My First Brazilian Football Game
Over the last several weeks, I have been doing my best to adapt to the daily VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity & Ambiguity) that I face when living in a new country. Every day presents a new adventure, and this was a particularly fun one.
I love live sports and am a diehard fan of American Football. I can’t wait to see my Pittsburgh Steelers win their 7th Super Bowl. Yes, it will happen soon. I introduced my husband to the game, and he has done the same for me, exposing me to Brazilian Football, what Americans call soccer. Salvador has more than one professional football team and Bahia is the one that my husband likes. We were watching Bahia play Botafogo, a team from Rio de Janeiro.
From the moment we arrived at the stadium, we could feel the energy and excitement in the air. The entry to the stadium was filled with people dressed in their team colors, chanting, and singing as they headed to the gates. We joined the crowd and made our way inside the stadium. I was eager to experience the atmosphere of a Brazilian football game.
Roberto’s friend is an executive with the team, and he hooked us up with preferred seats, so we had an excellent view of the field. It was a weekday game, so the stadium wasn’t full, but it seemed that everyone there was a passionate supporter.
The noise was incredible with fans shouting and cheering at the top of their lungs and a group of people playing drums right below us. They were drumming, waving huge flags, and chanting non-stop throughout the game. I could feel the vibrations of the crowd reverberating through the stadium creating a palpable sense of excitement and energy. The game was intense with both teams playing fiercely and the crowd roaring with every goal or close call. Bahia lost 2-1.
One thing that I found interesting about the Brazilian football experience was the sense of community and camaraderie among the fans. Even though they were cheering for opposing teams, everyone in the stadium seemed to be united by their shared love of the sport. I watched fans of both teams yell at the referees when they didn’t agree with a call. I also noticed fans hug and high five each other after an exciting play and spectators from both teams chanted and sang together at certain points of the game. It was an incredible display of sportsmanship and unity.
Attending a Brazilian football game was a fantastic experience and I look forward to the next one.