Flu!

Marcana Stadium

Now I know this is getting all out of order, but trust me, it is better this way. Instead of writing about what happened two or three weeks ago hundreds of miles away in another country, I’m going to write about what happened yesterday. Then later I’ll write about those other things that happened earlier. Maybe.

Last night Deb and I went to a soccer match in Rio de Janeiro. (For those of you not interested in soccer, I recommend skipping this post.) The match was between Vasco de Gama and Fluminese, two Rio-based teams with a healthy rivalry. It took place at Marcana, the most important soccer stadium in Brazil — home of Pele’s 1000th goal, home of Ronaldo’s footprints in cement, and future home of the 2014 World Cup final. In the 1950s, Marcana was home to the largest soccer crowd ever witnessed, when Brazil lost to Uruguay in front of over 200,000 screaming and later disappointed fans.

Marcana stadium

For those of you who’ve never been to a Brazilian soccer game, or have only tasted the paltry palate of MLS games, the crowd takes some explaining. On the north end of the stadium were gathered Fluminese’s supporters, who we also happened to be supporting, while on the south side huddled the dark masses of Vasco’s black-clad fanatics. Each had a cohort of hardcore fans, with several 15-foot flags waving back and forth, constant jumping, game-long chanting and singing, sparklers, flares, and the inevitable face-painted, bare-chested, drunk brutes looking to start fights. Compare this to the seated, calm, and proper crowds at any American sporting event and you see why Brazilian soccer games are so exciting.

People had advised us against getting the standing-room-only tickets because they were too dangerous, so instead we………got the standing-room-only tickets. (What do you want? They were cheaper. And say what you want, Brazil is f*#king expensive. I feel like my trust fund is almost gone. Wait a minute…) We sat 10 rows from the field right at the midfield line…best seats in the house.

Much to our chagrin, Vasco far outplays Fluminese in the first half, though only manages to score one goal before the break. After they score again in the second half, we think our chances are over. Raucous fans at the south end are jumping over seats to high five each other and throw V-shaped middle fingers at our side. Vasco’s fan cohort unravels a 300 foot flag that spreads over the entire upper section. We’re sunk.

But wait, Fluminese’s striker, Washington, invigorated by the second goal, quickly marches the field and returns the favor within a minute! At 2-1, the game comes to life with 30 minutes left. After a couple close chances, Vasco spreads the difference to 3-1, and again we feel defeated. But Fluminese apparently thrives on being behind. When Washington goes down in the box a few minutes later, the tricolors (Fluminese) are awarded a penalty, which Washinton handily slots home (3-2). Now the Flu fans are on their feet. We are dancing and shouting in something approximating Portuguese, hugging nearby Flu fans, and screaming at every near chance that Flu gets. With just 5 minutes to go, Washington again creates a great opportunity and assists for Flu’s third goal, tying the game at 3-3. The game ends there, and we couldn’t have hoped for a better match to watch in the world’s soccer capital.

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