My World Cup observations: Loudest fans: Chile Most arrogant: Argentina Funniest fans: England Most popular team: Costa Rica Most hated team: Spain Most popular players: Neymar, James Rodriguez, Tim Cahill, Alexis Sanchez, Clint Dempsey, Guillermo Ochoa Least popular: Diego Costa, Fred, Luis Suarez, Arjen Robben, Camilo Zuniga Biggest rivalry: Brazil/Argentina Favourite city: Belo Horizonte Would be interesting to hear everyone else's...
Which world cup did you go to? One in a different planet? You have "Clint Dempsey" in "most popular" and no Messi. Laughable.
Loudest fans: Argentina/Uruguay Most arrogant: Belgium/Brazil Funniest fans: USA/Mexico Most popular team: Germany/Colombia Most hated team: Argentina/Spain Most popular players: Neymar, James Rodriguez, Muller, Ochoa, Suarez, Messi, David Luiz, Robben. Least popular: Diego Costa, Fred, Robben lol, Higuain(even Argentinians hated him, alot wanted Tevez instead of pipita). Biggest rivalry: Brazil/Argentina Favourite city: Natal
Loudest fans: Chile/Argentina Most arrogant: Brazil/Netherlands Funniest fans: USA Most popular team: Brazil Most hated team: Argentina Most popular players: Neymar, Messi, James Rodriguez, Least popular: Neymar, Messi, Robben Biggest rivalry: Brazil/Argentina Favourite city: Rio/Salvador
Loudest fans: Argentina Most arrogant: The only arrogant fans I came across were a handful of Chileans, the vast majority of all fans I met were great. Funniest fans: Brazil (Had a lot of fun with random Brazilians at matches) Most popular team: Brazil Most hated team: Greece (I met a lot of people that were annoyed that Greece nearly made the QFs, let alone got out of their group) Most popular players: James Rodriguez (Arguably the poster boy for the tournament) Least popular: Fred (Poor guy good booed into retirement) Biggest rivalry: Brazil/Argentina (This rivalry was one of the defining aspects of the world cup for me) Favourite city: Rio (Mainly because of the great people I met) In terms of a best memory, I can't pick one. I'm happy to say that I have so many amazing memories from the entire tournament, picking one as the standout is impossible for me
Loudest fans: Chile Most arrogant: Brazil Funniest fans: England (their despair was too funny) Most popular team: Concacaf Most hated team: Holland (hated their diving soooooooo much) Most popular players: James Rodriguez, Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey, Guillermo Ochoa, Navas, Muller Least popular: Pepe, Fred, Luis Suarez, Arjen Robben, Biggest rivalry: Concacaf vs the World Favourite city: Manus
It's funny. The World Cup for me wasn't about any particular moment that was unique or special, but it was the entire experience, the people of Brazil, just being a World Cup where the world does literally come together. I loved the US games and the whole roller coaster experience of being there with the other hard-core US fans who had traveled so far and busted their budgets to get to Brazil. Winning against Ghana, a tie - oh crap, but in the end a glorious win. OMG, words can't express that special joy! The early deficit vs. Portugal, the tie, the lead -- I believe!, and then at the last tick, a tie. Ugh, so deflating. The slog to the stadium and game in the rain vs. Germany but as the game ended, advancing none the less. And we saw it all. The games, with US fans in every conceivable crazy USA outfit and makeup were the thing that I will never, ever forget. At those times, you feel as alive as you every possibly will feel, and I absolutely loved it. The rest was a bonus. Being at the fan fest in Rio as the Argentine fans arrived to watch their first game. The fan fest in Natal with a crazy good Forro band after watching Mexico v. Brazil. The Amazon jungle, and being out at a camp in the forest playing dominos into the late night with a Brazilian guide (who we later met again at the US game in Manaus). The view from the top of Sugarloaf in Brazil. The joy the Brazilians showed when their team won on penalty kicks. Hearing Cielito Lindo at the Mexico vs. Croatia game. And so many more moments that I will cherish until the day I die. You really can't beat the World Cup. You just can't.
I couldn't agree with this more. Like you, I could list many amazing memories that are so unique to a World Cup. Before going to Brazil, I was planning for it to be my one and only world cup. But now, I don't think i'll ever not attend one again!
Before going to Brazil, I was planning for it to be my one and only world cup. But now, I don't think i'll ever not attend one again![/QUOTE] 100% agree
My own observations: Loudest fans: Argentina, Chile (especially vs Spain... WOW!! I still hear "CHI CHI CHI LE LE LE" in my head), Brazil (both games at the Mineiro were electric... until that string of German goals =P ... ruined my World Cup tbh ) Most arrogant: an individual: the first game we attended an Argentinian guy took this Brazilian guy's girlfriend's seat and would not leave. 1 steward. Then 3 ticketing people came down. The neutrals started throwing food on him. Then a fight broke out. Then 10 stewards came down and broke up the fight and finally got the guy out in the 70th minute. It was actually pretty awesome and added to the atmosphere. We were like wow this is gonna be a great trip! Funniest fans: England/ USA (probably cause I could understand them) The English people also had the ability to take everything from a neutral point of view and just enjoy the games no matter who was winning or losing even their own team. Most popular team: Brazil Most hated team: Argentina minus Messi ... hanging around Brazilians this is all you heard... though everyone was quick to say the animosity was directed at the soccer team and not the Argentinean people... well not everyone Most popular players: Neymar. For 2-3 days it seemed like the injury video after the Colombia game was on a constant loop on tv. Least popular: Robben. Was behind the goal at the Mexico game... pretty sure it was a dive. His body language said 100% "yeah I just dove... but I'll take the goal." Watching the Holland vs Costa Rica game at one of the beach side side-walk things in Fortaleza... Robben dived again... the Mexican guy in front of me who had 4 40's by himself already jumped out of his seat yelling first "¡Cabrón!" and then to proceeded to swear at the TV... so much his friend escorted him out of the place before he got into a fight with one of the Dutch viewers. Biggest rivalry: Brazil/Argentina. Though it never happened. This was always a long conversation at the dining table. Favorite city: Rio De Janeiro / Belo Horizonte (felt like San Francisco without the whole Bay thing lol)
Best moments: The first night getting out of the subway at Maracana and looking at the stadium from the concrete walk. The lights, the sound, the people... sent chills up my spine. "OMFG we are here!" Listening to the CHI CHI CHI LE LE LE roar through Maracana when Chile beat Spain The chanting of the futbol songs on the metro and the buses with all the fans from around the world Rio Fan Fest with all the other Americans celebrating prematurely our r16 birth when the 2nd goal went in vs Portugal Chilling at prai Vermelha: Saying "******** that long ass Sugar Loaf line". Relaxing with some acaraje, coco, and caipirinhas... the perfect gringo day Biking around the South zone from Ipanema to Urca with my bro. The view from Urca was stunning! First just being at a knock out Brazil game... then the jubilation that came with the penalty kick victory of the Brazilians over Chile Cheering USA on in Salvador and gaining the support of the Brazilian neutrals Worst moment: The 3rd German goal. Everyone in the stadium knew it was over. Finally tried to watch it again on the ESPN app 31 days later. Couldn't get past the 1st half.
Most lasting and fondest memory: Sitting, eating, celebrating, commiserating, and talking with all yall whether it be in English, or my sloppy Spanish, Portugues, French, German, Russian, Japanese, or just hand motions and pointing. Was a great time fellas. See ya in Russia.
I loved every minute of my time in Brazil. As with other countries I have traveled to the IQ level drops as the crowd size grows. Individually everyone we met was great, even the Argentinians teasing me for wearing a German shirt. After a long game and a few beers there were a few morons in the stand. One Brazilian hid behind his girlfriend after bantering back and forth at a group of Argentinians once things exploded.
Not sure if I can pick 1 specific moment and declare it the best, there were moments that were big for their own reasons. In no order, these are my highlights of the games I attended: -Argentina 2-1 Bosnia (first game @ Maracana) -Germany 7-0 Brazil (no comment required) -Holland 2-1 Mexico (especially the penalty) -Brazil 0-0 Mexico (the match sucked but the buildup, chants on the plane and bus, crowd is what I remember clearly) -Spain 0-2 Chile (end of an era, World Champions out of the WC) -Colombia 2-0 Uruguay (James' goal, Colombian women all over the shop) -Argentina 0-0 Holland penalty shootout (last game) -France 0-1 Germany (more of a lowlight but I'll mention it anyway: never cried at a football game until then, and certainly haven't cried about one since 2006 final) Wearing a Zidane #10 2006 shirt always seemed to get a reaction, either people asking for my shirt or jokingly asking me to take it off (Brazilians), every French person always stopped by and either spoke or it was a hi-5 or a quick comment. Other mentions that aren't football related but certainly highlights in my Brazil trip related were: -Hang gliding in Rio -Fanfests -Iguazu Falls -Fortaleza nightlife and clubs -Rio/Copa/Lapa -The food -Colombian/Brazilian women = eye candy for the men Was in Brazil for 6.5 weeks and was very comfortable early on, what an experience, will never forget it. I'm hoping I do France 2016 justice and will do my best to not compare it to Brazil's 2014 World Cup as not only are they different tournaments, but different countries and culture. The atmosphere and everything will be different, but since this was my first tournament, I'm coming to terms there may be no other tournament I will ever go to will be quite like it.
err... what? You mean LITERALLY electrocuted?? were you grabbing some grapes, like this reporter (this happened in Caxias do Sul, some 90km north of Porto Alegre)
I often think back to the World Cup in Brazil. It was amazing. The atmosphere in Rio was electric. Going to Ipanema and Copa beaches during the day, watching Veron, Cannavaro, Davids etc play footvolley, Sugarloaf, feijoda, Christ the Redeemer, nightlife in Lapa, going the the quarters and the final etc. I just hope Russia is as good.
Swimming at Praya Vermelha? Under Sugar loaf. Delicioso/ Masarap. The atmosphere after the Brazil win over Chile... the atmosphere after the Brazil win over Colombia... the partying in Belo the night before that terrible game. I never thought I'd see a worse result... but then that Mexico Chile game at the Centenario. Two different crowd reactions though lol. Brazilian fans began to fight each other. Mexican fans turned on the team. I wonder what cultural insight someone can glean from that.