Brazil vs Ecuador

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We stayed an extra few nights in Rio for more football reason as Brazil were due to play Ecuador in a World Cup qualifier at the Maracanã. We had to stay as how often are we going to get the chance to see Brazil play at home and to see all their star players and it was the first time they have played back here in 2 years. Once again we went down to the stadium for the tickets but we left it too late and all the cheaper tickets were sold out and there was only expensive seats left. Fortunately there were touts and we managed to get tickets for £10 only £3 over the original price so not bad.

The game turned out to be brilliant and don’t think we could have picked a better one. Once again it was a party atmosphere with a full capacity Maracana of about 100,000 fans going mental. As soon as you walked through the turn style they gave out free flags which created a carnival atmosphere. The whole stadium was just a see of green and yellow and I have never seen anything like it. It was like the opening of the World Cup with huge flags and brass bands playing.

The game turned out to be classic one sided affair with Brazil winning 5-0. As the English football chant goes, “its just like watching Brazil” and it was! Kaka, Ronaldinho and Robinho and many of the other stars had a stormer with the goals coming from Vagner-Love, Kaka 2, Ronaldinho and City’s Elano scoring after coming on as sub. I never though i would say that a city player scoring in the Maracana! The game topped off our time in Rio and it was great to see so many big names play for their country.

One thing I didn’t like about the atmosphere, was where we sat the fans were very annoying and it was like being at a game at Old Trafford. Astonishingly, people were moaning about fans standing and even resorted in people near the back throwing plastic bottles at fans near the front to sit down. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and got pissed off as I always want to stand at games as the atmosphere is better. I thought maybe its because the fans at the back couldn’t see if the fans at the front were standing with the way the stadium is built, but I went to the very back to see for myself and it was fine so I don’t know what people were moaning about. The stadium was packed and even in the aisles people were standing so I just couldn’t understand it. At the Flamengo game if you sat down you would have been booed! It totally spoilt the first half for me as I couldn’t understand it and it was like being back at home being told to sit down by boring people who should stay at home if they want to sit.

In the second half we had a better time as we stood in the aisle and had a great time singing and jumping about with the proper fans and didn’t have to here people moan about sitting down. All I can think is that because it was a national game there were more families and part time football fans which is just how it is at home! A part from that it was a brilliant once in a lifetime opportunity, not many people can say they have seen Brazil win 5-0, then again its Brazil so maybe they can!

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