World Cup - Day 17 - Chile not hot enough. Uruguay toothless. Brazil will face Columbia in quarters.

Today marks the first day of the knock-out stage. It is win or go home (or in the case of Brazil, stay home)

Brazil 1 (3) - Chile 1 (2)

Opa! Opa! Opa!

The bar in Boa Viagem began to fill about 11:30 am, 90 minutes before kickoff. By 1:00 pm Brasilia time, the food, drink, and football were flowing.

It looked promising early, with David Luiz being credited for a goal that looked like an own-goal by the Chileans to me. But the Chileans remained poised, and equalized about 15 minutes later.

With each passing minute, the Brazilians on the pitch looked tighter and tighter, despite having more possession. The Chileans looked relaxed and fluid. It was clear that all the pressure was on the Brazilians.

Words cannot express the tension throughout Brazil as this game began its inexorable march towards kicks from the penalty mark.

There were a lot of questionable calls, and whenever Brazil started to generate some rhythm, the Chileans would either foul or dive, sometimes achieving both simultaneously.

The score remained 1-1 at half-time, through the end of regulation, and throughout the mandated 30 minutes of OT (two 15-minute extra periods).

Chile hit the crossbar in the last 30 seconds and the normally relaxed Brazilians nearly had a heart attack. Had they taken Chile too lightly? Could they really be bounced in the first knockout game?

In the packed restaurant, as with those all over Brazil, you could cut the tension with a knife.

When Brazil hit their first two penalties and Chile missed their first two, the country went wild.

But then Brazil went cold and Chile hit their stride.

It was tied 2-2 after four attempts for each side when Neymar stepped up and buried the eventual game winner.

Chile hit their last shot off the post, and Brazil exploded in joy and fireworks.

Júlio César for Presidente!

Opa! Opa! Opa!

Hope you saw it live!

Columbia (2) - Uruguay (0)

James Rodriguez scored two goals, including a beautiful volley off his chest, to power Columbia past toothless Uruguay. James now has 5 goals and 2 assists in Columbia's four WC games this year.

In the quarters, they'll have to face Brazil, who looked vulnerable today.

Recife - Wed June 25

I get up early again (been averaging about 6 am)...

Fam sleeps in again (been averaging about 10:30 am).

Sergio asks if we'd like to see Brennand. I have no idea what Brennand is, but Google does, and it looks interesting.

Life is catching up with us...mechanics like laundry, breakfast, etc. are considerably harder while on the road. Our limited cell service is used to coordinate via Whatsapp and translate a lot of things via Google Traduz.

I'm hopelessly behind on my blog (both Recife travel blog and FIFA analysis). Not sure why I insist on blogging anyway. The only thing that makes me feel better is catching up. I'll be happy some day to have blogged, but it is stressful. Less stressful than waiting endlessly for everyone to wake up...

None of you have received postcards. We've found almost no gifts.

We have a heart-to-heart and decide it is best to split up the for day.

Michele and Ariel will go shopping or to the beach.

Zach and I will go to Brennand.

Is the beach safe? Is walking around town safe? Vanessa to the rescue. She tells us what to avoid, and agrees to meet the girls in the afternoon. Our guardian angel, Nina, takes the girls to Rio Mar Shopping, considerably bigger than the nearby Recife Shopping. It rains, so beach is scrapped.

Zach and I order a taxi and ask to be taken to Brennand.

The driver is familiar with it. Too familiar. Which Brennand he asks? He suggests Castillo Brennand. We think we want the other one. Sculptura? Sculptura. The Castillo is very beautiful...nao, Oficina Brenand por favor.

We drive through areas we'd dare not walk, through barrios and highways and barrios again, and then out into a dense industrial countryside. We see horse carts and unusual trees and a lot of rundown buildings. In places, it looks like what I imagine a war zone to resemble.

Down a bumpy dirt, mud, and gravel road, many miles walk from the nearest place to eat. A clearing opens up into an old industrial site converted to a sculpture garden.

It takes about 45 minutes total, and the fare is R$45 (about $22 USD).

The driver says something about waiting or hope (espera?). He is saying we will wait a long time for a taxi out here, so he will return to drive us back. How long do we need? Surely an hour isn't enough.

We spend 15 minutes figuring out if he means 3 hours or 3 o'clock. It is 1:00 (13:00) now. We settle on two hours. He will meet us back here at 3 o'clock (15:00). No, he will wait for us for 2 hours in the parking lot. No charge. He motions to indicate the meter will start back up at zero. Yet another guardian angel, brought to us by Easy Taxi.

We make our way to the gate and haggle with the ticket booth attendant over the price of admission (is he asking if I'm sixty?) Must. Learn. Portuguese. Numbers.

My 15-year old son is strapping but still half-priced. R$15 for the two of us.

Holy pottery sculptures, this is worth seeing! Glad we choose "Oficina Brennand" (Francisco B.) but maybe we'll see "Castillo Brennand" (Ricardo B.) another day.

The art is absurdist/surreal. Approachable, but not beautiful in the classic sense. Think Bacon meets Gaudi. Reminds me of the Dali museum in Figueras. The Cambodian-style temple either inspired or was inspired by Apocalypse Now, as evidenced by the Joseph Conrad quote on the wall.

We see a sculpture that undoubtedly could have inspired the faces of the N'avi in Avatar.

The place is nearly empty and we share the indoors and outdoors only with some gardening staff plus a small menagerie of dogs, horses, cattle, and black swans. Surely our paltry admission price wouldn't pay an hour's water bill.

It appears to be supported by selling floor tile and housewares. I suddenly crave floor tiles and housewares.

There is an overwhelming amount of art. We spend 30 minutes on the first of 10 stations. We quicken our pace and eventually manage to finish in 90 minutes.

Time for a delicious lunch in the on-site restaurant. We give some travel tips to some Americans at the next table. We are starting to feel like experts.

Our guardian cab driver is waiting at the appointed rendezvous point. The ride back is R$44. I give him R$50, despite tipping being unusual for cabs. Round trip R$95 (about $45 USD). I should have tipped him more.

Girls are still at the Rio Mar Shopping, about 20 minutes away.

Zach and I go to the Recife Shopping, walking distance from our apartment. We do some manly things like check out the post office, the bank, and t-shirts. Zach finds the perfect gift for himself (Mom will not be happy) and for his cousin (Jake will be).

Day's over? No, just beginning.

We coordinate with friends and resolve to go the USA pre-party at a nearby bar, in anticipation of tomorrow's match versus Germany.

Our friend Vanessa worries they won't allow non-US people into the party. "It will be all right. We need you as a body-guard." It is three blocks away. Vanessa points out that we are targets because we are walking. Brazilians drive across the street. Now we understand why they offered to drive us to the mall and beach on our first day here.

She is really worried she won't get in, thinking it was being thrown by the US Consulate. "Won't they be checking passports?"

"Don't worry. We know Americans" (Seeing as we've relied on her for basic functions like how to use a phone, she is justifiably skeptical.)

"Trust us," I say, "we will get you in."

Not. We get there about 8:30. Line is long and not moving. Power inside bar is out (probably due to the huge spotlights out front). It looks hopeless. We contemplate a spill-over bar. 

I walk towards the door and manage to find the only non-English speaker within a 50-yard radius. Lady at front of line says they may let another 100 people in before shutting the doors. We are about 110 people back in line. Apparently, we were supposed to make reservations on line.

Maybe we will go to the party our friend Raphael talked about. Oops, same party, and he is already inside. Ugh.

I go back to give the bad news. Vanessa knows someone at the bar and secures five wristbands for our party.. We feel like supermodels in NYC...front of the line. Inside. "Trust you?! Trust me!" says Vanessa.

And there was much rejoicing. Zach slurring his speech after two beers. Ariel dancing on tables. Michele and I guzzling Caipirinhas.

Vanessa knows Raphael. Of course. Everyone knows everyone in Recife.

And then Will Ferrel showed up, offering to bite as many Germans as necessary.

Home, exhausted. Tomorrow USA Germany!

Thanks Vanessa!

Boa noite!

Recife - Tuesday June 24

Brazil has so many interesting things to see and do that we've lost count.

Every morning I wake up early and hear the sounds of the city coming to life.

Around 8:30 each morning, I hear a speaker announcing something in the street. It sounds like an old-time campaign truck, but I have no idea what it is saying. Must learn more Portuguese...

Hopefully it isn't something about the Americans deciding to Shock & Awe Recife. No one seems to be ducking and covering, so I ignore it and go back to blogging.

It is a national holiday (Sao Joao) so the bodega downstairs is closed. I don't bother trying the mall...

The fam sleeps late but we hear from some friends that they want to visit nearby Olinda. The plan is to find a taxi that fits six passengers...depart with our party of four...and pick up two friends on the way. After 30 minutes of investigation with the help of the doorman, it becomes clear that six-passenger taxis don't exist in Recife.

Heck, I haven't figured out how to even dial a phone reliably. 90 percent of the phone calls we try to make to/from landlines and cell phones don't seem to work. We answer the phone when it rings. Bad idea. Must. Learn. Portuguese.

We resolve to take a taxi, but our friend Nina (thanks Nina!) comes to the rescue and offers to drive with us. Olinda is just to the North of Recife. We are at the southern end in Boa Viagem, but the drive is under 35 minutes.

During the whole drive, we try unsuccessfully to reach our other friends via cell, Whatsapp, and carrier pigeon. We get to Olinda, and we find them sitting in front of a cafe. Such is Brazil.

They have been waiting 30 minutes but are in good spirits. We walk around some historic churches and eventually settle on a place for lunch. Sergio knows the chef, of course, who is from Ghana but speaks and cooks in French.

We enjoy a nice meal and good company, and set out on foot to explore more of Olinda.

We climb a steep hill, expecting to find a deserted hilltop only to find a bustling market filled with street carts, food vendors, and many small arts stores.

The city has a beautiful view of Recife, that is why it is called Olinda. On occasional corners we smell the smoke and see the remnants of last night's bonfires. Here I learn they have nothing to do with Brazil's victory.Today is a national holiday, so many shops are closed. We take photos and dash into nearby stores when it rains (which it does on and off most of the day).

We encounter a mariachi-type band. Sergio knows everyone in it. We stop at several art boutiques where Sergio knows the artist.

Francisco gives my kids Portuguese lessons; in exchange, they keep him from running into traffic (he's five years old).

Nina is patient trying to teach my wife and I some Portuguese. Francisco has the better students.

The elevator tower atop the hill is flooded and inoperable. The breath-taking view from 40 feet below will have to suffice. My wife's fear of glass elevators is rendered moot.

I ask Michele if either of us is ready to move to Olinda. Nice place to visit, but too much mental energy to even contemplate living in a place like Brazil. I begin to think wistfully of NJ for the first time in a long time.

After a few more hours of a walking tour of the quaint buildings, it is already 17:00 and time to go, as there is dusk, rain, and traffic to contend with.

Nina gamefully drives us back to Boa Viagem.

We helax at home, catch up on email, make some pasta, watch countless highlights of today's games interspersed with really bad Brazilian soap operas.

Have we really been here nearly a week? The days begin to blend together, no matter how distinct each on is one its own.

Boa noite!

Recife - Monday June 23

After an exhausting Sunday in which we watched (on big-screen TV at FanFest) the US tie Portgual...we weren't too ambitious on Monday morning.

We slept in and looked forward to the Mexico-Croatia match in the late afternoon.

We took a cab to the metro station, then the metro to city center, then another cab to a local mall ("Shopping" in Portuguese...seriously). Oh, we saw our Brazilian Ru Paul friends at the metro stop. After yesterday's museum education, we recognized one of their hats was in the style of Luiz Gonzaga. I motioned to his hat and said "Luiz Gonzaga" and they squealed with delight, as if it was an Elvis sighting.

Our plan was to watch the  Chile-Netherlans game on a small screen at the mall while eating lunch. The metro attendant who spoke perfect English took one look at us and advised we take a cab rather than walk through town. We found a cab out front, but in Brazil, nothing is straightforward. Two other cars were having a face-off in a one-way road. Our cabbie had to do a 17-point turn and go the wrong way up the one-way loop to get us away from the station.

There is a saying in Boston..."Most traffic accidents are caused by two cars trying to hit the same pedestrian." Boston ain't got nothing on Brazil; almost hitting buses, motorcycles, and pedestrians is par for the course on every cab ride.

Turns out, the mall was right next to FanFest, so the kids watched the game on the big screen while we searched for a way to get some Brazilian cash (Real, plural Reais, whose symbol is R$ or just $).

FanFest was nearly deserted compared to the FratFest it was the night before.

Getting cash in Brazil is quite a challenge. My bank card didn't work in my bank's ATM (I think it has something to do with 4-digit PIN codes vs 5-digit ones). None of my credit cards worked, despite bearing the Maestro and Cirrus logos.

Luckily, we found a "Cambio" and it was good old American greenbacks to the rescue! It was running about R$2.25 per $1 USD (since dropped to R$2.20) but we were happy with the $R2.10 we received, which would give us enough cash for the day.

We ate lunch, watched most of the Netherlands game, and took a taxi back to the metro.

From there, we repeated our earlier march to the arena...metro to shuttle bus to walking to seats.

We met many happy, friendly Mexico fans. The Croatians were a bit edgier. Mexico was all but guaranteed to go through to the next round, but Croatia was likely out of the tourney.

At the game, it was a sea of green. The Mexicans sang constantly and laughed frequently. My daughter's favorite part was speaking a lot of Spanish with the other fans. An ugly fight broke out at one point (thanks for the amazing video, Eric!), but that was the only violence we've seen at the games in Recife. (All the noise you hear in the background is the other fans just cheering for the game.)

Mexican fans were enjoying it immensely. Croatia, not so much.

Here is a story I call: "Don't f*ck with Mirko Cro Cop"

I was trying to get to the men's room at half-time, but the line was really long. As I stood there contemplating my bladder capacity, a guy and girl dressed in Croatia jerseys both went into the women's bathroom. The guy just looked clueless. Women in the bathroom entrance started pointing to him to leave...I was standing by the sign with a picture of a woman on it, and I just pointed to it to make sure he knew it was the women's bathroom. He looks at me, and without pausing says "F*ck you. F*ck you! What are you, f*ckin' security!?!" It was then, I recognized him as the oft-sighted Druncus Americanus. A local attendant (woman) pointed him towards the men's room. He gave her no flak. Walking away, he turned around and screamed one more "F*CK YOU!" for good measure. The heavily armed police 20 feet away didn't bother looking up during the whole incident.

I figured it best to just pretend I didn't speak English...which put me in the majority.

Back to our main story line...

But it was Brazil's night and on the way home, we saw many celebratory bonfires.

Arriving at the metro stop closest to our home, we decided to take a taxi to a restaurant that had been recommended.

Breaking our "Only use Easy Taxi" rule, we found a cab outside the metro station. He didn't know how to get to the restaurant, but we found a cab that did.

The driver did not turn on his fare meter. He motioned with two fingers and I knew he wanted R$20 as a flat rate. I said no and pointed to meter but he ignored me. He knew the restaurant we wanted to go to, so we reluctantly got in.

He got us to the restaurant quickly,and I estimated the fare to be about R$10. We got out of the taxi and looked in the restaurant for someone to speak English but couldn't find one. I gave the driver R$10, and he asked for more. We played dumb and went into the restaurant. He followed us in and showed $5 US (asking for $5 US more). The restaurant staff dealt with him. I don't know if they just gave him the cash (it was a high-end restaurant that was very service-oriented). My son was worried for the rest of the night that the taxi driver would be waiting outside. Moral of the story, get out of the cab if the meter is not turned on. Pay the extra R$10, because the driver will follow you into the restaurant and make a scene.

Anyway, we managed to have lovely dinner (our first real sit-down dinner at a European-style restaurant). Service and food was impeccable, but it took my son 2/3 of the meal to find his appetite.

Enough drama for one day...trusted taxi home in the pouring rain, and collapse into bed.

Boa noite!

Brazil - FIFA World Cup - Day 16 - Round of 16 Round-up

Round of 16 Preview

 

Friday was a rest day.

The knock-out stage--"Round of 16" or "Octavos de Final"--is upon us, and the match-ups are all set.

See upcoming match-ups here.

There will be two matches per day from Saturday through Tuesday. Matches are at 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm Brasilia time (Noon and 4:00 EDT)

Half of the finalists have been sent home. Who will win the swimsuit competition? Who will be the most photogenic? Doesn't matter...this is all about talent, grit, and determination.

Here are my predictions and comments.

Saturday

Brazil vs Chile

The pre-tourney favorite, Brazil, has not looked as impressive as some other teams, but they will find a way to beat Chile and make it to the quarters and eventually semis, where they will likely face Germany.  I had tickets for this game in my shopping cart before being dealt a blow by FIFA. Ah well. I will watch on TV with every other man, woman, and child in Brazil.

Colombia vs Uruguay

I wish these teams were playing in Recife, but alas, I will have to settle for watching this one on TV as well. It will get a lot of attention because Suarez has been banned. Why will everyone be watching it, since he will not play? I guess everyone loves a good vampire story.

It will be tough for Uruguay to win without Suarez, but I'm picking them nonetheless. I've seen stranger adversity cause a team to rally.

But I'm rooting for the Colombians in my heart (but not my pool).

Doesn't matter; whoever wins will lose to Brazil in the quarters.

Sunday

Netherlands vs Mexico

Mexico has looked good (good enough to tie Brazil) but they will lose to the Flying Dutchmen, who have been in top form and should easily make it to the finals. (Where they will eventually face Brazil or Germany). Widely considered the best team never to win a cup, is this the year Oranje finally brings home the title that eluded them four years ago versus Spain?

Mexico made a good run, but they are about to run right into some bad luck in the way the draw came out.

Costa Rica vs Greece

The least interesting of all the R16 games and the one I will be attending. The fans will be 90% Costa Rican, so it should be fun if not very competitive.

Greeks are in over their yogurt. Can they pull the upset? No, no they can't.

Whoever wins will be slaughtered by the Dutch in the next round, but reaching the quarter-finals will be fun while it lasts.

Monday

France vs Nigeria

Nigeria needed some help from the refs in the BH game to get out of a weak group. They've proven worthy of the tourney, but are no match for the French.

France will beat Nigeria, only to lose to Germany in the quarters. Everyone knows this to be true.


Germany vs Algeria

So long Algeria, it has been nice knowing you.

Germany will have to beat France and Brazil to make it to the finals, where they would face Netherlands. This match versus Algeria will be a mere tune-up and perhaps give insights into whether they can make a deep run.

The Germans I spoke with said they feared only Spain, Italy, and France. With Spain and Italy already bounced, the Germans biggest enemy will be the heat and humidity.

They looked comfortable against the US in the rain but made their share of technical mistakes, repeatedly kicking the ball out of bounds on the slick turf. But they possess the ball well and are very, very skilled. My heart says Brazil will beat them in the semis, which will be an epic matchup.

Tuesday

Argentina vs Switzerland

Everyone, especially TV executives, and banking on Messi to take the Albiceleste to the finals, but it isn't going to happen. Coming out of a weak group, they looked vulnerable. Argentina will beat Switzerland, but that is as far as they will get. Yes, I predict the US will face and beat Argentina in the quarters. Whoever reaches the semis will certainly be dispatched by the Dutch.

No one is rooting for Switzerland. At best, they are neutral.

USA vs Belgium

Belgium topped a weak group, but USA survived the Group of Death.

Look for the Yanks to prove Klinsman a genius. I predict US will beat Belgium (2-1) to reach the quarters and then beat Argentina (3-2) to reach the semis. It would be a dream for US to make it that far, but I think it is very attainable. US looked weak against Germany, who is the class of the tourney, but will look better against weaker teams.

If they make it to the semis, they'll be crushed by the Dutch (5-0).

Well, those are my predictions. What are yours?

Brazil - FIFA World Cup - Day 15 - Groups G & H

Thursday concludes pool play for the final two Groups, G and H.

American fans are on the edge of their seats! (the rest of world really doesn't care about US soccer)

Germany (1) - United States (0) - Group G


With the US needing a tie to guarantee an R16 berth, stakes could not be higher for the USMNT. For Germany, it was basically just a tune-up. Even with a loss, US could qualify if they just kept it close and got some help from Portugal.

Are the Germans beatable? The consensus seems to be "no," certainly not by the Americans.

I asked a German why they tied Ghana in an earlier match, and he said simply "the heat." I have no idea how LeBron James and Dwayne Wade impact German footballers, but I'm sure T. Rowe Price will tell us in their next commercial.

US looked pretty lame, frankly. Germans outplayed us badly.  We looked like a bunch of JV players against a Varsity squad.

After the Germans scored early in the second half, they seemed content to possess the ball and occasionally press forward, perhaps out of respect to Klinsman who Germans still hold in high regard.

The highlight was a guy with a German flag who ran onto the field in the 87th minute. No one minded. As he high-fived several German players, security just stood on the sidelines. Americans were happy to see clock wind down. Eventually, he got winded and headed towards the sideline where a security guard put his arm around him and thanked him for making the game interesting.

Despite the comments below, he wasn’t a streaker,

To quote: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup/10927193/USA-vs-Germany-World-Cup-2014-live.html

"87 min:
Delay. Oh I think a streaker has got on the pitch. We're not allowed to see it on TV because, you know, FIFA = Stalin etc and we might all get ideas and start, er, running from here to Brazil naked or something. Or maybe the guy's bum wasn't bearing an official sponsor's logo."

Despite getting their bums kicked, US backed those same butts into the R16. U-S-A! U-S-A!

Let's skip the next world war and work it out on the pitch, please. Peace out!


Portugal  (2) - Ghana (1) - Group G

Holy haircuts! Ronaldo is now my favorite non-US player, because he shaved the side of his head and struck the game winner, knowing it would only guarantee a US berth. He gets a lot of crap as being a pretty-boy whiner, but he showed a lot of class and grit.

After the initial crushing loss to Germany, he had the assist on the equalizer in the 95th minute againts US. And playing in an essentially meaningless game, unless Portugal won by 5 or US lost badly, he still played til the end. And, damn, that guy has some footwork to go along with the nice hair.

Ghana, the US nemesis the previous two World Cups, also seemed anxious to help the US qualify. Their defender scored the most beautiful own-goal I've ever seen (bicycle kick off the post), and a late flub by the GK gave Ronaldo the easy finish.

Algeria (1)  - Russia (1) - Group H

Algerians were delirious after they're tie secured H2 seed in R16. They will face (and get crushed by) Germany, but tonight we dance!

Belgium (1)  - Korea (0) - Group H

It is said that war is God's way of teaching Americans world geography.

Let's hope that football gives Americans a peaceful reason to find Belgium on the map.

We'll meet (and beat!) them in R16.

Brazil - FIFA World Cup - Day 14 - Groups E & F

Wednesday concludes pool play for Groups E and F.

Not a lot of suspense as to who will be in the Round of 16, as shown by these great graphics, but a great opportunity to see Messi play.

Argentina (3) - Nigeria (2) - Group F

A masterpiece by Messi ("El enano", as he is known) to send a message that Argentina hopes to go well beyond the Round of 16. In truth, I missed the game because I was seeing masterpieces of another kind. Life is about choices.

Nigeria will meet France on June 30.

The Albiceleste will face Switzerland on July 1st. My pick is Argentina, but the Swiss are not to be overlooked.

Bosnia-Herzegovenia (3) - Iran (1) - Group F

In a battle for third place, BH proved they belong in the finals (yes, the whole tourney this month is called "the World Cup Finals"; no, I didn't mean the final in Rio in July). Save for an own-goal against Argentina and the blown calls in the Nigeria match, they could have claimed the F2 seed. That's soccer my friends. At times cruel, but often beautiful.

France (0)  - Ecuador (0) - Group E

A tie secures the top seed for France. They will face (and beat) Nigeria in the Round of 16.

Switzerland (3)  - Honduras (0) - Group E

The Swiss claim the E2 seed in the Round of 1, where they will lose to Argentina.