Women's World Cup Journal: Nigeria throws a party to remember
Throughout my travels at the the Women's World Cup, I'll be chronicling the color and atmosphere of the tournament on the blog and in the pages of the Inquirer. For more photos, videos and anecdotes, follow me on Twitter (@thegoalkeeper) and Snapchat (jtannenwald).
The vast majority of people strolling along Portage Avenue, Winnipeg's biggest commercial thoroughfare, were decked out in American colors. From jerseys to scarves to star-spangled shirts, shorts and t-shirts, you would have thought it was July 4 instead of June 8. And you certainly wouldn't have thought you were a seven-hour drive from the nearest major U.S. city.
At the stadium, fans started lining up outside the gates well before officially opened. Scattered within the masses of red, white and blue were pockets of bright Swedish yellow, Nigerian green and Australian gold.
If there was a prize for fans of the game, it would definitely go to the cluster of Nigerians below the press box. They broke out drums and trumpets as the teams took the field for pregame warmups, kicking off a jam session that rarely let up all afternoon.
It's a long way from Lagos to Winnipeg, but Nigerians have a track record of traveling well to support their women's team. They came in big numbers when the Super Falcons played the United States in Philadelphia in 2003, and they showed up in Germany four years ago too.
Unfortunately, the first half didn't give them much to cheer about, as Sweden capitalized twice on Nigeria's struggles at defending corner kicks. In the second half, though, the Super Falcons roared to life, scoring twice to tie the score. Asisat Oshoala of famed English club Liverpool's women's hit the equalizer on a breakaway, then celebrated with some nifty dance moves.
The Nigerian fans were just a few feet away from Oshoala and her teammates. They whooped it up in the stands, and many of the Americans around them joined in the party.
Sweden took the lead back just seconds later, but the trumpeters and drummers kept right on playing. And when Francisca Ordega of the National Women's Soccer League tied the game once again in the 87th minute, the whole stadium erupted in celebration.
The game ended in a 3-3 draw. At the final whistle, Nigeria's coach and many of his players collapsed to the turf in a combination of exhaustion, relief and joy.
It was the kind of moment that defines the joy of traveling to a World Cup, no matter where you come from. Even in a soccer outpost on the Canadian prairies, the game's great spectacle can throw an unforgettable party.