Football Unites For Chapecoense

  I remember watching the Joga Bonito Nike adverts as a kid. Roberto Carlos, Ronaldo, Adriano and headliner Ronaldinho toying with a ball in a dressing room like a group of mates on a street corner. They oozed something we didn't have - and still don't - in England. A playful, cheeky and very likeable arrogance. The ball was their toy and they were only interested in entertaining. The Harlem Globetrotters of football. This Brazilian culture has always acted on the cherry on top of the football cake, as they paint the beautiful game with their own attitude to life. We're here to enjoy life so let's have fun and do it with a smile.

  Any true football fan has a soft spot for the Brazilians. Whether we grew up with Pelé, Zico, Romario, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaka or Neymar, they winked at us as we mesmerised at their creative flair. It's always been a dream to see the Seleção play in their home country. I remember seeing them play a friendly against Scotland at the Emirates Stadium in 2011, and the vibrant yellow and green support was a joy to behold. The bellowing, passionate support throughout both the World Cup (until their 7-1 spanking) and the Olympics strengthened this respect further. I wanted to be a part of it.

  With this in mind, I was hot on the case when I saw tickets still available for a friendly between Brazil v Colombia. The match was a tribute match for those that tragically lost their lives a matter of weeks ago in the Chapecoense disaster in Colombia. 71 people died in the crash, including all-but-3 of the playing squad. It's not something thats magnitude will decline over time, and is one of the saddest incidents that the sporting world has ever seen. It brought football together as one, united body and the nature of this friendly highlighted that with all proceeds going to the families of those that lost their lives. My ticket only cost £11, but it was an honour to be part of the supporting fund.

  The squads for the game were understandably depleted, with only players plying their trade in South America selected by their respected coaches. Whilst I class myself as knowledgable, even the most die-hard football hipster would've struggled to tell you much about the squads. My Football Manager career only took me so far. Two names did stand out though, as old favourites of mine Diego Ribas and Robinho featuring in the midst of young hopefuls. The latter was also a regular in the Nike adverts, and added enough nostalgia to make me feel like I was watching the real thing.

  The game was played at the Olympic Stadium and I headed there as a solo fan. I took the yellow and green stuffed train out of the city and watched as we approached the impressive structure. I bought a Chapecoense shirt from a street vender for about £4 and made my way inside. The attendance didn't surpass 20,000, but it was enough to cause an organisational mess at the entrances - god knows what the Olympics was like. I ran into the lower stand in time for the Brazilian national anthem, before making my way to my rightful £11 spot in the upper tier.

  I'm not going to write a match report because it'd probably last about two sentences. Nothing really happened except a few half chances for Colombia and a rebound second-half goal for the home team. If a game ever deserved to finish 0-0 it was this one. Only the odd flick from the ageing Robinho - and his added body timber - caused a spark, and I spent most of the game people watching as the support desperately tried to ignite the game themselves. The biggest cheer - even more than the goal - was when 30 year old winger Camilo nutmegged a Colombian. There was that cheeky wink of old.

  I was sat among what seemed to be a large group of Flamengo fans, as they chanted their club team's songs throughout the match. As the most supported team in Brazil, Flamengo have the air of Manchester United about them, and subsequently I've taken a mild disliking of them. Whenever Brazilian players didn't pass to the Flamenguistas, they were promptly booed and called every name under the sun. It would be like the majority of Wembley booing Dele Alli for not passing to Marcus Rashford or Wayne Rooney. Very odd. These Brazilians fans have an admirable abundance of passion, but it can be channeled furiously if their warriors disobey them.

  The game fizzled out so much that everyone's favourite fan the Mexican Wave came out of the bag, and was greeted really over-enthusiastically. I tell you anything that hints to a party is given a bear hug and a kiss over over here. This was occasionally interrupted by chants of 'Vamos Chape Vamos', as football fans of all allegiances united to pay their respects to the lost stars. No one cared that the game was a 2/10 for entertainment, as we all knew why we were there. Football at its best.

  After the game I headed back into the lower stand to try and get a decent photo. I opportunistically asked a motherly looking woman (have to pick selectively here) if I could borrow her Chapecoense flag for a picture, and she proceeded to very enthusiastically snap away with my iPhone! The girl did good and it was a nice momento of the night. It was past midnight by this time and I tiredly made my way back onto the train, back into the centre of town, and back home via metro and Uber. The fact I made it to the stadium, back into the city and back home without running into trouble was an achievement for a solo excursion in nighttime Rio de Janeiro.

  As a footballing spectacle, this was far from the Nike adverts in the Brazil changing rooms (however hard Robinho tried). Yet as an experience, and an example of football fans coming together, it was a special one and I thoroughly enjoyed it! If anything it certainly wet the palette for more football in the near future. Club football starts soon with the regional championships and Brazil play a World Cup qualifier in São Paulo in March so the chance of more live football looks bright. What's most important is over £300,000 was raised for the families of the Chapecoense players as a result of the game, and a result of the unity of the game we all love.

Well done Football.

Thanks for reading.