A related stadium question: I seem to recall the option of finding pictures taken in several stadiums during the games identified by the stadium seat number - can anyone point me to the links for these pictures. I lost my camera in Brasilia, after the 1/4 final there, with all my trip and games pictures. Thanks.
Someone mentioned programmes as they always print one. In the case of Germany about five million of them. Anyway looked and looked without luck until visited news stand on leaving Rio airport for home and they sold them there for R$20! Why so hidden away? Same cover as SA 2010 but still worth having. Grounds:- Maracana (Arg. v Bosnia & Chile v Spain) A really good stadium but not remarkable considering its reknown. Second game no problem but first minor cock up one after another. Few people seemed able to answer questions, and I did ask in broken Portuguese. Exit from station a mess with police checking tickets and an unstable crowd on bridge. Once inside no hot food, some of the soft drinks not available, our seats were very confusing especially as they did not mark Block numbers on the wall. Had to almost physically demand somebody show us to our seat. People round us were constantly being moved by security as in wrong seats. The highlight was someone tripping over seat behind and covering us in Coca Cola. It got better after that. For the second game they found some turnstiles but obviously some Chileans did not use them. Sao Paulo (Eng. Uruguay) Souless stadium and not really finished in places. Though impressive in ways. Whether on metro, walking or in cab we saw nothing but deprivation, slums and graffiti. I hate to say it but it but on a really cold overcast day it looked like Armageddon. Fortaleza (Ghana v Germany & Ivory Coast v Greece) Our favourite. Excellent facilities, great people on counters, good easy area outside and easy to get to and from. A perfect stadium for all inside. Great design and sight lines. Obviously the Germans and Ivorians thought they say as they barely took part in either game. Even a great sunset! Salvador (Belgium v USA) Inside really terrific, great design and really attractive with great sight lines. Outside chaos. Well chaos if you took the FIFA bus which would normally take 10 minutes and took 40. Then it drops you in the middle of no where on the top of a viaduct whilst charging $R20 for the pleasure. You then walk endlessly going round in endless circles. Obviously no signs so you keep asking where you have to go. A 2 mile hike and you finally get to your gate. After much research you work out how to get to your bus. Obviously when everyone leaves at the same time and it is dark you need help. The first couple of signs were great and then it stops and you are helpless so we just got a cab back. Generally arrangements were good but still too few obvious signs missing which was frustrating. Just copying London 2012 with people on big chairs and waving rubber hands really does not solve this. Metro very good in Rio but before the Chile Spain game and as a half day holiday it was unbelievably busy. We waited for 6 trains before squeezing on. Loads of taxis everywhere in the cities. Not sure how they get enough busy outside of a tournament like this.
I went to 7 stadiums and my favorite by far was Mane Garrincha. Very steep steps allow for great sightlines from everywhere. I felt very close to the action.
So looks like someone (moderator) took all the fair & accurate comments made on one of these threads regarding how lame some Brasilians are acting in the stadiums. I'm hoping they were taken down because maybe the moderator thought those comments didn't belong in that thread. Or maybe it's out of shame. Regardless, it needs to be mentioned. I always (before going to Brasil) thought Brasilians were very cool people (but never really knew too many) but reality is there are boatloads of lame ones out there (I almost want to say the majority--that's what it seems like from my 15 days there) who have paid $$$ to go to games (I could only speak for the last 3 Argentina matches) only to cheer very angrily against Argentina. They have helped to completely change my opinion of them. They have been treating Argentine fans with complete anger & hostility. It completely shows their insecurities. And at the end of the day after all that they go home only looking like complete losers. Just have to get it off my chest. I would be embarrassed to be them. As I'm sure some do. Especially because of the amazing times Argentines are experiencing in front of them each & every time Argentina has won. I really do hope Argentina wins this Sunday on their soil. Those haters deserve it. But regardless, Argentina has already won. Now I know the answer to "Brasil, decime que siente.." No trolling here, just venting.
The Argentines were much worse and it's not even close. I am Brazilian, but I dont recall any Brazilians destroying stadiums or rushing the field. Brazilians were removed from any Argentine heavy section bc of abuse. Not to mention the peeing and pooping on the beach here in Rio and treating the city like a toilet - even more so than Cariocas. With that said, the argentines were mostly behaved at the Patio Brasil shopping center near the Brasilia stadium - although they made it nearly impossible for locals to eat in the food court was probably annoying for Brasilienses. If you don't understand the rivalry and particularly the chanting, then neither Argentines or Brazilians can help you. The positions would likely be switched in any future World Cup in Argentina with cheering, chants, and abuse.
Now we know who erased those posts and why..... leonidas, you are wrong, Im not argentinian nor brazilian, and felt terribly ashamed by brazilians....they were insulting everyone, not only argies, spanish, french, german, italians....widely said among foreigners...everyone wanted Brazil to lose just for what they felt in here.
Are you serious ? You're bitching about us cheering against you ? The guys who came up with a song saying we are your daddy ? GTFO of here. I met many cool fans from different countries in my trip. I saw Brazilians being friendly to a bunch of them taking pictures and etc ... some of them were dicks to Chileans and Colombians, but very few that I saw. What I saw from Argentinians is the stereo typical arrogance. Tried talking, not trash talking to them mind you, to a few of them in the stadium, on the streets, and in the bus and they barely address you. Not only that the only time there was any trouble in Belo Horizonte was when the Argies were there. At 2am before the Iran game, they start throwing glass bottles into across the crowd. I was smack right in front of it. Maradona, as much fun as he made of Brazil's loss, was praising the Brazilian hospitality and said you'd never see that in Argentina.
I could only speak for R16 Arg vs Swiss in SP, 1/4 Arg vs Belgium in Brasilia, & Semi vs Netherlands in SP. And in regards to inside the stadium. I didn't spend much time out in the streets except for restaurants & mainly in Ipanema. Fan fest only for Brazil v Chile & no drama. The daddy song is all fun & games. It would be fun actually if Brazil had more than 2 chants. What I experienced in the stadium was super annoying remarks that would eventually create flare ups. What is hilarious is how much Brasilians cheered Swiss, Belgium, Netherlands, & now Germany (which even more hilarious) when against playing against Arg. It was hard to avoid their lame comments that made no sense. And Brazil wasn't even playing! The best was against Netherlands, this 65 yr old teacher looking lady was making the hand signal for getting f*ck*d to my gf when Zabaleta was down bleeding on the ground. This kind of stuff was coming from all angles. I could only imagine the # of flare ups if it were an Arg vs Bra final. That would've been intense. Maybe it's better Brazil didn't make it... They would have to create a visitor's section. I should of said that if I could, I would do it all over again. Amazing experience. 15 days. It was quality. Public transportation worked well too. Like Ric_Braz said above, the train ride was a grimy in SP but that's part of the experience. I didn't bother with food in the stadium, only beer & water. Special cups ran out early in R16 but not in the others. The urinals in the restroom in Brasilia were overflowing waterfalls of urine onto everyone's feet by halftime. There was def plenty of beer to drink that the urinals could not handle. I was really glad we could move throughout the stadium to the few lower empty seats or where there were more Argentina fans. Was trying to escape the Brasilians a.k.a Swiss/Belg/NL. In some cases we were shoulder to shoulder in the walkways/stairs--which became an avalanche when Di Maria scored in extra time. Arg fans definitely showed up in #'s creating a wonderful experience. There's going to be several hundred thousands throughout Rio for the Final! Hope that works out! I hope they install more restrooms! My only regret is not planning better & been able to stay for the Final!
Stop playing the victim. I went to the match between Argentina and Iran and argentinians offended brazilians all the time (chanting brazuca hijo de puta, etc) and didn't accept when we responded. They got angry even when we sang silly things like ''Ole, ole, ole, ole", "Iran, Iran!'', etc, and threatened us. Some childs were desperate to fight with someone. Pathetic. There is a reason why argentinian officials have introduced an indefinite ban on away supporters attending matches. Argentinians are mocking Brazil for their 7-1 defeat to Germany, they like to sing that song with nonsense lyrics (compare Argentina and Brazil titles and you will see who is crying since 1990). I don't see anything wrong with that. That's part of football. But I like to know how they will react if Argentina's World Cup drought doesn't end and brazilians mock argentinians about it...
You brazilians always see a different world than the rest of the world, not only in this, speaking generally. But this lack of self-criticism is incredible.
I have watched 13 matches live in the stadium and just have to say: thank you Brasil! It was an incredible time. And almost all Brasilians I've met were nice and helpful. Sometimes it was hard because my portugues consists just out of a few words. But this was managable ;-) Thanks again! Muito obrigado!
I have to say as a neutral that has been to both Argie and Brazilian games, that both sides have tremendous fans and also some arseholes. Hardly surprising is it? The minority always paint a bad picture but on the whole both sets were just having fun
I dont moderate this forum so I'm not deleting any posts. and I went to 12 games in 7 cities. the clearest abuse I saw from Brazilians was against Spain and Diego Costa in particular - that I will attribute to jealousy, but everything else is historical rivalry, in particular amongst South American countries. additionally, Brazilians do not care for France - if you know your footballing history, you'd know why. 3 eliminations. I was even at the Germany x Brazil game and nothing happened there.
@kevinucho You don't understand the rivalry. There is no other national team rivalry like it and you get to see it first hand in a cup in Brazil. Argentines and Brazilians would rather the other team lose always and so that means that they'd cheer for the other team. On top of this, it is not uncommon for people to support the underdog. Brazilians for example were more than happy to support Tahiti last year in the confederations cup - or Costa Rica this time around.
I guess everyone has their own unique experience. I found the Brasilians to be nothing other than excellent and charming hosts. Fan zone on Copacabana Wonderful place to watch matches. Completely packed for England v Italy. Great atmosphere. Italians afterwards were friendly. Shame the toilets were woefully inadequate. Of the other matches I saw there Colombia were a highlight, great fans including fantastic looking women. Argies a bit lairy but I can live with that. England v Uruguay (Itaquerao/Corinthians Arena) Long old journey to the stadium but it worked well. Not my favourite ground. It really surprises me that a club as massive as Corinthians only requires 45,000 or so seats once Copa is over. I was in the main England section so didn't have much direct interaction with Brasilians during the match. It was mentioned elsewhere that people were leaving to get beers during the match. Even some England fans did this with their own team playing. A few must have missed Rooney's goal. The celebrations for this were incredible. Everyone was hugging strangers, people were falling over and it went on for a minute or so. Imagine being in the queue for beer when that happened? Loved Sao Paulo. I was staying at the Melia Paulista right by Consolocao station. Wonderful location, wonderful nights out. Saw Brasil v Mexico in a bar here. Absolutely great atmosphere and hospitality, free pipoca and other snacks. Shame Brasil didn't win. Italy v Costa Rica (Pernambuco arena) Great stadium. It is a long way out of Recife. Despite this the transport worked well. The station nearest my hotel (afogodas IIRC) was in what I considered a dodgy area. Awful poverty visible on the metro journey. People living on shacks by railway lines and unhealthy looking rivers. It was strange to see people leaving their homes to watch buses ferrying fans to and from the stadium. Before the match I wanted Italy to win so that England had a theoretical chance of progressing. However, the Ticos fans were such great fun that I was happy to see them win. Mexico v Croatia (also Pernambuco) Mexican fans were great. Thanks for the free tequila in the line outside. Most tequila in the UK is vile. This stuff was nice and smooth. Wanted Mexico to win so I could enjoy their celebrations. Apparently the "********" shouts are controversial. Very loud though and universal amongst the Mexicans. Before the match we saw a scrum around a TV star we learned is called Vanessa. Very popular amongst the Mexicans and I could see why! Every time Brasil scored against Cameroon we heard the cheers from the Brasilians. I had no idea the Cameroon had scored until I asked someone in yellow at half time. Good job I had learned a little portuguese. So many bonfires celebrating victory afterwards. England v Costa Rica (Mineirao) This stadium had the best surrounding area we visited. Great fun. Lovely stadium too. I see elsewhere that some people have criticised the Brasilians here for booing/whistling England songs. However, I thought that was in response to our apparent churlishness in not joining in with the Mexican wave. I always think we should do but the prevailing mood is that we are there to support the team and watch the match and the wave is a distraction. Some just like being contrary. So I didn't mind the whistling and loved it when the Brasilians sang their own songs back at us. There was a fantastic atmosphere amongst the England fans. "Roy Hodgson is taking us to Heathrow", "England's going home", "Always look on the bright side of life" and "its just like watching Brazil" were some of songs sung. More supportive songs too of course. Traveled by taxi as out hotel was right out in the sticks. Overall I really enjoyed my time in Brasil. The people were top notch. The food and drink was great. The pound was on the up so it was cheap. We had some tight turnarounds between matches but the airports and flights did not let us down. Where people couldn't speak English a little Portuguese combined with a smile got me through. Enjoyed it so much that I went to a Brasilian bar in London to watch their semi final. Unfortunately I brought the luck of the English with me. More likely to be my fault then Mick Jagger's.
of course countries see things differently. why is this a surprise? look at Uruguay and the country's reaction after the Suarez incident.
I didn't see anything around me - I did see commotion, but it was a lot tamer than i expected. I honestly expected riots during the match. I suppose 20 people arrested isnt so bad, honestly.
you are right, some of us dont understand. I give you that. my brazilian friends asked me about if we had the same in europe, what was the team I always want to lose, honestly we dont have that, in fact I want any european to win.... Same in clubs, here in Brazil when I was about to chose a team in SP, my brazil friends said, you have to chose one team to love and one team to hate. well it is your culture, but it is shocking to me.
I think that was a little overreact but, that sanction was out of mind. 1 bite = 4 months without even train in an official field. Scolari's assistant punches in the face a chilean player = 1 game, that was part of that reaction.
yes that guy was CBFs media liason - rodrigo paiva I think. the guy is a huge clown. he interrupted a question from a chilean journalist and went on a rant about brazilian football and concluded that Scolari didn't have to answer such a question. the brazilian press was very embarrassed about the incident.
Where in Europe? In England we certainly have that at club level. Manchester United hate Liverpool and Man City. Arsenal hate Spurs. West Ham hate Spurs. Bristol Rovers hate Bristol City. Norwich hate Ispwich. Blackburn hate Burnley. I could go on and on and on. In Scotland there is Rangers and Celtic, Hibs and Hearts, Dundee and Dundee United. What about Barcelona and Real Madrid? Lazio and Roma, Inter and Milan? At international level it is a bit different. In England we don't like to see Germany, France or Argentina win. It is not the same as club level though. It isn't hate. In fact at the moment the respect for Germany has moved on from being grudging. Many want them to win tomorrow as they organise their football so well from top to bottom and we would like to see our football change to be more like theirs. In Scotland some go so far as to buy the shirts of whoever England are playing.
Understand me please. Rivaleries are everywhere in the world, normally cause by teams of the same city or historic two best teams. What I wanted to say is that here it is almost as important to have a love tem than a hate team. there is a difference. And they are very different ways of love-hate....try to go to a Corinthians - Palmeiras....I've been in many R.Madrid - Barcelona and in one Liverpool - Everton and it is not comparable.
My man.. My whole family is Argentine. I do understand it. It was just hilarious to see Brazilians spend their $$ just to go hate. And when I say hilarious, I mean annoying.. But it's all good now. Argentina in the Final tomorrow
I haven't been to Madrid - Barcelona. I know there are very few away supporters. Liverpool v Everton is a fantastic match but it is traditionally known as the friendly derby. There is a reason why there is segregation at English matches. If Liverpool and Manchester United supporters were seated in the same sections there would be all sorts of trouble. The policing operations for these matches are massive. A few supporters do get tickets amongst the opposition fans but they keep quiet, do not wear team colours and absolutely do not celebrate goals for their team. It is a great shame, I was at Portugal v England in Euro 2004 at the Estadio do Luz where the crowd was split approximately 50:50 between the two teams. It was a dramatic match that Portugal won on penalties, this was when Rooney was still a very good player. When each side scored we celebrated without rubbing it in to the opposition. After the match I shook hands with the Portuguese fans around me. We all left peacefully despite half the crowd being ecstatic and the other half being gutted. That is the way it should be. It was an incredible occasion. However, even as I type that, I remember how much I love the tension and antagonism of derby matches. I just want to get home safely afterwards. Perhaps Brazilian rivalries are even worse than ours. I know there is an appalling toll of violence. In England it is policing, cctv and the likelihood of heavy prison sentences that keep violence in check these days. There is almost always some trouble at derby matches away from the stadium. Many people, who would not regard themselves as hooligans, would not be able to keep their emotions in check if they were mixed in with opposition fans. You wouldn't even get Spurs fans watching a match against Arsenal at a pub on Upper Street in Islington as they would be made very unwelcome. Hating a team (or at least wanting them to lose) is pretty much the flip side of supporting a team for most. You don't choose a team to hate, once you have a team you soon learn to hate the enemy team. Even if you realise that hating a team is a stupid, negative thing to do it happens. I certainly understand the Brazil - Argentina rivalry. If Argentinians are singing a song about them being the fathers of Brazilian football they are going to get all sorts of abuse back. So long as there is no violence it is ok. I do worry about tomorrow though. Argentinians celebrating in Lapa or Copacabana are unlikely to be tolerated by all. If Germany win it will hurt the Argentinians and they may react badly to provocation. I hope nothing serious happens. It is a great World Cup and I want it to be remembered for the right reasons.