Brazilian Soccer on 19/09/08

Brazilian Soccer

 

Brazilian soccer. The beautiful game. Or as it’s known in Brazil, “joga bonito.” For decades Brazilian-born futbolistas have captivated audiences the world over with their inventive and often playful form of soccer. The country has produced a long line of superstars, all of which are known solely by their last names. Pele, Cafu, Ronaldo, Kaka, Ronaldinho and Adriano, just a few. If you’ve ever seen Ronaldinho’s buck-toothed grin after he completes a jaw-dropping display of talent, you know, and can’t ignore, the sheer joy that Brazilians bring to the game.

The World Cup is the largest sports event in the world, with an estimated cumulative audience of 26.29 billion people at the 2006 Cup. The final match alone brought in 715 million viewers, or a ninth of the world’s population. With five world cup titles to its name, Brazil has a long history of success on the game’s greatest stage. Their most recent victory in the Cup was in 2002, when Ronaldo turned in his legendary MVP performance – netting 8 goals throughout the tournament, including two in the final.

If you ask me and admittedly, I am a futbol fanatic, no trip to Brazil would be complete without making it to a game. Soaking in the atmosphere that permeates South American soccer is something that shouldn’t be missed. You would be hard-pressed to find sports fans anywhere that are more dedicated to their chosen teams. Rowdy fans sometimes get a bad rap, but as long as you’re self-aware, and as a backpacker should be, you’ll have no problems at the games.

The Brazilian soccer season runs most of the year, with a break from mid-December to mid-January. From January to April clubs play in their respective state leagues, and from April to December clubs participate in the Brazilian Championship as well as larger tournaments like the Copa Libertadores or Copa Sudamericana. There are games year-round, so you’ll always have a chance to catch a match.

If you’re traveling to Rio, then the Maracana Stadium is a must-see. Opened in 1950 for the World Cup, it is now used only for the biggest national or club matches. It is one the largest stadiums in the world, at one time having the capacity to seat 200,000 fans. Safety regulations have since reduced that number, but even now it stands as one of the largest soccer stadiums on Earth. Tickets are often extremely cheap (US $7.50-$10) and can be purchased the day of, or the day before a game. Agencies charge much higher rates, but they also provide amenities such as hotel or hostel pickup, meals, and security while at the game. Both are good options for the traveler, but either choice is a viable option.

While the Maracana is the most famous venue for seeing a game in Brazil, there are plenty of other local fixtures that make for excellent fun as well. If you’re lucky, you might even get to witness one of the derbies. The derbies are hotly contested matches that take place between intra-city rivals, of which there are many in Brazil. You can choose from Gremio vs. Internacional (in Porto Alegre), Flamengo vs. Fluminense, Flamengo vs. Vasco de Gama, or Fluminense vs. Botafogo (all in Rio) if you want the to see the biggest and best rivalries. Although fans are sure to bicker about which is considered the largest, the Flamengo vs. Vasco de Gama derby is commonly raved as the most important.

Bottom line, if you’re a sports fan or even just a budget traveler, soccer games in Brazil are cheap enough and exciting enough that everyone should try to go at least once.

¡Para el jogo bonito!