I am under house arrest

View of soccer mania-bedlam out our car window

Newspaper shot of the cruisers blocking city streets

Thursday, today, is my weekend but I am not going anywhere. It's unsafe to be out in the city today. No, it's not terrorists, it's not gang warriors, it's soccer fans.

Del assures me this is normal, but I cannot believe what's going on. There has been two days of constant screaming, cheering, and fireworks. Nearly 1,000 extra police have been put on duty around the city and they are toting automatic rifles. There are more hawkers selling T-shirts and pennants than you see at a festival and it is impossible to drive anywhere in the city because caravans of young men in the bright colors of their team waving huge banners out their windows are cruising the streets honking their horns.

One of our drivers has a scarf from his team spread on his dashboard and a little logo hanging from his mirror. As we were getting into the car yesterday an old woman in veils asked us if we were fans. We asked her what she thought -- oh, as long as no one gets hurt that would be good, she said.

Why getting hurt is even a possibility I don't see. This doesn't happen at the Super Bowl or the World Series.

At any rate, MC Algiers (MCA to fans) and USM Algiers (UZ-ma) go at it today at 5 p.m. for the championship.