Di Colombian fans don turn Miami Stadium into their own back yard for dis World Cup qualifier against Portugal. Di stadium dey full of yellow jerseys, singing and dancing like say dem dey El Campín for Bogotá.
Rafael Orjuela, wey don stay for Miami for five years, say di atmosphere make am feel close to home. “To dey far from my mama, my papa, and all my friends, e hard. But to see all dis people, to feel say we want to be world champions, e change everything,” di 25-year-old from Bogotá tok.
Around am, fans dey jump on tables, dey sing, and dey celebrate di chance to see di Colombian team for Miami, wey get plenty Colombian community. Sandra Arenas, wey don live for Miami for 27 years, share di same feeling. “Di World Cup na once in a lifetime. To get am for house na spectacular, and to see your team play here with your people, e priceless. You fit live abroad for many years, but home always matter,” she tok.
Juan David López tok say im travel from New York by train, almost 30 hours, to reach Miami. “E be difficult journey, but e worth am. Dis look like Colombia. Di energy dey incredible, Colombians no dey disappoint,” im tok. Michael Ramos come all di way from Cali just to watch di match against Portugal. “Di Americans don realize say Colombia don reach Miami,” di 39-year-old construction worker tok with pride. “We dey go well, we go reach as far as we fit,” im add, as di team don win dema first two matches.
For Orjuela, di moment sweet but di price of ticket dey bitter. “I don dey pay for dis ticket since January, and I still dey pay am. Football na for di people, but e dey hard for di worker,” im complain. But for today, im no want to think about dat. “I work many hours every week, but dat no matter if e be to see Colombia,” im tok.
