Chaos, Mayhem, Derby Days
Daniel Wise
Derby games are incredibly significant. Pronounced as "darby," these games go beyond simple rivalries between top teams. These are games based on local pride. In soccer, there are top matches like Spain’s El Classico between La Liga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona FC. These two teams not only represent the best of their league but also their political dichotomies. However, this rivalry is not a derby since Barcelona and Madrid are essentially a whole country apart from each other. Derbies are white-hot local battles between two teams that usually occupy the same city or general area. In America, you can consider the MLB matchup of the Chicago White Sox and Cubs as a derby. The same could have been said about the NFL games between the San Francisco 49ers and the then Oakland Raiders before the Raiders packed up for Las Vegas. But in soccer, these games manifest into something grander than a regular game. Whoever wins a derby gets to have bragging rights over their in-town inferiors.
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