Also, I went to the Austria vs. Jordan game last night. It was everything an international sporting event should be. Both fan bases were so happy to be there; first time ever for Jordan, first time in 28 years for Austria. The shared joy in and around the stadium was visceral. It was awesome. Probably culturally anticipated, the Jordan fans were more ebullient than the Austrians, but both fan bases were so very positive. I was there supporting Austria (with my brother, an ex pat who lives in Austria, and his step-son; a 30-ish year old Austrian, who was close to what we would consider a college-level soccer player and long ago played against some of the current Austrian stars), but sitting around mostly Jordan fans, it was really fun. When an Austria supporter accidentally knocked over a Jordan fan's cocktail, he immediately went down to the bar and bought a replacement--and even before he did so, the Jordan fan, while frustrated, was also gracious. When Jordan scored its first-ever World Cup goal, the celebratory eruption was something to behold.
I've been in other sporting environments that had a similar feel--the 1993 Badger game against Michigan comes to mind, as does the Badgers' 1994 Rose Bowl; I'm sure the 2010 Badger win over Ohio State was one, but the shared joy by both fanbases, and the mixing of cultures was unlike anything I have ever experienced. It was really, really cool.
