The last time I was in Moscow, I was there for a soccer tournament. We arrived one day before the coup d’etat against Gorbachev and left one day after the coup collapsed and Yeltsin became a household name. For the time we were there, communication home was shut down, there was little news about what was going on, and we were nervous about our own ability to leave the torn city, country and region. But, we still had soccer. The tournament continued and for the ninety minutes we were on the field everything was normal – even with tanks lining the streets.

There’s something magical about soccer, and there’s something even more magical about the global community’s love for the game. No matter what’s going on, once that whistle blows, the focus is the soccer pitch, the players and the game. On May 21, Manchester United plays Chelsea for the Champions League final in Moscow. The world will be watching and it’s reported that more than 50,000 fans will descend upon the city. If you’re one of the lucky travelers who will be attending the game, The Guardian recently put together a nice travel guide of six things to do while in the city. Be sure to check out the article here.

/// Related Links from around the web

Moscow for Reds and Blues
The Champions League Final Matchup
Reform of Gorbachev and Dissolution
An Underground Museum

[Pic Credit]