Argentinians dress Brasília in white and blue ahead of Saturday match
Argentinian fans have already occupied the area reserved by the government of the Federal District for tourists to camp and park their mobile homes safely.
The capital city of Brazil has started to shine in shades of blue and white, the national colors of Argentina. Their squad is to play on Saturday (Jul 5) the third match in the World Cup round of eight, against Belgium.
Argentinian fans have already occupied the area reserved by the government of the Federal District for tourists to camp and park their mobile homes safely. The Granja do Torto, as it is called, is located 12 km away from the Mané Garrincha Stadium, where this Saturday’s match (5) is to be held, and now looks like the bleachers from the La Bombonera Stadium, in Buenos Aires. The cars parked nearby are seen ornamented with customized flags, as if each one of them were bringing a different fan club.
One of the vehicles stand out among the rest – the El Carnavalito, a 1974 Mercedes-Benz bus, especially decorated for the World Cup. The bus was brought to Brasília by Argentinian merchant Elias Sarrouf, 28 years old, along with four friends, from the province of Jujuy. To travel through Brazil in a 40-year-old vehicle, “still runs rather well,” was the way to take the most of a World Cup experience, Sarrouf said.
Fátima Nepomuceno and her guests
“I’ll root for Brazil against Colombia, and in the next game as well. I want a final match with you [Brazilians]. We do, but you don’t! The idea of [another] maracanazo frightens you!” Sarrouf teased, jokingly, referring to the 1950 World Cup final, that took place at the Maracanã Stadium. Brazilians needed a tie to become world champions, but were defeated in the last minutes by Uruguay. The episode became known as maracanazo, in Spanish, or maracanaço, in its Portuguese form.“It’s really amazing to know what the everyday routine of a World Cup’s like. In each place, in every city, we were treated very well. People in Brazil are very welcoming; we’re South American brothers. It’s a really wonderful experience we’ve been having,” he added. The weariness from the trip is clear to be seen on all of their faces, but talking about football is enough fuel to keep moods up.
“Both Argentina and Brazil have been showing rather poor performances. But that’s the final we want,” said Alejandro Garnacho, 50, also a trader. That was when one of his fellow travelers, sitting right next to him, jumped into the conversation.
Garnacho came from Buenos Aires with seven friends to watch the games played by his team. Now they are trying their best to get last-minute tickets. “For this game, we’re still three tickets short. There’s eight of us, and we only managed to get five.”
Xavier Stanco, 35, made his plans in advance. He bought his tickets through FIFA’s website in November last year, for $81.26 a match. A Buenos Aires resident, Stanco arrived in Brasília with a friend in a pick-up truck. They sleep and cook in it, using a small stove in the back. In their view, this is the best way to save money.
Stanco had been saving money for a year, and Garnacho for three. Sarrouf, however, has gone a bit further. “We’ve been saving money ever since we learned Brazil was to host the tournament. And the truth is, we’ve come with the exact amount we needed. Tickets are really expensive, especially when they’re resold. With the price two resold tickets, you can buy a second-hand car in Argentina.”
The capital city of Brazil has started to shine in shades of blue and white, the national colors of Argentina.
The long distance between the host cities, ticket prices, and the need to live on the road are obstacles made even more challenging by the economic crisis in the neighboring country. “It’s pricy to come to Brazil because the peso [Argentina’s currency] isn’t worth much. One real is worth 5 pesos,” Stanco explained. “Prices in Brazil are high, is we convert them to pesos. We have to close our eyes and that’s it. We’re here, that’s what matters,” Sarrouf added.
Translated by Fabrício Ferreira
Fonte: Argentinians dress Brasília in white and blue ahead of Saturday match
