With the heat exceeding 30 degrees, but with clouds relieving the relentless sun that appeared in the morning, the public began to fill the Fifa Fan Fest arena on Copacabana beach, in the south zone of Rio de Janeiro, a space set up by the organizer of the FIFA World Cup World of Qatar.
Cleaning assistant Bárbara Cristina Inácio, a resident of Morro da Babilônia, in Leme, a neighborhood next to Copacabana, brought her 6- and 9-year-old daughters to the arena for the third time to watch the game.
“The children only went to school in the morning and I was released from work in the afternoon, so I could watch the game. So, we’ve been coming here all the time, it’s a very good atmosphere, the children like it, interact with other children, do little friends.
Accompanied by a couple of friends and her 4-year-old son, from Pedra de Guaratiba, in the west zone, she risks a 2-0 score for Brazil. “The team has to have more vigor, to score more goals. But it will pass through Korea yes.”
With the same guess as Barbara’s score, retiree Hélio Sebastião lives in Manhumirim, in the interior of Minas Gerais, and came to Rio just to watch the game “among the crowd”. “I came alone, this Cup is the first time, but in the others I always came. It’s very good here. Brazil will be champion”, he said.
The match between Brazil and Korea for the round of 16 of the tournament starts at 4 pm. After the game, there will be a concert by Xande de Pilares. The cities of Dubai, Mexico City, London, São Paulo and Seoul also received FIFA arenas.
Fans begin to fill the Fifa Fan Fest arena on Copacabana beach – Tomaz Silva/Agência Brasil
Safety
The Military Police of Rio de Janeiro informed that it will use technological apparatus and police teams to guarantee security during the Brazilian team’s game. There will be around 300 police officers working on the Copacabana waterfront, in addition to the PMERJ Digital project and the drones of the Aeromóvel Group.
According to the corporation, the use of drones to assist policing around the perimeter of the arena “provided excellent results”. “During the first phase of the World Cup, the military police made eight arrests and two apprehensions of teenagers, almost all for theft and robbery. In these first three games, 54 individuals were approached”, informed the Military Police.
The PMERJ Digital project integrates the Electronic Fencing system, in which teams use individual monitoring cameras on the streets.
There will also be increased policing in Parque de Madureira and around the Estádio do Engenhão, both in the north of the city.
