Following a large survey carried out by Sport / Foot Magazine among its readers, our editorial team has compiled the top 25 matches that have made you feel the most over the years. Place today at the meeting classified in 5th place: the eighth final of the Devils at the 2014 World Cup.
Salvador, the next day. July 2, 2014. A day to savor, to recover from the tension of the day before. It starts on the beach. We think it’s strange that there are so many people on a Wednesday during the week and we immediately think back to the comment some little cliché of an American who lives in Rio for three years. “There are three kinds of Brazilians,” he said. “The bad guys, southerners and northerners. The bad guys are the fraudsters, the corrupt, who change their money into dollars and funnel it to the United States via offshore havens. They live lavishly in Miami and sometimes take money. private flights home. These are the ones we see in the stadiums during Brazil matches, the “new” rich. Whites only.
The second type is the people of Sao Paulo or Rio Grande do Sul. These are the Brazilians who want to work hard and who blame others for not wanting it. The third type are those who come from the north, where it is wonderfully warm even in the middle of winter: Recife, Fortress, Salvador, … There, according to the cliché, they only want one thing: hanging out at the beach.”
Reality matches the cliché on July 2. They are there, on the beach, en masse. They play football, sunbathe, play, swim, have fun. We do the same to recover from the Red Devils victory the night before. It is only later in the day that we learn why they are there: Bahia celebrates its independence. On July 2, 1823, the last Portuguese occupier left this piece of land. Definitely. It is celebrated every year, with a day off. There is a feeling of patriotism. And where better to enjoy it than at the beach? Especially when it’s hot. About 27 degrees, and not a cloud in the sky. Unfortunately there was no press photographer, because what we saw at the far end of the bay was the World Cup picture. Off the field.
Let’s try to describe it best: imagine the rippling ocean waves crashing over the rocks just off the coast. Between the beach and these rocks a small lagoon. Not a pretty Instagrammable piece of beach. There is a lot of garbage, old pieces of wood and the benches on the dike have had their day. Like those in poorly maintained playgrounds in Belgium, these wooden benches where a board or two is missing.
Memories of the day after … After this crazy qualification acquired against States.
On the sand, children play while others swim in the lagoon. Lots of men are lounging, too. Around them, a dozen cans of Brahma beer. One of them is standing with his back to the water. He sweats. He has planted a wooden easel in the sand and placed a portable barbecue there on which he cooks sausages. At his feet a gigantic frigobox in which he happily digs. A barbecue brazilian style : do not forget the drink of the cook whose enormous belly is overflowing from his swimsuit.
A little further on, young people hang around parked cars, beer cans in hand. Take it easy. One of the cars, bright yellow, is a real sound system on wheels from which escapes techno. A Brazilian concert Live, live.
Are you still following? Music on the beach, a group of young people laughing and dancing, girls and boys mingling, and a little further on a few young people on the sand, a man frying meat. All to the rhythm of the music and in the background the sound of the waves.
Only then do our eyes fall on her. She belongs to the beach group, but stands a little apart, about twenty meters from them. On his island. She is young, slender and wears only a neatly tied bikini.
Suddenly she starts dancing, and these are those movements that attract attention. From everyone on this beach, young and old. She begins to sway gently to the beat of the music. Then her dancing intensifies as the music does the same. Alone, she looks only at the sea, in a trance. Gradually, life stops around her. We look at her breathlessly. She, the sea, the music.
The queen of Bahia.
Life couldn’t be sweeter the day after the game.
For us, the World Cup could end there.
Match sheet
Buts: Kevin De Bruyne 93rd, Romelu Lukaku 105th / Julian Green 107th
Belgique: Courtois, Alderweireld, Van Buyten, Kompany, Vertonghen, Witsel, Fellaini, Mertens (Mirallas), De Bruyne, Hazard (Chadli), Origi (Lukaku)
United States: Howard, Johnson (Yedlin), Gonzalez, Besler, Beasley, Jones, Cameron, Zusi (Wondoloswki), Bradley, Bedoya (Green), Dempsey
Itaipava Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador, Brazil
Round of 16 of the World Cup
July 1, 2014
–
Salvador, the next day. July 2, 2014. A day to savor, to recover from the tension of the day before. It starts on the beach. We think it’s strange that there are so many people on a Wednesday during the week and we immediately think of the somewhat cliché comment of an American who has lived in Rio for three years. “There are three kinds of Brazilians,” he said. “The bad guys, southerners and northerners. The bad guys are the fraudsters, the corrupt, who change their money into dollars and funnel it to the United States through offshore havens. They live lavishly in Miami and sometimes take money. private flights home. These are the ones we see in the stadiums during matches in Brazil, the “new” rich. Whites only. The second type is the people of São Paulo or Rio Grande do Sul . These are the Brazilians who want to work hard and who blame others for not wanting it. The third type are those who come from the north, where it is wonderfully warm even in the middle of winter: Recife, Fortaleza, Salvador, .. . There, according to the cliché, they only want one thing: hanging out at the beach. ”The reality corresponds to the cliché on July 2. They are there, on the beach, en masse. They play football, sunbathe, play, swim, have fun. We do the same to recover from the victory of the Red Devils the night before. It is only later in the day that we learn why they are there: Bahia celebrates its independence. On July 2, 1823, the last Portuguese occupier left this piece of land. Definitely. It is celebrated every year, with a day off. There is a feeling of patriotism. And where better to enjoy it than at the beach? Especially when it’s hot. About 27 degrees, and not a cloud in the sky. Unfortunately there was no press photographer, as what we saw at the far end of the bay was the World Cup image. Off the field. Let’s try to describe it best: imagine the rippling ocean waves crashing over the rocks just off the coast. Between the beach and these rocks a small lagoon. Not a pretty Instagrammable piece of beach. There is a lot of garbage, old pieces of wood and the benches on the dike have had their day. Like those in poorly maintained playgrounds in Belgium, these wooden benches where a board or two is missing. On the sand, children play while others swim in the lagoon. Lots of men are lounging, too. Around them, a dozen cans of Brahma beer. One of them is standing with his back to the water. He sweats. He has planted a wooden easel in the sand and placed a portable barbecue there on which he cooks sausages. At his feet a gigantic frigobox in which he happily digs. A Brazilian-style barbecue: don’t forget the drink of the cook whose enormous belly is overflowing with his swimsuit. A little further on, young people hang around parked cars, cans of beer in hand. Take it easy. One of the cars, bright yellow, is a real sound system on wheels from which escapes techno. A Brazilian ao vivo concert, live. Are you still following? Music on the beach, a group of young people laughing and dancing, girls and boys mingling, and a little further on a few young people on the sand, a man frying meat. All to the rhythm of the music and in the background the sound of the waves. Only then do our eyes fall on her. She belongs to the beach group, but stands a little apart, about twenty meters from them. On his island. She’s young, slender and wears only a neatly tied bikini. Suddenly she starts dancing, and it’s those movements that catch the eye. From everyone on this beach, young and old. She begins to sway gently to the beat of the music. Then her dancing intensifies as the music does the same. Alone, she looks only at the sea, in a trance. Little by little, life stops around her. We look at her breathlessly. Her, the sea, the music, the queen of Bahia, life couldn’t be sweeter the day after the match, for us the World Cup could end there.
– .
