GOL!!!

"Barca! (clap, clap clap) - Barca! (clap, clap clap)"

Yea, i was sitting in Giants Stadium, but it sure didn't feel like it. Looking around and across the field to the other side of the stadium, all i saw were signs, banners and flags of Spain and FC Barcelona floating in a sea of Maroon and Blue. Behind me, the pounding sound of drums and bull-horns set the tempo for the entire night. If I had taken a video of my surroundings, anybody would have mistaken New Jersey for a crazed soccer town in Latin America or Spain.

Witnessing this event made me appreciate European soccer even more than I already do. I realized that soccer/futbol is more than just a sport. Its a culture, and for some, as ridiculous it may sound, a way of life. From the sound of it, you're probably envisioning a stadium packed with latin americans, but in reality, this was one of the most diverse sporting events I've ever been to. It united people from many different heritages, all in hopes to witness some of the greatest players in the world take the field and play an amazing game...

...and the fans got what they wanted. Before this night, I constantly backed-up US Soccer and said that Americans are fast-approaching the European skill level.. I knew they had some work to do, but never did I imagine this type of result. 3-0 in the 28th Minute. 4-1 at Halftime. 6-2 at Full Time...Barcelona handled the RedBulls with ease. Domination was an understatement. Not to mention, the Spaniards no longer have Ronaldinho, and they're next best player Messi was a no show.

'Gol' after 'Gol', the stadium rocked, fans went crazy, and the bull-horns seemed to be the least of the noise. I've never experienced such an event like this - it left me speechless and in awe of everything and everyone around me. Amazing!

Now I understand why Futbol is considered the "Beautiful Game"