Hajra, Magyarorszag!

Wednesday morning I watched President Obama on TV, skirting a request at the G20 Summit in London for projections on the World Cup, and in the evening, I watched Hungary shut out Malta, 3-0, at the Puskas Ferenc Stadium. I have little to compare it to, having been to one professional game each of basketball, baseball, and American football, so the drunken cheers, face paint, and buses of fans were probably on par with any other game.

But I think more likely, the excitement was heightened this time because Hungary had just beaten Albania over the weekend and has a decent chance of making it to the World Cup next year, the first time since 1986. I almost didn't go because the 35,000 seats were sold out, until a ticket became available at the last minute.

The wave went through the crowd at least five times in a row, dotted with cheers of "Magyarok!" (Hungarians) "Gyere! Gyere!" (Come on) "Ya, ya, Hungaria!" (apparently they refer to the country as Hungaria, too, not just Magyarorsyag), and "Hajra, Magyarorszag!" (that I can't translate but how much meaning can a cheer have anyway?). Those, along with the red-white-and-green flags, were new to me because the games I'd been to brought out regional pride rather than an entire country united.

I also was not used to the smoking, but I guess fans needed a substitute because alcohol is banned. Or people just showed up drunk, downing their last few drops at the gate and tossing another can into the trash heap before facing the security guards to be searched (not that they really searched women or children). At a Jets game two seasons ago, I thought it was funny that people received capless beer bottles so they couldn't throw caps at the players, but I guess they should just be happy to have the beer at all.



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Reading: Samantha Power, A Problem from Hell
Listening to: Julieta Venegas
Watching: The Office