This summer, I traveled to Santa Clara to watch a match between Columbia and Brazil during the Copa America group stage. Copa America is an international tournament that pre-dates the World Cup and the Euro Championships; however, it is limited to teams from North and South America. This year, the United States was selected to host the Copa America, with games taking place all over the nation. This event was, to some extent, a test run of the future World Cup that will be held in the United States in the year 2026.
It was 105 degrees as I made my way to the stadium through the carnival of fans, singing, laughing and dancing along the way. It was so hot that the ticket scanning equipment malfunctioned, and they had to delay the start of the game. However, this did not affect anyone as the excitement and energy from the fans were on another level. Brazil, the most successful national team of all time and a team currently filled with stars, faced off against Columbia, a team on a 25-match unbeaten streak, setting the stage for a highly competitive match.
The atmosphere was buzzing as the teams took the field. The whistle sounded, and the game initiated, the crowd erupting into cheers. I began to chat with the person sitting next to me, or at least I tried. He did not speak English, but this did not get in the way of our newfound friendship as we found a way to communicate through ecstatic arm gestures.
About 12 minutes into the game, an enormous roar was heard from Brazil fans around the stadium, followed by a series of profanities. The reason? A Brazilian player had been brutally taken out just outside of the penalty box. Raphinha, a Brazilian winger, walked up to the ball to take the free kick. His left foot struck the ball beautifully, curling perfectly into the top right corner for an early goal for Brazil.
The game resumed with exciting back-and-forth action for the rest of the first half, but in added time, the Colombian national team had a very promising breakaway. Suddenly, the ball was poked loose under a Brazilian defender’s legs, and a Colombian player was through on goal. Just like that, the game was tied before the half.
The game concluded without any more goals, and everyone began to exit the arena, satisfied in their team’s avoidance of a loss in such a highly anticipated and competitive matchup.
Both teams later went on to the quarterfinal stages. Columbia managed to make it to the final, losing the trophy to Argentina. Additionally, Columbia, on their path to the final, became a very controversial team, as many Columbian fans were sneaking into the games through air vents and rushing the ticket lines, a potential problem to consider for the upcoming World Cup.