On the evening of May 6, the floodlights of NYU Abu Dhabi’s stadium lit up the football pitch a final time this school year in honor of one of the university’s most anticipated athletic traditions: the Interclassico.

“I really think that it is one of the traditions here at NYUAD that we need to have more of, because it brings everyone together and it’s something that is really important for our community,” commented sophomore Auden, who had been manager of the NYUAD men's football team.

He also added that playing on the university’s own pitch for the first time definitely made it a different experience from that of past years, as people could easily drop by and watch. Members of the NYUAD community, football enthusiasts and general supporters of the Falcon spirit streamed into the bleachers, perhaps forgetting for several hours the general worries surrounding the last couple of weeks of the spring semester.

Decked out in white t-shirts, football players of the Class of 2015 met their green-shirted opponents, the underclassmen, on the field, emerging to the sound of supporters’ applause cheering on the first event of the night: the girls’ match.

“The stakes are high tonight. There’s high tension — you can feel it — it’s palpable on the field,” freshman Brooke Hopkins said before the match’s commencement.

Five minutes into the match, sophomore Alyssa Ferreira made the night’s first scoreboard update, marking the first goal of the night for the underclassman team. Despite the underclasswomen’s early score, five minutes later senior Janeen Asfour tied the game. During the first half of the match, goalkeeper freshman Angela Orozco suffered from a hand injury and was replaced by freshman Ghareesa Yousef.

“I love it. There’s so much enthusiasm. There’s a lot of power from both sides, and I’m torn between who to root for,” said NYUAD Athletics trainer Kaisa Pederson during halftime, as the girls took a breather before the defining half of their match.

The second half of the game was dominated by the senior team, with Christy Maksoudian and Gabriella Garcia scoring two more goals. Judy Mei, senior goalie, skillfully defended two more attempts from Ferreira with five minutes left to the end of the match.

In the end, for many it was not so much about the score as it was about playing with the seniors for one last time. Junior Dóri Pálfi, who was asked to play on the senior team because they were lacking teammates, said she was really grateful for this opportunity, because she had learned so much from their skills and sportsmanship.

“The team is going to miss their leadership,” she added.

The minutes leading up to the co-ed game were marked by a touching moment for those on the field, as the players were handed letters from two former football players at NYUAD, Alejandra Pinto and Joseph Juma, members of the Class of 2014. In these letters, read out by players from the Class of 2015, the two students reminisced on their days playing football at NYUAD.

“Playing football at NYUAD had always symbolized a refuge where I could release my worries and my anxieties," wrote Pinto. "Every time I was sleep deprived, I struggled in class or I missed my family, I played football. I understand many things have changed, but for those who remember, try to think of all the times we walked out of Sama, we crossed Electra Street and we approached the field to do that: to forget about our essays and deadlines, to score a goal even though we hadn’t slept well, get to hug our teammates, thinking that even though our families have been away, companionship and friendship is right there."

Juma emphasized the relationships that he built through playing football at NYUAD.

“As I’m sure you’ve all heard from the coach: it’s all about building relationships or, ‘Let’s make sure they invite us back,'" wrote Juma. "I testify that those words are as real as they get. Some of you might have to come to the field with the purpose of winning, that’s good, but also make sure that you don’t miss the big picture: making long-lasting relationships. Anyway, after all is said and done, I know very well that I will miss every moment I spent with every single one of you. The Athletics Department gave me friends, advisors, partners, parents away from home.”

After these minutes of recollection, it was soon the men’s turn to take over the field. The hubbub in the bleachers was noticeably louder, as over the minutes leading up to the game the number of spectators had increased considerably. The men were taking this game very seriously, as indicated by video banter on one of the university’s Facebook groups in the days leading up to the event.

“Our strategy is three words: attack, attack, attack!” Hamel Sanad Al Qubaisi, manager of the senior team, had declared in the video supporting his team.

“Honestly, I don’t care what their tactics are going to be, our tactic is going to be attack, attack, defend,” junior Osama Salman retorted in the underclassmen’s reply.

Throughout the first half of the game, the underclassmen were on the attack, as five minutes into the game the class-spanning trio formed by freshman Cristian Muñoz, sophomore Pablo Pacareu and junior Hussein Karzoumi tried to score the first goal of the game. However, senior goalkeeper Brandon Wahba defended two attempts for a goal in the first ten minutes from Pacareu and Karzoumi.

Toward the middle of the first half, the action moved to the underclassmen’s side of the court, as senior Jaén Ocádiz hit a shot that bounced off the goal post and then rolled just inches away from the goal line defended by freshman Kipras Kusleika. Three minutes later, senior Ilya Bozhenkov scored the first goal of the game.

The second half started with yet another goal by the senior class, scored by Abel Haile. This set the tone for the next thirty minutes. The underclassmen defended themselves honorably, yet seniors Kristóf Bognár and Suhaib Mohaidat scored two more goals for the team, ending the match with the score 4-0.

“I think it was a balanced game, but the seniors showed that they knew each other better, they had control of the ball, they managed to keep it on the ground, and in the end, experience proved itself,” said senior Alberto Manca, summarizing the game. “The underclassmen put up a really good game, and the score doesn’t really do them justice, but in the end I think it was a fair result.”

The teams shook hands and hugged at the end of the game. To many, it had been about more than just the outcome.

“Today when we stood on this field, it wasn’t about winning, it wasn’t about losing, it definitely wasn’t about losing. It was about leaving behind a legacy that we could remember for the rest of our lives," declared Wahba. "These are some of my best friends at NYUAD, and they have been since day one."

Coach Peter Dicce, who has attended every Interclassico match over the years, took a minute to reflect on the significance of the game within the NYUAD community:

“Well, I’m not so much concerned about the score. What I love about Interclassico is just everybody getting together. It’s a celebration, a goodbye all wrapped into one, and it’s nice to see how far they’ve come.”

This idea of celebration was also emphasized in the conclusion of Pinto’s letter, which captured the true spirit of Interclassico in several heartfelt sentences.

“So on this day, just celebrate," wrote Pinto. "Celebrate that a great year has gone by swiftly and quickly, and that you can play thinking about how great it has been. Celebrate, above all, that you have had this opportunity to participate in this game right now, not for scoring a goal or for being the team captain, but for being able to build these memories in such a special and diverse group."

"A year ago, I was the only girl playing in my team, and I had a great time," she added. "I keep these memories close to my heart, as they symbolize the closing game of my experiences at NYUAD. I hope, in one way or another, the game symbolizes the same to you.”