Lewis stands outside the stadium in La Paz
Yet again Lewis the Lion had been incredibly lucky in terms of his timing. He happened to be in La Paz on the day of an international football match between Bolivia and Paraguay.
Furthermore it was a World Cup qualifying match so there was a real buzz around the Hernando Siles Stadium in La Paz.
Lewis and Helen enjoy the sunshine in the first half of the match
(This is the highest stadium in the world and sometimes people say that the Bolivian team have an unfair advantage as their players are used to playing at the higher altitude).
Lewis watches the life outside the stadium
When Lewis arrived there on a sunny Saturday afternoon, the streets around the stadium were bustling with people and in fact the roads around about had been closed to traffic.
Lewis watches on the street sellers with all the Bolivian goods
There were many street sellers selling all sorts of Bolivian paraphernalia in the colours of the flag (red, yellow and green): from vuvuzelas, to shirts, from paper hats to full-faced wrestling masks. Another addition to the usual drinks and sweets and food stands were people selling square polystyrene sheets. Lewis and his friends thought it would be a good idea to buy one each as they obviously made your sitting experience in the stadium more comfortable. Lewis was grateful for his friend, Gad, who bought him one as he didn’t have any change – only a 100 Boliviano note!
Lewis has a more comfortable seat with his polystyrene board!
Lewis the Lion and his friends arrived in the stadium just in the nick of time to see the two opposing teams lined up while the stadium reverberated with strains of the Bolivian national anthem.
Lewis watches on the national anthems
Click here to see.
There was another tune that Lewis the Lion also picked up quickly which rang around the three stands full of Bolivian supporters. The word ‘Bolivia’ was split into its three syllables and echoed three times around the ground. ‘Bo-Bo-Bo, liv-liv-liv, ia-ia-ia!’
The Bolivian caps show the chant for the fans
There were many people in the crowd wearing cardboard hats which read: ‘Bolivia – por ella doy mi vida, también mi corazon.’ In English this means, ‘Bolivia – for you I give my life, my heart as well.’ Lewis the Lion could certainly see that the Bolivians were passionate about their football, just like at the other football matches he had been to in South America.
Lewis admires the packed stands of Bolivian supporters
Like in Brazil and in Argentina, there were zones inside the stadium where musicians led the beat with their drums: it certainly gave the stadium a carnival feel.
The crowds are ready with their music!
As much as watching the game itself, Lewis the Lion thoroughly enjoyed watching the crowd and the different vendors. He particularly liked the look of the different flavoured ice-creams on one vendors tray!
The ice-cream seller tempts the thirsty crowd
He also enjoyed watching various people listening in to the match similtaneously on their transistor radios.
The first half of the game brought a lot of drama in true Latin American flair as Lewis the Lion had hoped.
Lewis watches the start of the game
Lewis watches this action-packed game
Not only was there lots of diving and histrionics with several yellow cards
A player is yellow-carded
but there were also two fantastic goals for Bolivia (one with a scissors kick)!
Bolivia score the first goal
Bolivia sneak in a second goal
There was also a missed penalty for Bolivia but the crowd did not stop encouraging the players throughout the match: they really did feel like the twelfth man.
Bolivia take…and miss a penalty kick!
When there were free kicks, Lewis the Lion liked the way the referee would squirt a line of shaving foam to make sure that the defenders stood back at the correct distance. Although even then sometimes the players would try to encroach over the line. It was clearly a very competitive game!
The referee uses foam as the marker behind which the players line up
Before the second half, an enormous Bolivian flag was passed over the heads of the crowd and Lewis the Lion thought it was great fun to be under the green part of the wafting flag!
Lewis and his friends are covered under an enormous Bolivian flag!
The second half brought even more drama as Bolivia quickly got a third goal!
Bolivia score the third goal of the match
(Watch the jubilation around the stands here).
The commentators in Latin America always tried to say the word “Gol” – “Goal” for as long as possible, as is shown in the visual graphic too.
Goooooooaaaaaalllllll!!!!!
A player was taken off the pitch on a stretcher by a small buggy
Lewis sees an injured player taken off in a golf-buggy
and tensions between the players seemed to increase even more as even more yellow cards were dealt out. However a resilient Paraguay soon managed to score a goal too.
Paraguay pull a goal back
Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for them to win the game. Just before the extra three minutes added to the game, one of the Bolivian scorers , Martins, was substituted so that he could receive his applause from the crowd.
The goal scorer is substituted so he can have his applause from the crowd
He also made a point of clapping the crowd too as if to say thank you for the support.
When the final whistle blew, many people through their polystyrene cushions up into the air in triumph!
Polystyrene boards fly at the end of the match!
What a successful day it had been for the Bolivian national team!
Lewis watches the end of the match
As the crowds streamed out the stadium, Lewis the Lion again enjoyed watching the crowds, especially some of the Bolivian women, the Cholitas, with their bowler hats, shawls and full skirts.
The crowds stream out of the stadium
Outside the stadium at the end of the game
Lewis the Lion likes nothing better than going to see live football games. What sports do you like to watch and why?
