Brazil wins, comes alive for World Cup despite protests

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By Brian Winter and Marcelo Teixeira
SAO PAULO Thu Jun 12, 2014 7:34pm EDT
1 of 8. A woman pose for a picture under street decorations on the public square where the fan zone
for soccer matches will be held at Pelourinho neigborhood ahead of the 2014 World Cup in Salvador
June 11, 2014.
Credit: Reuters/Marcos Brindicci
SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazil exploded with street parties as the home team won the World Cup's
opening game Thursday, but scattered violent protests were a reminder that many locals remain
angry over the billions spent to host the tournament.
Millions of fans dressed in Brazil's canary yellow, green and blue home colors, cheered throughout
Brazil's victory over Croatia and continued the revelry well into the night.
The country briefly fell silent when Croatia took an early
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_World_Cup lead, but fireworks, horns and drumbeats crescendoed
as Brazil rallied for a 3-1 win.
Despite worries over traffic and the inaugural stadium, which was completed six months late and
wasn't fully tested before the game, there were no initial reports of major logistical snafus. About a
quarter of the stadium's floodlights briefly went out during the game, but they soon turned back on.
"Despite all the controversy, this is the World Cup and we are Brazilians. We need to forget about all
that now and cheer for Brazil," said Natia Souza, a fan in downtown Sao Paulo.
President Dilma Rousseff, who attended the game and has vocally defended the Cup against
criticism ahead of her bid for re-election in October, was repeatedly jeered by many in the stadium
crowd and also by fans at outdoor viewings when she appeared on giant screens across the country.
The tournament's run-up was largely overshadowed by construction delays and months of political
unrest with many Brazilians furious over $11 billion being spent to host the Cup in a country where
hospitals and schools are often poor.
Protests flared on Thursday in many of the 12 Brazilian cities that will host games, including Sao
Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte. Some gathered more than 1,000 people, while others saw
just a few dozen.
Late in the morning, police fired tear gas, rubber bullets and noise bombs to disperse about 600
demonstrators who gathered in eastern Sao Paulo, about six miles (10 km) away from the
Corinthians arena where the game took place.
After protesters tried to cut off a main road to the stadium, six people were injured, including some
journalists, a police spokesman said. Three protesters were arrested.
More than 10 were arrested in the southern host city of Porto Alegre, a police spokesman said.
Demonstrators there overturned a police car and smashed bank windows.
Roughly 1,000 protesters in Rio de Janeiro marched peacefully, though some burned Brazilian flags
and carried signs saying "FIFA go home," in a reference to the world soccer body. A Reuters
photographer was hit in the head by a rock in Belo Horizonte. He was in stable condition.
Even some who weren't marching said they were still upset.
"Sadly these protests are too late. The money has already been robbed and there's nothing we can
do now but cry," said Luiz Reis, 47, a lawyer on his way home to watch the game.
IMPROVING MOOD
Elsewhere, though, the dour mood of recent months seemed to melt away.
Led by 22-year-old star striker Neymar, the team is favored to win its record sixth World Cup - and
its first on home soil.
In Salvador, another host city, locals were singing soccer songs and playing drums as others hung
yellow and green streamers.
"You can feel the atmosphere building up with fans coming here in good spirits," said Ben, an
English fan in the sweltering Amazon city of Manaus.
Yet the list of possible problems is long. In fact, hosting a successful tournament may ultimately
prove harder for Brazil than winning it. About a dozen disgruntled airport workers blocked a road
outside Rio's international airport on Thursday morning, causing heavy traffic.
Some businesses in Rio, the venue for seven Cup games, including the final, had boarded up
windows and doors by late on Wednesday in case protests erupted.
A rough tournament would likely cause Rousseff's popularity, already under pressure, to fall further.
Any major logistical problems and unrest could also further dent Brazil's reputation among
investors, which has suffered since a decade-long economic boom fizzled under Rousseff.
Brazil's performance in hosting the World Cup will also give clues as to how well it will do in two
years, when it plays host to the Olympics.
(Additional reporting by Paulo Prada and Rodrigo Viga Gaier in Rio de Janeiro and Fabiola Gomes,
Brad Haynes, Alberto Alerigi, Caroline Stauffer and Esteban Israel in Sao Paulo, Neil Maidment in
Salvador, David Ljunggren in Manaus and Andrew Cawthorne in Porto Alegre. Editing by Kieran
Murray)
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http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/06/12/us-brazil-worldcup-idUSKBN0EN0BZ20140612