Well, our first home game did not turn out quite as we had liked. We played hard against the F.C. Barcelona Dragons last Saturday, but ended up losing a close one, 10-7. We were ahead for much of the game, which made the loss even harder to take. It wasn’t until only a minute to go on the clock that it really looked like we would lose it.

Other than the result, the first game was very cool. The crowd, although much smaller than NFL crowds (just over 11,000 people) was just as loud. It seemed like most fans had brought in small horns and I also heard a lot of drums beating. I was also encouraged to see an American flag in the stands. At this time in the world, it’s hard to know what the European people think of Americans, so it was good to see some support.

Although losing was painful, and not at all what we had planned to do, the team has begun to focus on this week’s task – seeking revenge against the Dragons. Just as we had our home opener last week, the Dragons are having their first home game this week. It is rare to play one team back-to-back, but it is fairly nice, especially when you have something to prove to that team. I think all of the players are anxious to rectify mistakes they made last week and show Barcelona what they can really do.

My week outside of football was quite relaxing. I took one day to stroll around Amsterdam. Just to give you a picture of the spectrum of the city, I bought a bouquet of tulips on the street, and I went to The Torture Museum. The museum was rather interesting. It featured torture devices of times past and it kind of creeped me out. I still have the tulips and they are blooming beautifully in my room.

I am looking forward to the trip to Barcelona today, not only to see the team try to get a win, but also to practice my Spanish. My Dutch is still very poor and Spanish is the closest thing I have to a second language. After studying it for over four years, I still struggle to have a normal conversation. Hopefully this weekend, I can improve my skills a little bit. Hopefully I will have better news to report next time. ---