Maracana

OK, I don't know why the post card is a mirror image, but it is a picture of what was once the largest stadium in the world. The Maracana is the stadium in Rio De Janiero that once hosted 184,000 for two separate concerts in 1988. One was for Tina Turner the other was Paul McCartney. Supposedly there were 210,000 fans in attendance for a soccer match in 1950 between Brazil and Uruguay.

Things are different now, the bleachers are now seats which reduces the number of fans that can squeeze into The Maracana. The actual capacity is now "just" 90,000. The stadium hosts mainly football matches now, but also the occasional concert if it is someone big.

On Wednesday the 11th of March, I went to see a match (arranged through my hotel due to safety concerns). The teams were Fluminense (one of Rio's famous teams) and a smaller team named Volta Redonda. Flumninse is like the NY Yankees in Rio. They have a huge following and a storied history. They are sponsored by Unimed which is a Brazilian Health insurance provider. Three other teams besides Fluminense use the stadium, and you must choose a side, Flamengo, Botafogo or Vasco da Gama. Their strips (uniforms) can be seen throughout the city, taxi drivers have ornaments representing the team that they support, and the flags of the teams wave high along the beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema.

I purchased a $45 ticket through my hotel. This price included a personal driver to take me to and from the stadium and some of the best seats in the house. I was told to be careful on numerous occasions on going to football matches in RDJ and SP. There was not an issue on this night as the match was not well attended. This particular match was between one of Rio's big teams and one of its smaller teams, Fluminense won a well deserved 2-1. There were probably only 15,000 people (if that) in the entire place.

There is a football museum there, which unfortunately I did not get a chance to visit because of other adventures. It houses the pictures of the World Cup teams and you can tour the locker rooms supposedly. Seeing a soccer match was quite an exciting experience.