The day of our first World Cup game had arrived, we were off to see Costa Rica play Uruguay. We got a leisurely start to the day and checked out the included breakfast at our hotel. They had laid out a great spread including some cashew fruit that my fellow travelers didn’t know existed and were seeing for the first time. After breakfast we decided we wanted to go to the game early to check everything out so after a quick dip in the rooftop pool, some showers and a quick beard trim (you gotta look your best for game day) we took a cab and headed off to Fortaleza’s stadium, Castelão.
On the way to the stadium the cabbie pointed out where traffic had already begun to get heavy three and a half hours before kickoff. Instead of taking us there directly, he dropped us off about a mile away at a place where the streets had been blocked off to allow for foot traffic. It was impossible not to notice the dichotomy between the sweet new stadium off in the distance and the absolute poverty of the area surrounding it. The buildings in the area appear to be made mostly of cinder block and brick, and are all in varying states of decay. Some are functioning little buildings and homes, others are burned out ruins covered in graffiti. At points along the walk police and military were already lined up in riot gear just waiting for something to go wrong. I’m not sure if their presence made me feel safer or like I was in more danger, but luckily there was no need for them that day.
The games had been advertised as having some activities in the area around the stadium and we were eager to check them out, hoping for some games and whatnot. Unfortunately this area was placed beyond the security check point that wouldn’t be opened until an hour before kickoff. While it was a little disappointing, and frankly seemed like bad planning, we made lemons into lemonade and went back to one of the many small bars that had lined our walk to the stadium. It was a blistering hot day and a little shade and a cerveja went along way to cooling us down. Also, the spot we had chosen was right next to some live music and provided us with the perfect opportunity to do some people watching.
The fans for both nations had come out in droves. It was fun seeing all the getups people had chosen to wear to support their teams. Perhaps the most interesting for me was a sort of pre-made face paint being worn by lots of the Uruguay fans. It was sort of a plastic film that stuck to their face and was blue with a graphic of a yellow sun. It looked incredibly irritating to wear but pretty cool at the same time. Although the Ticos, Costa Rican fans, had a strong showing, the Uruguay fans easily outnumbered them and as with the days prior were loud and confident. Kramer and I had traveled to Costa Rica a few years ago and we were rwearing some tanks we had gotten from our trip to support the Costa Rica team, but no one on our trip really had a vested interest in the game. That being said, I found the Uruguay fans a little obnoxious so I had no problem joining in a few ‘ole ole ole, Ticos Ticos’ chants.
We ran into a few Americans before the game but sadly they weren’t the type of guys we really wanted representing out country. A couple muscled out bros in ‘USA drinking team’ tanks who were much more interested in scalping some extra tickets they had bought instead of joining in a ‘I believe’ chant. Their loss. Inside the stadium though I met an awesome guy rocking a USA kit with ‘San Zusi’ written across the back. This was clearly my kind of guy. He would be at the two US games we were going to so we exchanged info and took a few pictures.
Uruguay vs. Costa Rica
The game itself was awesome, and the stadium was actually quite nice. We had the very highest seats in the house in the middle of the field and we could see everything perfectly. We were surrounded by a mix of fans but the stadium was dominated with Uruguay chants up until the point in which they were down 2 – 1. By the time the Ticos got their final goal they were the only ones making any noise and the Uruguay following had gone completely silent. For that team in that group, this loss meant that their chances of making it out of the group stage was going to be very tough. The fans were noticeably heart broken and we even saw one man burst into tears later that evening in a restaurant.
The group stage of the World Cup is amazing because 32 countries are all hoping to achieve the same goal and there is a beautiful sense of unity and common spirit amongst the fans. I have now seen it first-hand and what it means. I’m glad I’m here during the group stage when we can meet all these international travelers who are still riding high. The games may be more exciting after the teams make it out of the group stage for those with a horse in the race, but I’ll take traveling during the group stage every day of the week and twice on Sundays.
Don’t forget to read pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3 and pt. 4 in our ongoing series Passport Brazil.
