Soccer Laduma Blog By Joe Crann
Joe Crann In Brazil
Another day has past in Brazil, with another two nations leaping over their latest hurdle, leaving two others in their wake. But only just. We saw four teams unable to break the deadlock in normal time, though Argentina managed to sneak their way past Switzerland after extra-time, as did Belgium against their American counterparts. I was lucky enough to be at the Arena Corinthians yesterday to watch Argentina take on Switzerland, and while the game may not have been great, the experience was brilliant. The game was my first as an official FIFA accredited journalist, for me it was recognition of something that I've been working towards for years, and for it to be a World Cup last 16 game really meant a lot to me. In the game I got to see a wide range of football talents… I saw Di Maria play 118 minutes as a passenger before slotting home the winner, I saw a phenomenally organised display from a Swiss side that probably deserved more, and I saw a set of fans that did not stop singing for the duration of the 120-minute affair. However, for me, the best part came after the game. As I walked back to the Metro station after Argentina had secured their spot in the quarter finals, I became enveloped in a mass of football fans, some Argentina, some Swiss and plenty of Brazilians, all chanting as they made their way back home. Once on the Metro it was like being back home in England… For the duration of our train trip the Brazilians and Argentinians were going back and forth at each other with chants, one of which was loosely translated as, "Pele has 1000 goals, Maradona only likes his drugs", or something along those lines. If you didn't know, the Brazil/Argentina rivalry is one of the biggest national rivalries in the word, not only with football, but with all sports and all walks of life. As one set of fans chanted Messi's name together, their rivals were quick to sing the praises of their golden boy, Neymar. With England gone, I would truly love to see an Argentina/Brazil final at this year's World Cup… I don't think that it's any real shock that the South Americans are doing so well this year, and I believe a final including a rivalry of that extent would be the kind of finale that this momentous World Cup would deserve. Joe Follow me in Brazil: @YesWeCrann
