On Friday the 21st of January 16:25, two cultures clashed in the soccer field. Only the clash was not between the players but rather the fans. Supporting soccer teams is a very popular subculture in both the Qatari and Japanese cultures. Therefore, when they faced off in such an important game, Qatar could've made history the second time this winter. I knew there was no way I was going to miss such a high stake game and miss the chance to see how these two spectator heavy cultures collide.
In Qatar, supporting football, or to the American readers soccer, teams may just be one of the biggest subcultures within the culture. Every man, woman or child supports a certain club feel passionately about that said club. Usually the club chosen is passed from father to son or daughter. When watching the national team play it is a way for all of Qatar to unite and support the team. Some folkways that belong to the culture do not apply when involved with this subculture for example how one acts around a stranger or the idea of personal space. Once you're in the stadium the person next to you or behind you might as well be your brother. The subculture has its own set of norms and traditions, for example designing your car with flags and blasting loud music or honking continuously to celebrate victories.
I got to the stadium around 3:30 to find there were more Japanese fans than there were Qatari fans. Thankfully, 30 minutes before the game started the Qatari fans made a comeback greatly over numbering the Japanese fans. Both sides were equally enthusiastic with flags, instruments and costumes representing their respective countries, some however may have been confused or simply an effect of cultural diffusion.
Qatar supporters were very important to this match as the Qatari coach mentions in countless interviews. Therefore this subculture was as important as ever. The two cultures and their different norms and traditions were made very obvious when put in contrast. The game was very close with teams taking turns scoring goals with fans and players both going crazy after each goal till the final winning goal by Japan in the final minutes of the game crushed the hopes and dreams of the Qatar fans while simultaneously increasing the hope of Japan winning the cup a 4th time. The final goal created such a thick atmosphere with the blue side of the stadium cheering and the white and maroon side somber and searching for the exits to avoid traffic. Interestingly, once the team losses the cultural norms come back and the person next to you is back to being a stranger, winning is another story however.
Overall, it was quite interesting to see how the folkways can change due to certain subcultures and how according to the score they can easily be changed back. While the score was a disappointment, one hopes we have better luck in 2022.
Sources
http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/0d7r1YW6Xl76P/350x.jpg
