It’s almost a second home for Brazil. For the 25th time, London hosted a Brazilian team match, with 35 games taking place across England. It was the 9th time at the Emirates Stadium, home of Arsenal, with mass support and a packed stadium: 58,657 thousand tickets sold.
With the support, the Canarian team beat Senegal 2-0, with goals from Estêvão and Casemiro.
A nearby Brazilian restaurant was a meeting point for fans before the game. Heitor Pecly came with friends from Dublin, Ireland, to watch the selection live for the first time.
“We’re already getting into the mood for the World Cup,” he told Sheet.
“The team continues to be one of the favorites for the title, but since the World Cup in Brazil in 2014, when we suffered that disaster against Germany, the opponents have been losing a little respect for the team’s shirt. I think we must win that back, Brazil deserves to be respected.”
Heitor and his friends are unanimous in their support for Carlo Ancelotti, who is about to complete six months in office.
“We have a great chance of bringing the hexa with Ancelotti. He is a group person, we see from what he did at Real Madrid and at other clubs. He knows the players, he worked with Vini Jr, Rodrygo, other players at that level,” he said.
“The team’s atmosphere is good, distrust has decreased. The world and Brazilians are more confident with Ancelotti.”
Nearby, fans stopped to buy the famous scarves sold at games in England. The owner offered a promotion: one for £20 (R$140), two for £30 (R$210). You could choose ones with the colors of Brazil, Senegal and Arsenal and with the face of defender Gabriel Magalhães, who plays for the English club.
André Pereira da Silva has lived in England for six years and brought his 12-year-old and nine-year-old children to see the national team for the first time.
“Our family still lives in Brazil, we want to keep that alive. Inside our house, they continue to speak Portuguese,” he told Sheet.
“Nowadays, as they don’t have much identification with our country, nothing more than maintaining the connection between Brazil and football, which we love and which they play here, and bringing them so they can have this involvement and maintain our culture.”
“It’s a game for families, a safe, happy environment, people are here to celebrate,” added his wife Andreia Alcântara. “They are able to experience this and enjoy this moment, which we don’t always have.”
At the stadium, the hot atmosphere didn’t even seem friendly. The ball hit the crossbar by Matheus Cunha in the 16th minute of the first half raised the crowd even more, who exploded with Estêvão’s left shot in the 28th minute, making it 1-0, and with Casemiro’s second goal, in the 35th minute.
The excited opposing fans continued to support. Samba Diagne traveled from Senegal just to see his team.
“I came for the pleasure of supporting my country. We have been undefeated for a long time, our objective is to continue winning. We are living in a very good moment, with a team that has chemistry, players who play for big clubs,” he told Sheet.
The trust was not for nothing. Currently 18th in the FIFA rankings, Senegal was undefeated in the African Qualifiers, with seven wins and three draws, and reached two finals in the last four editions of the African Cup of Nations, becoming champions in 2021.
Diagne also fulfilled an old wish: to see the Brazilian team play.
“Since my childhood, I’ve always followed Brazil. Today is an opportunity to see both teams. It’s a dream to watch Brazil.”
“We remember Ronaldinho, Ronaldo. It will be a pleasure to see your team. But it will be a difficult game because it will be a rematch for you,” said Senegalese Yoro Diakhoumpa, remembering the history between the two teams, with a draw in 2019 and a defeat for Brazil in 2023.
This time, it was different. The team now has eight wins and just one defeat at the Emirates, with 14 goals scored and two conceded. In retrospect in matches in London, there are 13 wins, eight draws and four defeats.
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