Brazil’s national team escaped with a riveting round-of-16 win on Saturday over Chile, thanks to Julio Cesar’s saves and Neymar’s cold-blooded shootout goal.This was as close as it gets to a-soccer-lypse.
The concern was etched on the faces of Brazil fans all day in this
capital city: darting glances, tight fists, outstretched arms, palms on
foreheads, and of course, shrieks every time a Chile player neared
Brazil's net.
In a packed restaurant, a group of ladies sat around a table and
cheered mightily when Brazil took a 1-0 lead. Then, when Chile tied it
up, their expressions fell and they looked at each other without a word.
The silent message was unmistakable: “Uh oh.”
In the second half, the TV feed in the restaurant went out, leaving
black screens all around. A groan reverberated through the place.
- Half of the women at the table did not show any patience with the glitch, which lasted no longer than two minutes; they got up and left. They didn’t even say goodbye.
Brazil’s 2014 team is good , in fact very good. They are the favorites. But as
talented as they are, there are also flaws. The yellow and green are not
unbeatable.
They are not impervious. That has been clear from the first
match, and it was quite clear on Saturday. Chile, fearless and fast,
pushed their foes to the very brink.
There is a good chance it will
happen again. Colombia, who will face Brazil on July 4, is just as
dangerous.
There will be nerves for fan bases all over the planet in the coming
days, and that certainly includes the Americans, who will be yelling
expletives with joy and frustration on Tuesday.
Here in this country, though, the anxiety rises to a singular level. A
loss in this tournament will hurt not for hours or days, but for months
or years.
And if a defeat comes at the hands of a nearby team like
Colombia or Argentina, the pain will go even deeper.It was like the middle of the night, except it was the middle of the day.
At just about 4 p.m. local time, the quiet was punctured: Neymar did it; Brazil won. Yet on this memorable day, a day of relief, it was all but impossible not to wonder what it would be like in this country if one of these matches end, and the silence isn’t broken.
Source: smh.com...More...
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