Friday 7th October was the big match between Ecuador and Venezuela held here in Quito at the Olympic stadium. Crowds started gathering at the stadium at 9.a.m. for a 4.p.m. kick off and there was a party feeling in the town as crowds mooched around the malls and streets looking for food, chat and generally hanging out excitedly before the big game. Many wore the yellow shirt of Ecuador but those who did not wore any yellow item they owned, creating a great atmosphere of oneness and unity. Throughout the day, the tv and radio stations played highlights of previous games and ran profiles of the players as well as interviews with anyone and everyone who had experience or an opinion on football! But at 4.p.m. Quito fell silent; the roads were almost clear of traffic, pedestrians had virtually disappeared from malls, streets and shops; everyone was in the stadium, a bar or their home watching the match. The result could not have been better and match analysis happily ran through the evening in this quiet capital city.
