I had a ticket to go see the international friendly between Brazil and Chile this past Tuesday at the Rogers Centre. Now, I can’t remember the last time these teams were in Toronto, or if they ever played here at all, but when I sat in my cubicle at work the day of the match, I thought to myself, “This will probably be the only chance I will get to see the Brazilian and Chilean national teams”. Yes, this friendly was a bit of a cash grab, and there will be those who complain that ticket prices were too high, but these people fail to realize that there were thousands of Brazil and Chile fans who would never get the opportunity to see their heroes play in front of their own eyes, and for that kind of experience, it will be worth the money.
I left work and began to walk the few blocks to the Rogers Centre, while stopping off to get something to eat. As I approached the stadium, there was a crescendo of horns and drums surrounding it. Fans were walking around with flags of the two countries around their backs like Superman’s cape. There were kids with face paint of the two countries’ colors, big flags being waved, and fans holding up signs showing their love and admiration for the national teams. The pre-game atmosphere was very festive. There were no signs of crowd trouble, and both sets of fans seemed to get along well.
I was walking up to Gate 2 to enter the stadium, and on the way, I was caught up in a Chilean crowd full of loud banging drums, singing, and dancing. My video doesn’t do it justice. It was absolutely loud.
I entered the stadium and went up to my seat to survey the pitch. The grass looked okay for a field that was hastily put together the day before, but it would be in for a beating when the match starts.
More fans wearing the red of Chile and the yellow of Brazil began to file into the stadium, and soon after, the two teams were out for their warm-ups. There was a constant flash from cameras and phones as the two teams warmed up for the match to follow.
The majority of the cheering was for Neymar, not surprisingly, as he received the loudest roar when his name was called for Brazil’s starting eleven. Soon after the warm-ups, both teams came out for the national anthems to an energetic and raucous crowd at the Rogers Centre.
The first half, I admit, was rather dull. The only big time cheer I heard was when Hulk scored the first goal of the match to make it 1-0 to Brazil. Other than that, both teams were trying to feel each other out. Chile was marching down the field after Brazil’s first goal, but their attacking prowess was seriously lacking for a team that is considered to be an offensive powerhouse.
The early stages of the second half were a bit more adventurous for both teams, but not by much. I started to think that this match wouldn’t be as exciting as I thought it out to be. Then, out of the blue, Eduardo Vargas rips a snapshot that David Luiz lazily attempts to block. Julio Cesar doesn’t even move as the ball nestles in the corner of the net. It’s all tied up at 1-1, and the Chilean fans in the stadium go wild.
After that goal, Brazil ramped up the pressure and began to pepper the Chilean defence with their traditional Brazilian attacking flare. Neymar scored a cheeky backheel goal, but he was offside by a number of yards. A few minutes later, Neymar received the ball inside the 18-yard box and did a double flick over the Chilean goalkeeper, but his shot was blocked. If he were to score a goal from that, it would have easily been the goal of the year. Not long after, the breakthrough for Brazil finally came, when an unmarked Robinho headed in a goal from a cross. It was now 2-1 to Brazil, and Robinho and Neymar did a little dance for the cheering crowd.
The match ended, and Brazil won the friendly by two goals to one. The match initially felt like both teams didn't take the match seriously, but as the match progressed, the drive to win became more entrenched in both teams. At the end, the fans were appreciative of the effort that both Brazil and Chile put in.
Looking back at the match, I thought it was an unforgettable and surreal experience. I got to see some of the best players in the world. Seeing the likes of Neymar and Alexis Sanchez take the field was incredible. Every time they touched the ball, it felt like something magical was going to happen. I felt honoured to see them in the flesh, and I'm sure everyone else in the stadium felt the same way. This experience is something that I will treasure for the rest of my life.
