So, I may have made the mistake of calling American football “REAL” football in front of a Cuencano. (In Spanish, soccer = fútbol.) He told me I was out of my mind, and thus, I went to see what a soccer game in Cuenca is all about.
Below are a couple of pictures of the stadium. How beautiful is a stadium with the Andes Mountains towering behind it?
Some advice from my family before going to the game:
A) “You HAVE to buy a red Cuenca shirt.” (Apparently you’re a terrible person if you go without one.) “It will be $4 or $5. Do NOT pay any more than that!” (PS I love advice like that!) B) “You should buy the tickets the day before. The cost will double the day of.” C) “You have to get there early!” My friend Andy and I thought getting there at 11:15 for an 11:30 game would be fine. We were put in our place that morning when I was rushed into the shower and out the door to make it there on time!
Some advice from me if you ever plan on going to a soccer game in Cuenca:
A) Get the shirt. It’s worth it. B) Definitely get the tickets the day before, but splurge on the seats in rowdy section, (photo of this section below). This will be happening before I return to the States. C) Get there early? Pssssh. I feel like we could have arrived at 11:25 and been just fine. We would have been ten minutes late for the game, but that’s not a big deal. (Who knew anything started early in Cuenca?!?) D) An added bonus: Do NOT make fun of the girl who pours your beer. You think she’s doing a terrible job because there is an enormous amount of foam on top, so the next time you try it and your entire cup is foam. Yeah. She’s better than you, and the beer is not Miller Lite. It’s different; deal. E) Added bonus number two: Soak up every comment from the stands. Learning new “vocabulary” is always a good time. ;) 
Below is a picture of Andy and I sporting our red Cuenca shirts. Cuenca beat Quito 2:1! I recommend a game to anyone who visits. It’s bound to be an experience no matter what. (PS American football is still “REAL” football in case anyone asks…)
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