Live report from FIFA World Cup in Philly: Brazil set to take on Haiti

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PHILADELPHIA – The rambunctious passion and spirit that Brazil fans devote to their World Cup soccer team were on full display late in the afternoon June 19 outside Lincoln Financial Field.

The Group C Saturday night showdown between Brazil and Haiti was still five hours away. But an outdoor telecast of the United States-Australia game at Stateside Live! across the street, with plenty of drinks being consumed, provided the perfect pregame setting.

With many dressed in Brazil’s colorful canary yellow jerseys and the sound of samba drums filling the air, the festivities were well under way.

There were Haiti fans there, too, in their red and blue team colors along with plenty of locals. At one point as the crowd watched the U.S. blank the Aussies, sports fans in a Phillies J.T. Realmuto, Eagles Dallas Goedert and Brazilian soccer legend Neymar stood side-by-side.

Togetherness amidst the fanfare was quite apparent.

Behind them stood Fernando Lisboa, a Brazilian who is assistant men’s soccer coach at Case Western Reserve in Cleveland. He was sporting his Brazil jersey. Alongside him was Case Western Reserve women’s soccer coach Alyssa Johnson, a native of Easton, Pennsylvania, 90 miles to the north, who wore a USA jersey.

 “This is great because you don’t get it all the time,” Lisboa said. “It’s great to see when the World Cup is here that everybody is getting together and watching soccer because usually that just happens with the NFL. I’m glad to see it with soccer.”

Lisboa translated a banner hanging behind him that read “Movimento verde amarelo” – green and yellow movement – that clearly described the fervor evident around him.

But he acknowledged that the Brazilians, whose inventive style of play gave soccer its “beautiful game” moniker, certainly expected a prettier display in Philly. Brazil, winner of a record five World Cups but none since 2002, was held to a 1-1 tie against highly regarded Morocco in its first game.

Haiti, a big underdog ranked 83rd internationally, is playing in its second World Cup – the last in 1974 – and seeking its first win. The Haitians gave Scotland a test in their opening match but couldn’t summon the equalizer in a 1-0 loss.

Contact Kevin Tresolini at [email protected] and follow on Twitter @kevintresolini. Support local journalism by subscribing to delawareonline.com and our DE Game Day newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Live report from FIFA World Cup in Philly: Brazil set to take on Haiti

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