Football Match

Pre-match

Kimron's nifty Footwork

Gooooal

Today I went to watch Kimron the Ocean Spirits supervisor play in a football game between two local village teams in a national tournament. He used to play for the Grenadian national team! We drove over to an area called River Sallee where the game was being held in a local school field. Wonderful reggae boomed from huge speakers at the top of the stands lending a festive atmosphere, and the sheep and goats still grazing on the succulent grass topped it off.

The Coyaba team did some very professional looking warm ups in their black and yellow uniforms. The stands began to fill, though some had a vantage point from their front steps as a few houses were immediately adjacent to the field. Coolers and beer were in evidence everywhere. Beer and
sports seem to go together all over
the world! Here, weed adds to the heady mix.

Once the match started, the energy increased, especially in the second half when the goals started coming. Spectators continually shouted instructions to their team: “What’s this air ball, man? Put de ball on de ground and pass de ball”, “Put the ball in the hooole”, and my favorite “Goal now, money later”! This turned out not to be idle talk – I saw a lot of money change hands afterward, as betting is common. Our team won 4-1 against the home team, and there were a lot of taunts back and forth.

Post-match was a huge street party fueled by music and beer. The losing team and their supporters formed the bulk of it, but many from both sides stayed around drinking and chatting - families, kids, (and dogs!). Interestingly, the men seemed to be minding their kids almost as frequently as women were. All in all, a fun experience.