Last weekend I went with some friends to watch a tournament match between FC Tokyo and Tokyo Verde. It was not a normal league game so the stadium was not full but there were still plenty of flag waving and singing supporters to make it interesting.
This was the first professional soccer game I have ever been to so it was a good time out. From my seats it was kind of hard to see what was going on because the field is so big. That and the Suntory premium malts that both clouded my ability to pay attention to the game but made yelling and waving flags around more fun.
The strangest part for me, which must be par for the course for my friends from Europe and the rest of the world, was the constant singing. Literally, almost non-stop throughout the entire game. There were also cheer squad guys who appeared to have no official affiliation with the team pumping up the crowd with megaphones. Half the time they weren’t even watching the game. I guess they must love karaoke.
Click the picture to head to flickr where there are more photos if you’re interested.