

No matter what, even after paying the 3-4000 peso entrance, waiting in a pushing and squeezing mob of a line to buy your ticket, finally passing through the metal detectors and then through the security checked barred gates at entrance 13, nothing can prepare you for the final passage into the stadium. While the field itself is not particularly impressive for the knowledgeable sportsfan, witnessing thousands of "La U" faithful is breathtaking. For the entire 90 minutes-plus of the futbol game, and before the game starts the thousands of inhabitants of the South end of Estadio Nacional are singing, dancing, chanting, jumping and arm saluting in unison.

There are 10-15 different songs which every U fan knows by heart and they sing each song at various times entirely depending on how the game is going. If soccer is all about the flow and the movement then these songs are the outlet, the emotional heartbeat of the game on the field. No matter what the score of the game, the singing and jumping and dancing is continuous. Be warned, you will never sit down. When La U was trailing 1-0 the songs and their lyrics urged with desperation the passion the fans felt for the team and how they HAD to win. Once La U pulled ahead 2-1 the songs were about celebration and victory. Finally, as the scored was added to, the songs began to make fun of the opposing team.

Despite my attempts to fit in, my ethnicity, height, and ignorance of the songs and timing of arm salutes left me glaringly conspicuous. Nonetheless the fans were either friendly or apathetic as long as I wasn't supporting the away team (in this case Huachipato).

Even if you are not a fan of soccer or any sports for that matter, the energy and enthusiasm of the crowd, the singing and jumping, the colours and the beautiful view of the bright lights of the stadium with the Andes mountains sitting humbly in the background is quite something. If that's not enough, the additional fact that you can attend a final or semi-final professional match for 3-4000 pesos makes it a worthwhile endeavor.

Chris MacLean writes for the McGill Tribune at McGill University in Montreal, Canada.