Cantona - Ha Ha Ha

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A competitive soccer game between two nations can be a friendly and exciting experience, but also a very tense and even hostile occurrence. This one lands about inbetween. The opening scene is a sign of an impressive experience; the cute French girl in the entrance line to Parc de Princes gives me the smile of a decade. Regardless of the outcome, I have my Paris face. The stadium is not among the largest of Europe, but it certainly must be one of the loudest. The acoustics are magnificent. A stadium "bowl" in its most literate sense, as opposed to its American counterparts with that name. The Swedish crowd amounts to some 2,000 fans. The rest, some 40,000, are French supporters. The noise when Martin Dahlin gives the Swedish side the lead is loud. Standing in the middle of the Swedish section, it is one of the loudest I've heard thus far. Thus far...The Swedes are chanting: "Cantona, ha, ha, ha". Cantona, as in Eric Cantona, the very arrogant and temperamental but brilliant French player. He may or may not be able to hear it from the upper balcony, but in any event, he scores the equalizer for France. The roar that follows will has left a perpetual impression as the ultimate noise. Far outroaring that of twice as many people at for example Rose Bowl, the Pontiac Silverdome, the Louisiana Superdome, and even Camp Nou and San Bernabeu. The Swedish "fans" then decide that ripping off a (rather heavy!) plastic chair and throw it on the spectators on the balcony below will make things better. These idiots with an IQ apparently matching their shoe size do not belong at a football game. Or any event with normal people present for that matter. Cantona then gives France the win with an (unfair!!!) penalty shot. The noise is if possible even louder. Guess the last laugh was on Cantona...

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