October 25, 2004 - page 2

After several near-miss goals, groans and cheers from the pub crowd, the game ended in a somewhat anti-climactic 0-0 draw. I have to say that I prefer sports where you either win or you lose, but with soccer, ties are commonplace. I learned that there really isn’t a bloodthirsty win-or-lose mentality here—all of the World Cup stuff is based on a points system, and ties get you more points than wins. It just doesn’t seem as fulfilling to me, but that’s how they play the game.

I did eventually get to see a live game of my own in Dublin, although it was actually a rugby match. I thought the games were quite similar, but apparently not. Rugby is much more physical and a lot less organized. A dog ran onto the field during the second half and nobody seemed to care. It just ran around with the players while the match was going on for about ten minutes.

It was a bit frustrating to try to understand all the rules of the game, and it was also very cold. I think I’ve probably seen the best of the weather here. And because Belfast is so far north, the sun is beginning to set earlier – someone told me that by December it is dark around 3 or 4 in the afternoon.

All in all, though, the local sports teams are a big part of the Irish experience and it was nice to be a part of it. Cheering for their team goes hand-in-hand with the pub atmosphere and the camaraderie of the Irish people.