Monday, November 16, 2009

Brasileira in the making

There have been lots of different discoveries I have had since coming to Ipatinga. One of them is my new found love for soccer. Actually, I think it is going to the soccer games. Because I still can't stand watching any sport on television.

Anyway we have been going to Estadio Ipatinga on the weekends to watch our local team play (in white, on the right). I love being surrounded by all the people, I love the feeling of camaraderie that comes with supporting a team together! They have people who play drums in the stands...and they never seem to stop. They have a whole gang of people playing drums, others dancing to the drums, and others setting off fireworks. They put on quite a show. In fact, this past weekend, they started a fire in the stands with what looked like the toilet paper they had been waving around. It was quite interesting. And dangerous looking. When you enter the stadium, they do have security checking bags, but I suppose the only thing they are looking for is guns, everything else pretty much seems to be allowed.


Besides watching the game, I love to people watch. And Estadio Ipatinga provides plenty of interesting spectators to gawk at. My absolute favorite is "the rant-er." He is my all time favorite. He is at every single game. And he yells pretty much the entire game. He waves his hands around, yells at the team, yells at the refrees, and when all else fails turns to someone if they are willing to listen to his rants. He paces the stadium back and forth all game long, but I usually see him around half time. (Is it called half time in soccer?) We sit in the middle of the field, close to where the players leave to go to the locker room. So out of the woodworks he comes to give them a piece of his mind. Next time I'll get a picture of him in action. Seriously, my favorite. I'm always excited to see him.

Now although he is most definitely got a couple of screws loose, he does have something to yell about. Ipatinga is absolutely terrible. Meaning, even I, who knows close to nothing about soccer, knows that they are terrible. They are terrible about passing successfully, the fans are constantly yelling to 'play to the front' since they like to kick the ball around down field...it's amazing they ever get the goal to be honest. Thankfully the won this time around (1-0) since Sidnei vowed to never come to another game if they kept losing! Though I think he was bluffing. Even though they are terrible, it's still fun!


Sidnei's Dad complimented me by saying that I was definitely a 'Brasileira in the making' except he said it in Portuguese. And he told me that I would also need to come to the popular side of the family and be a fan of Cruziero. My husband is all about Sao Paulo. I have been forbidden to join the ranks of Cruzeiro.

I haven't made up my mind yet.

5 comments:

Mrs. Carioca said...

The game sounds like fun! Have you learned Portuguese? How did you learn?

Unknown said...

I LOVE soccer! I am sure you will catch on to exactly what is going on. :)

Unknown said...

Chris loves soccer. He goes to the real salt lake soccer games a bunch. I went to one too and had a great time! Soccer is so fun, especially when the fans are rowdy.

Fabiola said...

You are brave!!! That is all I can say.

Fabiola

Daniel @ Campinas said...

come join the dark side, CORINTHIANS!! their torcida, "FIEL" is kinda like the oakland radier fans, "radier nation" die hard never say die attitude..