continued from page 26 and some pizza, the crowd starts up an “England!” cheer. Later that evening, at halftime, when they learn I’m Canadian, they actually strike up a “Canada!” cheer. Man, | love this country. 9:35 p.m. Japan scores, and the bar, the stadium, and probably the whole bloody country goes crazy. But can Japan hang on? 10:20 p.m. The answer is yes! Japan wins! Oncg.again, the bar explodes into noise, and | get more hugs from Japanese people than I'll proba- bly get in a lifetime. The bar- tender gives everyone a free drink, and then we run into the street where the real party has begun. It reminds me of Canada when we won gold in hockey at the Olympics. The police are watching carefully, but you know what, | can tell they’re pretty happy too. After all, it's Japan’s first ever win at the World Cup. And they beat Russia, no less. Party on, man. And yes, | was able to attend a World Cup game live in Japan. Don’t ask how much | spent on the ticket, but | managed to go to the Ireland vs. Saudi Arabia game, in Yokohama. June 11, Yokohama: 8 p.m. I’m inside the Yokohama Stadium, which will eventually be the venue for the World Cup Final. And yes, this is Japan, but don’t let that fool you: This will be a home game for Ireland. Almost every- one in the crowd is either dressed in green, or at least is cheering for the Irish. Ireland must win by at least two goals to advance to the next round, which shouldn't be difficult: Germany managed to score eight earlier in the tourney against the weaker Asian squad. 8:30 p.m. If | wanted atmosphere, well, I’ve found it. The building is electric, and the noise is thunderous. Despite the fact a typhoon has moved into the area, and rain seems to turn on and off like a lousy tap, the crowd is loud and ready for action. Kick-off. The game is sloppy at first, until Ireland’s hero Robbie Keane gets it going with a gorgeous goal barely ten minutes in. The crowd reaction is delayed—we’re not used to Ireland scoring so early in a game. But soon, the party is underway. The Irish lads will be singing for, oh, probably the next 12 hours (at least). 10:30p.m. lreland wins 3-0. The game wasn’t great, and with the gusting winds, perfect passes were non-existent. However, the atmosphere made up for the lack of excitement, and | leave the stadium believing that Japan is more soccer savvy than their neighbours from Korea. But maybe that’s an unfair statement. Japan seems to love cheering for favourites. Early on, they cheer for England and Ireland, and eventually, in the final, they'll be cheering for Brazil. Bandwagon jumpers. Hey, that sounds familiar. Maybe that’s why so the other press. >>>SPORTS many Japanese people visit Vancouver. Meanwhile, the Irish continue to show why they are the best fans. First of all, the entire Irish team walks around the base of the pitch, bowing to the thousands of Japanese supporters. An impressive salute, to say the least. In response, the Irish fans begin chanting “Nip-pon, Nip-pon!” So much for hooliganism, eh? Not at this World Cup. And perhaps that is what should be remembered from this tournament: no violence. Aside from the riot in Moscow, there was not a single incident of violence in either country, despite the huge crowds in the streets after certain matches. As one Englishman put it (quoted directly from the Japan Times), “Why would we cause trouble? These people (Japanese and Koreans) have been so wonderful and helpful, it would be an awful crime to do anything bad. They have been fantastic hosts, and we have had a wonderful time.” Wednesday, June 12, Roppongi (Tokyo): 1 a.m. Yes, the Irish are moving on, but the celebration has only just begun. We are outside an Irish pub, where the landing is jammed with at least 500 (probably more) Irish fans, and quite a few curious Japanese peo- ple. The Irish are drinking, singing, and dancing, and they won't be going home anytime soon (or at least until they all board planes for South Korea, where their heroes will be playing next). My friend and | remain at the party until 6a.m., where we finally stagger back to his place. Thank God my flight isn’t until 6p.m. later that day, when my World Cup experi- ence will unfortunately come to a close. So, that’s it for another four years. Germany gets the next turn, in 2006. FIFA’s Asian experiment definitely worked, and Asian soccer finally has potential. Over those two weeks, | met wonderful people from all over the globe. It’s amazing how a sporting event can bring so many people together from so many nationalities. It doesn’t matter where you’re from, or who you are: if you are a soccer fan, you can befriend anyone from any country. Of course, that all changes once you step inside that stadium, and start cheering for your home country. Suddenly, those people who you were friends with only hours earlier, and those people you may share a pint with the following evening, are your bitter enemies, and losing to them in soccer is completely unacceptable. Players from teams like France and Argentina will have to hide from the limelight for a couple of years. Players from teams like Senegal and Turkey are instant national heroes, despite the fact neither team made it to the final. And of course, South Korea gets bragging rights over Japan in soccer, and maybe, after the last thousand years of history, the Koreans deserve it. As for which country is the most “soccer crazy?” Too tough to call. Still, the World Cup experience is amazing, and despite the fact | may be in debt for the next two years paying this trip off, it was definitely worth it. And | can’t wait until 2006, Germany, where hopefully Canada will actually qualify. Lene