The annual NYU Abu Dhabi Interclassico football tournament was held this Saturday on the Falcon Field. Students from all classes gathered to cheer on the two teams: Upperclass students and Underclass students respectively.

The two teams had previously prepared promotional videos, which gained popularity on various student blogs and social media. By the time the match started, the anticipation and excitement of the spectators matched the one of the players on the field.

The Upperclassmen team was composed of both current NYUAD seniors and alumni. The Underclassmen was a team of first-year students, sophomores and juniors. A curious trivia of the night was that two brothers were playing against each other in two different teams, something that has never happened before at Interclassico, reflecting the power of this event in bringing various generations of NYUAD students together.

The match started off with a disputed battle for the first goal, but the game took an interesting turn once Jenny Menezes scored for the Upperclassmen. Underclassmen were quick to match the score, but just before half-time was called the seniors scored two more goals.

Several dance crews from Attitude performed afrobeat, k-pop and hip-hop dances during the half-time. Their performances were met with excitement from the audience and many gathered closer to the pitch to greet the dancers.

After the game began again, the Underclassmen tried their best to defend and attack but the Upperclassmen proved to be a difficult opponent. In the end, the result was five to one in favor of the Upperclassmen, breaking the Underclassmen’s record of nine consecutive years of wins at the Interclassico.

Events such as Interclassico contribute greatly to the NYUAD school spirit, which is why many alumni return to join the Upperclassmen team each year. However, many of the players recognized that the audience turnout was still underwhelming. They call for more sport events that bring the NYUAD students together, so that the interest in them grows and with it — the spirit of being part of something bigger.

Visiting students agreed that while sports events on other campuses are grander, Interclassico remains unmatched in its quality to attract different generations of students, which makes the event so special and creates a sense of community and belonging. Interclassico is just one of the many examples that NYUAD can be more than an academic-driven institution and that its students are a group of multi-talented individuals.