My love of sports is why I started traveling. One of my most unique experiences was in Porto. I’m a big soccer fan but living in New York City, I don’t get many chances to see a UEFA Champions League knockout match in person.  So, when the opportunity came, I changed plans while visiting Spain and made a last-minute diversion to Portugal for 24 hours. 

Champions League Experience

It was the second leg in the round of 16 matches between FC Porto and AS Roma in 2019. One word sums up that day and night, extraordinary. Years later, I can still hear the sounds from that night in the Estádio do Dragão (Stadium of the Dragon in English.) I’ve been to sporting events across the world but this was unparalleled to anything I’d experienced. 

Reasons to Visit Porto

Obviously, I love sports. I also love history and art, which made Porto a perfect destination. Porto can transport you back to the 15th and 16th centuries; it’s magical.

River Douro & Azulejos

The Douro River runs through Porto to create stunning backdrops before a game. You see the river or amazing architecture dating hundreds of years at every turn. The river views may be the only thing more beautiful than the azulejos across the city. Azulejos is Portuguese for the word tile and the people there have turned it into an art form. I saw dozens of buildings covered by them and needed to take a picture of most of them! 

Historic Attractions

There were plenty of other things to photograph before the big game. Some of my favorites were Sé do Porto (Porto Cathedral), São Bento Railway Station, Clerigos Tower, Dom Luis Bridge, and the Church of Santa Clara.  

Home of Port Wine

While soccer fans often drink beer, Porto is the home of port wine. The wine cellars in the area are renowned for their dessert wine and produce some of the top vintages in the world. If you don’t have time to tour a vineyard, stop at any restaurant downtown to taste the sweet wine. 

Game Time

Riding the train to Estádio do Dragão, I could feel the tension building. Porto lost the first leg 2-1 in Rome and even a win wouldn’t guarantee them a win because of the away goal rule. While there was plenty of tension, there was just as much excitement.

Estádio do Dragão Experience

Cheers and songs are not unique to Porto but the fans there make it different than anything I’ve experienced before or since. I don’t speak Portuguese but could figure out there were songs about every player, the team’s history, and why the fans love the team. 

There are seats in the stadium but nobody uses them. The game went into extra time and everyone stood and sang for more than three hours except me because I didn’t know the words. It was like the Cameron Crazies on steroids x 100. It got louder with every kick of the ball and hissing whenever Roma tried to slow the game down. 

Match Report

Porto started the match on the front foot. They pressed for the goal that would even the tie. Tiquinho Soares provided the equalizer in the 26th minute. But about 10 minutes later, Eder Militao committed a silly foul inside his own box and Daniel De Rossi restored Roma’s lead. 

Porto and Roma ended the first half even on the night, which meant Porto needed to score in the second half or their Champions League dream was over for the year. Seven minutes after the break, Moussa Marega sent the crowd into a frenzy by finally taking advantage of several opportunities. It was now 2-1 Porto and 3-3 on aggregate. 

Both teams pushed for a winning goal over the next 40 minutes but couldn’t break through. The game was heading to extra time. The players were exhausted, the game slowed, and both teams started making mistakes. As the minutes of extra time ticked down, I started to expect penalties would decide the game. 

I was right, at least to an extent. In the 117th minute, VAR spotted a foul committed by Alessandro Florenzi on a Porto player in the 18-yard box. The referee awarded a penalty kick to Porto, which Alex Telles calmly converted. Estádio do Dragão exploded. 

Porto was finally ahead and about three minutes from advancing to the quarterfinals. But, if Roma could score they’d advance on away goals. It was a nervy ending but Porto advanced 4-3 on aggregate. The players collapsed from exhaustion and the crowd was in a frenzy. 

Fans packed the trains singing, cheering, and hugging. It was a communal celebration. I wish I spoke Portuguese to understand what was being said. But even with the language barrier, I understood and knew how they felt. 

Contact Me

If you’re interested in this type of extraordinary experience or planning to travel to watch your team, email [email protected] or call me at 917-225-1360. My services will customize your journey to meet your personal preferences and exceed all expectations.