Going to a soccer game, any game at all, in Brazil was on my list before I even arrived because Brazil is world-famous for their unique foorwork tactics, quick moves and borderline-psycho fans. So I got my friends together and asked Vitor, Ricardo's brother (and true soccer fanatic) to take us. This was an adventure in itself because Vitor is a true Carioca, through and through. I asked him a month ago about going to a soccer game and each week he came with half a piece of information, never clear, always leaving me hanging. Up until today, the day of, I still didnt know details and while he was out playing soccer with friends, I was at home stressing about getting tickets and how we were getting there. Thanks to Ricardo (if I had a dollar every time I said that...), I was able to resolve it all. Then, true to Latino form, we spent over an hour waiting for everyone to arrive at our meeting place...but eventually we had the whole group and we were off to the stadium!

It's curious to me how Brazilians are more murderously crazy (literally, that's not an exaggeration) about their small little province team than for the national team (until the World Cup of course, traitors). In Rio de Janeiro, there are four teams: Flamengo (the most popular with the craziest fanatics), Botafogo, Fluminese and Vasco. It´s crazy that when the games are between any of these four teams, it´s instantly more dangerous. You dont want to be wearing the wrong team´s shirt or sitting on the wrong side of the stadium. This goes past Lakers and Cowboys fans... this gets violent and intense.

I have decided (for my own safety and amount of entertainment) to become a Flamengo fan. And I think I definitely made the right choice. Let me tell you, these Brazilans did NOT disappoint me. They were just as intense and passionate to their very core as I had expected. The expressions on their faces, their screams of desparation, kicking the chairs and poles then squeezing each other in tight hugs... it was exhausting watching them! Most of their chants involve very vulgar insults toward the other team and Im sure this is no surprse, they never sit down. As it turned out, it was a great game because Flamengo won 5-1 and there were no signs of hositility (mainly because the opposing team isnt from Rio and Flamengo crushed them). I posted a video on the blog (if you click on the Videos tab above) to give you an idea.

All in all, it was exactly what I expected... a rush of intense emotion, excitement, screaming, jumping up and down and then afterward, streets full of celebration. So, I checked that off my list!