I've always wanted to attend a futbol game in Latin America. Futbol is the most popular sport in the whole world. Today we got to see a match between Saprissa and Santa Barbara, two of the best soccer teams in Costa Rica.

Dave and I boarded a bus, and headed off. I was a little worried about getting off the bus at the right stop, but as the bus drove on, all of the passengers getting on were dressed in purple Saprissa jerseys. We decided that it'd be a good bet to just follow the crowd.

Every Sunday in Costa Rica, many futbol games are played. Today's game in the National Stadium between Saprissa and Santa Barbara was the biggest game, though.

We found the stadium, and located the ticket booth. The soccer games have two types of tickets: sunny and shady. We bought seats in the sun for $5 each. The shady tickets are $10.

We got the stadium a few hours early, because it always takes a little longer when you don't know where you're going, and you don't speak the language very well.

When we got into the stadium I was amazed at how many fans came out to root on the their team. The stadium is smaller than you would imagine, but given Costa Rica's small population, the crowd was still pretty big. There were definitely more fans for Saprissa than Santa Barbara. It seemed like everyone but Dave and me was wearing purple.

The game started exactly at 11:00 AM. The crowd at the end of the stadium began jumping, cheering, and singing songs. They did not stop for the entire game's two hours. It looked like a big purple mosh pit, but everyone was jumping, clapping, and singing in unison. And when a goal was scored the whole stadium erupted in a chorus of cheers and chants. It is definitely the most wild sporting event I've ever attended.

Saprissa ended up beating Santa Barbara 4-2. As we made our way out of the stadium, the fans kept cheering, clapping, and having a great time. The big purple herd of people made their way toward downtown San Jose to carry on the festivities and watch the next soccer games on television.