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Sao Paulo vs. Palmeiras
Sao Paulo, Brazil
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Rivals, The Offbeat Guide To The 92 League Clubs, is one of the best derby books available.
Read the review |
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| Dinamo Zagreb - Hajduk Split (3-0) |
| Croatian Championship, 11 September 2004 |
| Stadium : Maksimir |
| Attendance : 18000 |
In the year 2004 I had planned a holiday to Croatia, the country my parents were born in. I had travelled for 30 hours from Australia, and I was to spend 3 1/2 months in Croatia, but there was only one thing on my mind - Seeing my beloved Dinamo play eternal rivals Hajduk.
I had been in Croatia for a little over a month, but even in the weeks leading up to the match, the newspapers were obsessed with the derby that was to come. How the team prepared, the history between them, how the fans were preparing (Bad Blue Boys for Dinamo and Torcida for Hajduk). The rest of the league seemed to stop for the biggest game of the year.
For people who do not follow the Croatian league, it is hard to describe what the derby is like, but it is everything that the 2 clubs hate about each other, and everything that they love about themselves.
The BBB are made up of hardcore Purgeri (citizens of zagreb, in the north), whereas Torcida are from Split (in the south).
I had made my own flag for the match. It was a Croatian flag with "BBB SYDNEY" written across it, so people could see that I had travelled far to see my Dinamo play.
During the day I sat in a cafe on the trg (the main square) and watched dinamo fans waling through the streets, and the city was a buzz. The air was electric, and I could feel that after waiting 19 years, I would finally live my dream.
I went to the stadium alone, but I was not without friends. On the tram from Mihaljevac to Maksimir, I stood with my BBB brothers and waved my flag out the window. We stopped the tram before the stadium and walked through the streets singing with thousands of other BBB.
I had never been to Maksimir before and I asked for a ticket to sit with the BBB. I paid 20 kn (3 euro) to sit on the sjever (north) and a guy called Mile showed me the way to the sjever, telling me I was crazy, but to hold my flag up high and to show everybody where I was from.
I got into Maksimir just before kick off and there was no room to sit, the sjever was packed.
I hung my flag from the railing, and started singing as one, led by 3 leaders on microphones, and a few on drums, keeping everybody in time.
Hajduk's players came out first and there was whistling and jeering so loud that I thought I would go deaf. Until the "modrih" (dinamo players) ran out and the noise was making the stadium shake. I was going crazy and I could not believe that I had made it.
Before I even had time to settle, Eduardo da Silva had scored for dinamo in the 3rd minute! The sjever were crazy and I could hear the echoes of "DINAMO! ZAGREB!" from around the stadium. Hundreds of flares were lit and launched from the stands, on all sides, and the visiting Torcida on the jug (southern) end were silenced. I threw 3 flares and jumped up and down. I couldn't control myself. It was a dream start.
I had watched dinamo many times on video, via satellite, but nothing could have prepared me for what was about to happen. The whole stadium went quiet, and then on the count of 3, the sjever screamed
"DINAMO"
and pointed to the istok (east). they replied with a thundering
"ZAGREB".
I felt shivers as I screamed with them, and the players felt it, and rewarded the fans with another goal. Again there was total chaos in the stands as BBB went crazy, and had a fireworks show and choreography to show off.
The match finished 3-0 for dinamo and the torcida were quickly rushed away, so that they could not be attacked by BBB but some of them still managed to get to them and a few small fights happened behind the stadium.
The singing and partying went on through the night, and for weeks. Dinamo were having a shocking season, but the win over the bili (whites) was cause for celebration amongst the gloom of a poor season.
I will never forget the first time I watched my Dinamo play.
Pictures thanks to :
http://www.badblueboys.hr
Click here for more pictures.
Report added : 17 Oktober 2005
Report by : Sarkos
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