Things to do before going to a Shanghai United game at Shanghai Stadium:

• Prepare the Fabreeze

  All the men in the stand around you will be smoking. And the people in the stands around you will mostly be men.

• Learn how to bargain

  Scalpers will be selling tickets for half the ticket price, but they can go lower. It all depends on you!

• Decide which side you're on

  And I don't mean for or against Shanghai. There are two groups of Shanghai supporters (in Spanish they'd be called "peñas"), one wearing solid blue shirts and the other wearing vertical stripes of blue and white. At one point, they may start chanting, calling each other "shabi" and other not-so-pleasant things. All in fun, I'm sure!

• Pack food

  Unlike American stadiums, Shanghai Stadium is still not yet obsessive about forcing you to spend money in the park. So pack a backpack full of KFC from the location in the north side of the stadium, and chow down as you cheer.

• Do a little research on the team

  At one point, player #17 was subbed into the game and the fans went wild. Each time he touched the ball, they went crazy chanting "c(h)ong-a-c(h)ong". Find out what this means before going to the game.

• Practice your Wave, and your oohs and aahs

  It will be a fun, exciting game!

Shanghai lost gracefully to Seville, 0-2. A good time was had by all.