World Cup Game 2 – Panama vs England

It was rainy, grey and overcast this morning, which pretty much set the tone for toady’s game. I went over to my new friend Tia Sofia’s house / empanada factory. She makes huge quantities of empanadas, tortillas (the thick hockey puck kind) and hojaldras (fried bread) every day and sells them to breakfast stands all around town, delivered by a cadre of boys.

The first WC game was standing room only, but today there were only about 15 of us, perhaps due to the nasty weather, the early hour (7am on a Sunday) or being 9 to 1 underdogs with little hope of winning. In any case, the bloom was definitely off the Panamanian rose. Everyone stood and sang the Panama Anthem really loud, but without the hugs, tears and emotion of the first game. Still, I doubt many Americans even stand for the Anthem at home. Even the announcers lacked the enthusiasm of the first game. Some of Sofia’s crew of delivery boys were returning from their routes and joined us. No problem with child labor here.

England scored almost immediately, and the crowd seemed resigned to the eventual outcome. But, Tia kept serving us her delicious empanadas and coffee (with the sugar already in it – the way Panamanians like it) and cheering us up. It also seemed to relax the viewing protocols compared to the first game. Though this was only my second viewing of a soccer game, I think I have discerned the etiquette.
1. Some quiet conversation is allowed, though eyes must never leave the TV screen.
2. Conversation MUST be in some way related to soccer.
3. Everyone stops talking and rises whenever Panama takes a shot on goal.
4. A loud groan is required when they miss.
5. When the Panama goalie stops a shot, standing and loud cheering are required
6. EVERY foul of an opposing player is “fingir” (pretend or fake) and every foul against a Panamanian is a real and violent atrocity. Appropriate gestures and shouts are required.

I still find the whole foul process somewhat comical. Players fall to the ground holding some body part as though it is broken and grimacing so hard it hurts to watch, often waving at officials to notice them When the foul is called, they jump to their feet and smile, as though acknowledging the farce.  This game was chock full of fouls. While my crowd screamed “fingir” and “tramposo” (trickster or fake) at the opposing team, they were quick to smile and wink whenever Gomez – their best “trickster” – drew a foul. As “tramposo” sounds very similar to Trumposo, I may have introduced a new term into the lexicon, much to their delight.

During the long half-time break, I asked around about local feelings on The Invasion, citing my conversation with Jimmy Vegas the day before. One man said it was “very bad”. He had been visiting in the City at the time and tried to leave. Everyone trying to board busses out of town were taken to a holding area near Albrook and not allowed to leave for 6 days, with little food and water and no bathroom facilities, though they were not otherwise abused, they slept in their clothes on the ground. He could hear the constant explosions and fires lit the night sky. But, the majority felt far removed from the Invasion atrocities here in Bocas. “It was a City problem and didn’t concern us.”, was one woman’s response. This feeling of “Two Panamas” – the City vs everyone else is pretty common.

At this point, the score was already 5-0 and Sofia brought out the beer, which was consumed at an alarming rate, considering it was before 8 in the morning. These guys can really put it away. And fast. To my surprise, some folks left after the 6^th English goal. Too bad, as Panama scored their first World Cup goal with 15 minutes left in the match, which greatly animated the crowd and was replayed over and over and over by the clearly partisan announcers. Beer consumption increased accordingly. The final score of 6-1 was a tad embarrassing, but Panama had already saved face in their WC debut with that single goal. Panama is an odds-even match for Tunisia in what will likely be their final 2018 World Cup game on Thursday. It was still raining as I walked home.