My first Football match in Cusco: Cienciano vs Carlos A. Mannucci
(From our intern in Cusco) — Are you curious about the football culture in Cusco? Then don’t hesitate and watch a football match in the local stadium “Estadio Inca Garcilaso de la Vega” when you are studying Spanish in Peru. Cusco has three teams that play in the top division. The three clubs are: Cienciano, Club Deportivo Garcilaso and Cusco FC and they all play in the same stadium. Attending a football match in Peru for sure is a unique experience!
Before coming to Cusco for my internship in Cusco I already had the idea of going to a football match. A poster on a bus station in the barrio “El Ovalo” a week before the match really encouraged me to do it. The tickets can be bought via the ticketing platform Joinnus. I bought tickets for myself and a fellow student from the Spanish school AMAUTA. The cost was 35 soles each. It was very easy to buy tickets with my VISA card, and I could download them online as PDF. From the school in San Blas we saw on Google Maps that it is about a 25 minute walk and 7 minute taxi. We were dropped off by the taxi driver in a street further on, where the stadium could already be seen in the distance. Because of the football match, the access streets to the stadium were closed to traffic. Along the side of the street vendors sold football scarfs and snacks. You can buy snacks such as popcorn and drinks in the stadium. We found out you can buy tickets on the day of the match outside the stadium.
When we arrived at the stadium we showed the QR codes of our tickets. In the stadium there were groups of supporters with instruments, each forming a separate band with trumpets, drums and charrangos (the Peruvian flute).
When the match started it became clear that Cienciano came to win. We joined in with the crowds chants, chanting in Spanish. Of course, the altitude in Cusco has a huge influence on the performance capacity of athletes. Maybe it was placebo, but it really seemed to have an effect on the players of Carlos A. Manucci. With ten minutes to go, Cienciano fights for all it’s worth. It seems they are going to succeed in pulling the victory over the line, until Manucci manages to get in a goal.
Even though this match ended in a draw I would recommend attending a football match while you are here in Cusco to learn Spanish. The crowd never fails to disappoint and it is a great way to pick up some Spanish phrases as the crowd shouts remate. Plus it is a fun way to get to know the other students, meet locals and be immersed in a fun activity; the day before the match we went shopping for Cienciano shirts.
Find a list of essential football fan phrases in Spanish below to use when you go to the game!
| English word | Spanish translation |
| team | equipo |
| away team | equipo visitante |
| opposing team | equipo contrario |
| footballer | futbolista |
| player | jugador |
| lineup | alineación |
| lineup | plantilla |
| substitute bench | banquillo de reservas |
| substitution | sustitución |
| captain | capitán |
| goalkeeper | portero/arquero/guardameta |
| defense | defensa |
| defender | defensa |
| midfield | mediocampo |
| midfielder | mediocampista |
| winger | extremo |
| forward | delantero |
| goal scorer | goleador |
| coach | director técnico |
| trainer | entrenador |
| referee | árbitro |
| linesmen | árbitro asistente |
| commentator | comentarista deportivo |
| spectators | espectadores |
| fan | hincha |
| supporter | aficionado |
| supporters | afición |
| hooligan | gamberro |
| The FIFA World Cup | La Copa Mundial de Fútbol |
| Champions League | Liga de Campeones |
| The Copa America | La Copa América |
| The FIFA Confederations Cup | La Copa FIFA Confederaciones |
| Premier League | Primera División |
| soccer | fútbol |
| championship | campeonato |
| game | partido |
| away game | partido que se juega fuera de casa |
| friendly game | partido amistoso |
| ball | balón |
| pitch | campo de juego |
| scoreboard | marcador |
| stadium | estadio |
| dressing room | vestidor |
| bench | banca |
| goal | portería |
| goal | arco |
| post | poste |
| near post | primer poste |
| far post | segundo poste |
| net | red |
| sideline | línea de banda |
| goal line | línea de gol |
| halfway line | línea de medio campo |
| goal area | área de gol |
| penalty area | área de penalti |
| first half | primer tiempo |
| second half | segundo tiempo |
| half time | medio tiempo |
| extra time | tiempo extra |
| shinguard | espinillera |
| shorts | pantalones cortos |
| socks | medias |
| flag | banderilla |
| whistle | silbato |
| shirt | camiseta |
| uniform | uniforme |
| to play soccer | jugar al fútbol |
| to play against somebody | jugar contra alguien |
| kick | patada |
| shot | remate |
| kick-off | patada inicial |
| pass | pase |
| to pass | pasar |
| to shoot | patear |
| to take away the ball | quitar la pelota |
| to shoot at the goal | tirar a la portería |
| to score a goal | meter un gol |
| header | remate de cabeza |
| to head the ball | cabecear |
| rebound | rebote |
| corner | esquina |
| throw in | saque de banda |
| goal kick | saque de meta |
| to defend | defender |
| to catch | atajar |
| own goal | autogol |
| to win | ganar |
| to lose | perder |
| to beat | derrotar |
| to meet | enfrentarse |
| to draw | empatar |
| score draw | empate a cero |
| final score | resultado final |
| replay | repetición |
| to play fair | jugar limpio |
| to play dirty | jugar sucio |
| foul | falta |
| to commit a foul | cometer una falta |
| to blow a foul | señalar una falta |
| to hit | golpear |
| to push | empujar |
| handball | mano |
| to trip somebody up | poner una zancadilla a alguien |
| to fake | fingir |
| penalty | tiro de penalti |
| free kick | tiro libre |
| offside | fuera de juego |
| sending off | expulsión |
| yellow card | tarjeta amarilla |
| red card | tarjeta roja |
| warning | amonestación |
| to send a player off | expulsar a un jugador |
| injured player | jugador lesionado |
| to clap | aplaudir |
| to cheer on a team | animar a un equipo |