Chelsea 1, Reading 0

Tonight was my first "football" match here in the Old World, and suffice to say I came away thoroughly impressed. Mind you, I love playing soccer; I've played from the first grade through high school and during summers I play in a pick up league with my friends from my town. Those are some of my fondest sports memories and achievements. But for one reason or another I just couldn't bring myself to get excited about Premiership soccer. I guess I kind've cheered for Liverpool, stemming from my entirely unhealthy obsession with The Beatles, but to call myself a fan would be dishonest. The World Cup in 2006 really rekindled my interest in the sport as a whole, but never to the level I would have liked.
Still, actually being in the UK, I figured I wouldn't be able to live with myself had I passed up an opportunity to see the world's biggest sport played by the world's best athletes. The asking price was cheap, 65 pounds for an upper deck seat, but it was just something I had to do. Plus I don't have class tomorrow, so even though I'm battling off sickness I could always sleep in and catch up on my rest.
When my friends and I got to their stadium, Stamford Bridge, the place was mobbed. Bobbies (police) were in full force making sure everything stayed on the straight and narrow but the atmosphere was still fantastic. Upon some smothering peer pressure, I even caved for a pretty sick Chelsea kit (the neon yellow kind... yeahhhh). The match itself was marked by a goal off a header by German legend Michael Ballack and then a contentious back-and-forth effort after that. Luckily for the local mobs, Reading's threats came just short. I recognized Reading winger Bobby Convey from America's World Cup squad and cheered for him a bit, albeit quietly, when he was in position to make a play. But overall the experience was everything I had hoped it would be and more. Now here's to hoping this damned cough will go away!