Not even the 1-0 defeat by the Cameroonian team took away the excitement with the possibility of the Brazilian team winning the sixth championship. Released early from work to follow the match, administrative assistant Érika Borges complained about the lack of goals for the Brazilian team, but praised the enthusiasm of the fans.
“The game is close, but I like the World Cup atmosphere. I like to watch [a] these matches in full places, and here it is excited. I’m sure [de] that will come the hex. I’m Brazilian and, even with this defeat, I always have to believe”, said Érika Borges, 24 years old.
“The first half of the game was good, the place was packed and the atmosphere was contagious. I believe that the champion of this cup will be Brazil, or England, but I’m optimistic with the selection”, said the university student, Felipe Oliveira, from 21 years.
The lively environment was also the highlight of the afternoon for accountant João Ribeiro, 21 years old. The young man chose the food court of the shopping center to watch the game due to the chaotic traffic in the federal capital before the match.
“I was afraid of not being able to get home because of the traffic, which was very complicated. So, I decided to watch it here on mall, which is located in an easily accessible area. In my opinion, the crowd here is excited, and the selection is at a good level, but it is worrying that it is not being effective without scoring a lot of goals”, he said.
For Ribeiro, Brazil’s key was strong, and the country had an “average” performance with the absence of athletes such as striker Neymar, right-back Danilo and left-back Alex Sandro. He recalled that, in the match itself, left-back Alex Telles was injured.
“Even with this defeat, we finished first in the group. But we have a chance to grow in the next matches and win the sixth”, believes the accountant.
Cameroonians
Cameroonian fans gathered to watch the victory of their selection in a bar in Ceilândia, administrative region of the Federal District. According to computer technician Hadisson Ticha, the Cameroonian community was optimistic about the match.
“We like football a lot and think that Brazil is an example in world football. We have a lot to learn from Brazil’s style of play,” he said. “In Cameroon it’s almost the same as in Brazil [para assistir os jogos], the Cameroonian, African community is watching to support. I think that’s what football is, bringing people together.”
French teacher Simon Bomba, 50, said football was also a “national passion” in Cameroon. “The Cameroonian people are very fond of football, they always watch the games. I have faith that Cameroon will win the game.”
Administrative assistant Andrew Open pointed out that Cameroon’s chances of winning the match increased due to the lineup of the Brazilian national team’s reserve team. “The teams that played with reserves lost. Portugal lost, France lost”, he pointed out. “We think there’s a favourite, of course, and that’s Brazil. But Brazil are playing with the reserves, who aren’t well matched, and Cameroon has 11 [jogadores] that are intertwined. we have favoritism today, and Cameroon will take the game,” he added.
*Collaborated by Lucas Pordeus León, from Radioagência Nacional
