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My unexpected extended stay in Chicago allowed me the chance to see two games of the Copa América Centenario in 2016. The games were played at Soldier Field
Argentina vs Panama: Copa América Centenario Group Stage
There was only one reason for me to go see Argentina play Panama in the Copa América Centenario – Leo Messi. The two teams played their second group stage game on a sweaty Friday night.
Pregame
My uncle Lefteri bought the tickets a few days before the game. He picked me up in Greektown and we had a quick dinner at Greek Islands before driving to the game. When we arrived, we drove through Museum Campus to one of the parking lots south of Soldier Field. Both of us were shocked at the US$45 parking rate.
We walked to the stadium and saw the area dressed up for the game. There were banners representing the teams playing at Soldier Field during the group stage and hundreds of excited fans tailgating and playing football in the parking lot.
After going through security, we went to our seats behind the goal on the north end of the field and watched the stadium fill up. The majority were dressed in blue and white Argentina jerseys with a handful of Panama fans in red. Almost 54,000 fans packed Soldier Field for the game (for Messi, in reality).
The fans settled in and watched the teams come onto the field for the national anthems. The Argentinean fans created a joyous atmosphere to start the game as they stood for their anthem. They were up chanting the entire game after that.
The Game
The game started off quickly with a goal at 7′ by Nicolás Otamendi after a brilliant free kick by Ángel Di María. Argentina continued to threaten but after an injury to Di María forced him out of the game in the 43rd minute, the play was flat all around.
Throughout the game, fans were chanting Messi’s name. Nobody was sure if he would play after recently being cleared of an injury, but the entire stadium erupted (except for Panamá supporters) when Messi started to warm up and finally entered the game in the 61st minute.
The rest of the game is history. Watching Messi is an experience I’ll never forget. He scored three goals in 19 minutes, the last two just breathtaking to witness. The first was off a lucky bounce that fell right to Messi at 68′. The second was an incredible free kick at 78′. The third was after a spectacular move to fool a defender at 87′. Sergio Agüero capped off the night with a header at 90′.
Everyone stood and applauded Messi’s incredible effort as the legend walked off the field. He was interviewed in my corner of the field and I was able to snap a few photos.
Colombia vs Chile: Copa América Centenario Semifinals
The second game I attended was to watch Colombia play Chile in the semifinals. For me, it pitted the country I now call home against a country I lived in for a short time. Both of them have given me fond memories, but on this night, I would support Colombia.
It was highly unlikely that Colombia would play in Chicago. They were expected to win their group which would give them a potential semifinal berth in Houston. They tripped up in their final group stage game against Costa Rica and finished second, meaning the path to Chicago was wide open. I waited until two days before the game and was excited to find amazing seats at a reasonable price.
Pregame
I took my mom to the game with me. We drove up to Soldier Field in a torrential downpour and arrived two hours before kickoff. The rain stopped and we walked to the stadium. We took our time and settled in to our seats an hour later. I had much better seats than the ones I had for the Argentina vs Panama game 12 days earlier.
The crowd was overwhelmingly pro-Colombian and the stands were filled with yellow shirts. Small pockets of Chilean fans in red were noticeable throughout the stadium. The Colombian supporters were much louder, but the mood was friendly and festive on both sides.
The Game
The players came out onto the field and the national anthems were played to a very enthusiastic crowd. The opening whistle was blown, but it was tough luck for the Colombians as Chile scored two goals off fortunate bounces in the opening 11 minutes. Colombia dominated the play for most of the rest of the first half, but couldn’t put one past Claudio Bravo. The wet field didn’t help the Colombians, either, as they were slipping and sliding all over the place.
At halftime, the spectators were told to take shelter from the severe weather heading towards the area. Thunder roared and lightning flashed throughout the skies as a heavy rain came down onto the field. The 15 minute halftime turned into a 2-hour delay until everyone was cleared to return to their seats. Almost nobody left, which is extraordinary considering the conditions, and the mood was still festive as the grounds crew tried to push excess water off the field.
The game restarted and Colombia dominated possession once again, but the field conditions were extremely sloppy. It led to a comedy of errors, with players basically swimming and the ball not bouncing very well. This affected the Colombian efforts greatly along with some questionable calls by the referee. He missed an obvious penalty and gave a harsh second yellow card leading to the expulsion of Carlos Sánchez. In the end, Chile held on to take a 2-0 win and move on to the finals against Argentina for the second year in a row.
Postgame
It was a disappointing result for me and the other Colombian fans, but it was an amazing experience to be part of such an important game. I can’t help but think that if the field was dry, Colombia would’ve made it a much closer game. In the end, I was happy for the opportunity to watch some of the greatest players in the world, such as Chile’s Alexis Sánchez and Colombia’s James Rodríguez. I was also happy for my Chilean friends who have the chance to celebrate their second consecutive Copa América win.
