Oman's first Gulf Cup victory

Steffen and I never made it to an Oman soccer game. It just got too crazy as they neared the finals and there was no way to get in unless you camped out all day. We were definitely fans though, and we made it known. I know that I got plenty of great reactions from people when I wore my jersey, even learning to say "Yullah Oman!" (Let's go, Oman!). 

Here is a picture of the guy that my jersey was a replica for (in red, trying to punch the other guy in the nuts):

Me, in white, always trying to defend my nuts from Steffen's punches: 

We watched two of their matches on TV, one in a hotel in Nizwa with the hotel staff and the other at a Shisha bar in Muscat. 

Shisha: (fruit tobacco is used (which smells amazing, by the way), not weed)

It was fun to watch in both cases, in Nizwa because the staff was so excited we got free sodas and had elaborate toasts and cheers for Oman, and in Muscat because that was the championship game which Oman won in a sudden death shoot out. It was very exciting! They were tied after the first five shots, when the Saudi player missed his shot on the sixth they crowd went crazy. But it wasn't over, the Omani had to make his shot. He did, and the entire country exploded in celebration. Not to mention that the Sultan gave everyone a day off the next day to celebrate. It was the first time that Oman had ever won the Gulf Cup, and I'm pretty sure that it means they are automatically in the World Cup now. For such a small country, it was huge. 

I still think soccer is kind of boring, but I appreciate the passion that fans have in places like Oman. Maybe the US will have that kind of passion someday, but I still probably wouldn't watch anything but maybe the World Cup. And if only for moments like this:

OWNED!