Video: Capturing the nervous energy of international soccer

It’s all fun and games – until the first flaming projectile flies across enemy lines.

This video from Jimmy Conrad and our friends at KickTV does a great job of capturing the nervous street-level energy before a big match in international tournaments, especially with contests attached to deeper historical or geopolitical weight.

Mostly, it’s all good; fans being fans, coming to support their country, enjoy a cold one and relish the spirit of soccer.

But because tickets can’t be declined to all the dregs of the gene pool, and because idiots will be idiots, bad things can and do happen. There’s always an awareness of it, so the nervous energy builds on itself.

Plus, the extensive police presence en route to the grounds and bracketing the stadium always adds an extra layer of ominous intent. After all, these heavily armed men and women are out, in full hard-ass riot gear, for one reason only: because they understand that something might just happen.

Here’s Jimmy and Co.’s video from before yesterday’s Poland-Russia contest.

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