Our man in Sarajevo, Graham Ruthven, confronted language points, uncooked sewage, a case of mistaken identification, and sights by no means meant for guests’ eyes. And all of it occurred earlier than his first interview.
ASN Slideshow
BY
Graham Ruthven
Posted
August 12, 2013
9:34 PM
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OK, I’LL ADMIT IT. I took a taxi to the fallacious stadium for Monday’s U.S. males’s soccer coaching session.
My rationalization: I obtained within the cab, mispronouncing the identify of the stadium the place Jurgen Klinsmann’s group have been coaching—Grbavica Stadium. After a number of elongated syllables and labored hand gestures and different futile makes an attempt at communication, the motive force replied, “Ah! America! Football?” I nodded.How may that be fallacious?
It was very fallacious.
I spotted simply how fallacious when wading via the stream of uncooked sewage that meandered down the doorway tunnel to the Asim Ferhatovic Hase Stadium, the place the USA will face Bosnia on Wednesday (2:30 p.m. Japanese; ESPN2, UniMas).
(For a glimpse of Graham’s star-crossed tour of Sarajevo, see the slideshow above proper.)
Upon arriving on the (fallacious) stadium, a distinctly intimidating and altogether unfriendly place, I started searching for an entrance, or not less than some kind of opening within the concrete fortification that marked the bottom’s perimeter.
I opened one door, and a go well with retailer stared again at me. Yep, a go well with retailer in a soccer stadium. First time for all the things. A lady chased after me, wagging ties in my face. As soon as I defined to her I used to be not available in the market for neckwear, she instructed me to enterprise deeper right into a darkish and dingy tunnel. That’s how I’d get into the seemingly abandoned, and derelict, stadium.
As soon as the tunnel doubled again on itself I discovered myself deep within the bowels of the constructing. There was a blended zone, locker rooms, and even a doping room. (I assume that’s the place they take a look at for doping as a substitute of the place they really conduct doping.)
I gazed via the sturdy-looking gates that guarded the taking part in floor, gauging the peak I may soar on the opposite aspect with out breaking a leg. I am going to admit it: after seeing what Bosnia soccer stadiums appear to be I didn’t notably need to see the within of their prisons.
There was no person round. Not a soul. I used to be within the fallacious place.
After sprinting not less than two miles towards the middle of the town, I managed to hail a cab. To keep away from any confusion this time I confirmed the motive force the spelling of the proper stadium on my cellphone.
Even then it wasn’t easy. Upon searching for the doorway to this stadium, the proper stadium, I clambered up a staircase adorning the aspect of the grandstand. I anticipated to discover a turnstile or one thing that indicated {that a} soccer stadium was on the opposite aspect of the wall.
As an alternative I discovered a household’s lounge. They have been all sitting watching TV and smoking pipes, gazing me. I hotfooted it out of there.
Lastly, after over an hour of taking in sights that sightseers have been by no means meant to see, I discovered the U.S. coaching session, and gamers to interview.
On the way in which residence from the coaching session my cab took me to the fallacious lodge. Apparently there are two inns with the identical identify in Sarajevo. Subsequent time, I believe I’ll stroll.
Here is hoping that Tuesday is a bit much less eventful.
