Ghana. Ghana, Ghana, hey hey hey...goodbye!
After a lively US Soccer party Sunday night I decided to pass on a Bohemia beer when we sat at a beachside bar to watch Germany destroy Portugal Monday afternoon. I got a caipirinha instead.
That's how we started our pregame in preparation for the USMNT game being played down the road. There are no tailgate spots at these games, and you can't park anywhere near a stadium. So people gather at any bar / restaurant / street side joint that sells some sort of alcohol. And in Brazil, if there's a game in TV, the place fills up.
A 15-minute taxi ride left us about 30 minutes from the stadium, a walk we did hi-fiving the military police that lined the streets. We passed a huge gathering of fans across the highway at a corner bar, but find our spot - a small bar just on the other side of the stadium that was selling beers for the equivalent of about $2 and with a small patio overlooking the stadium.
As pros in this venture, none of our crew likes to party hard before games. We don't want to have to keep running to the bathroom, or miss any action, or generally feel the effects. But we do like to grab a beer or two.
We enter about an hour before kickoff. It's really hot, and muggy. The stadium supposedly fits about 40,000 people but it feels like 100,000 are walking in. Inside, our seats are all over the place, but we know what go do. We walk around the concourse starting chants and are joined by hundreds. Americans have taken over this stadium.
We make our way behind the goal - walk like you belong and no one says a word. All six of us take over a row about five rows up from the field. In this section of US supporters, no one sits down. And, no one cares how many people can squeeze in. We all just want passionate, loud, and patriotic supporters. We also run into another buddy from past World Cups - Mike from San Fran is here with his wife.
Our group has some heavy voices, so we stand on our seats and lead chants as we faced upwards. We're by no means the head 'capos' but we're into this and want others to join us. If you can get fans ten rows to hear you, they then keep it going - and it can quickly spread.
Clint Dempsey scores within seconds and our sections takes it up a notch, covered in coke and beer that went flying. It takes a couple minutes to get your bearings straight, a head rush that comes from yelling so loudly.
The rumor going around was that there were around 22,000 Americans at the game. We believed it, but also realize how many were at their first World Cup. Most only know the simple 'USA, USA' chant. But the chant that gets the most attention is 'We Believe that We Will Win,’… made more popular because of ESPNs promos.
Ghana scored and we're deflated. None of felt the U.S. was playing well, so it was hard to envision another goal. But when John Brooks headed that ball in, right in front of us, it was pandemonium. You hug and hi-five and yell and scream and lose your head for a few minutes. Then you go look for your buddies because you are rows away.
We stay in the stands for 20 minutes afterwards - exhausted, spent, dehydrated, hoarse. The chants turn into 'I Believe that we Just Won,' and then 'We're not Ghana take it, no, we're not Ghana take it,' and finally 'Ghana. Ghana, Ghana...hey hey hey, goodbye.'
