Socceroos
during brazil world cup – our top 8
The World Cup in Brazil is now rolling towards the quarter finals, only 8 of 32 teams will remain – the top 8! So we figured we will have our very own top 8… our top 8 moments from this visit to Brazil.
8. Brazilian BBQ – we have eaten it countless times in Australia but finally trying it in its country of origin. The meat is so tender and succulent albeit salty at times!
7. Curitiba Markets was such a surprise package. We love strolling through markets so this was our little pearl.
6. Singing our National Anthem, loud and proud at all three Australian matches. The first one was quite emotional and surreal, the realisation that we were really in Brazil for the World Cup!
5. Where else can you kick a soccer ball around with a stranger in an airport or on the street? Brazil!! Unfortunately, we didn’t have our camera ready for these random yet memorable moments.
4. Churros with dulce de leche – the churros in Brazil is so much chunkier than what we get in Australia and the sauce is just heavenly! The guys that sold it to us were so excited we were Australians, they want a photo with us 🙂 Don’t miss churros, when visiting Brazil!
3. The Socceroos captain prepares for the penalty goal that will have Australia lead Netherlands 2-1 (even if it is only for several minutes, we were still ahead at one point of this game 😉 )
2. The sense of camaraderie amongst the supporters – with countries competing on the field, there is no sense of rivalry anywhere! We enjoyed meeting and mingling with people of all nations here for the same reason as us 🙂
1. At the feet of Christ the Redeemer, feeling truly small and insignificant yet ever so humbled.
Have you been to Brazil? Tell us what you love about Brazil!
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footy fever in brazil
As the Australian National anthem is being sung, the reality of being here, in Brazil, finally sinks in. We both got goosebumps (despite it being subtropical temperatures) and we got a bit emotional as we squeezed each others hands, singing at the top of our lungs with pride.
Australia loses to Chile 2-1 and then loses to the Netherlands 3-2 several days later but it doesn’t matter. We are so proud of how the Socceroos played, the whole country should be proud. Australia gained a LOT of respect from supporters of all nations!
Following the game yesterday against the Netherlands, everyone (that are not Australian) have been really encouraging and supportive. After the Netherlands onslaught against Spain, people were “dooming” the chances of the Socceroos. We were getting all types of reaction before the game, everything from sympathy and jokes about Australia not scoring.
Twenty-four hours on, we hope the Socceroos have silenced their critics.
We thought we knew what footy fever meant but until we experienced football and World Cup in Brazil …. it has taken on a completely different meaning for us.
The entire country is immersed in green and gold (supporting Brazil, of course) with no one getting off lightly. But those who know, Australian sporting colours are green and gold too, so we feel like home here, except at games where the other countries are very well represented.
Every TV no matter where we turn has the game on when its game time. Even on the plane as we fly, everyone is glued to the TV.
The atmosphere is sensational and the games itself could not be more full of energy. We are one week into the World Cup 2014 and 21 games have been played so far. England are playing Uruguay as Le writes (with one eye on the TV) and David with both eyes on the TV. We are in the hotel lobby and all the staff are lined up watching the TV too.
One more Australia game for us to attend but that doesn’t mean the World Cup ends for us. It goes on up until that last game is played, even if it means watching it at some godly hour when we get home to Sydney. Because it is only once every 4 years for one month where footy fever infects (on a world scale)!
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aussies hit brazil for the world cup
We are so excited to have a featured post on Cover-More Insurance Australia blog page on being at the World Cup supporting our Socceroos!
Sponsored article here: Aussies hit Brazil for the World Cup – Cover-More Australia.
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the long road to brazil
“It’s not about the destination but about the journey!”
Famous last words definitely not uttered by us! Especially not after the journey it took for us to get to Brazil.
We left Sydney Airport on Wednesday night, June 11 and didn’t arrive to Cuiaba (the first city that the Socceroos play in) until 11pm Cuiaba time (about 1 pm Sydney time June 13). Two days lost in transit.
And to be fair, all the flights were relatively comfortable and food onboard was actually palatable. But it was the sleeping upright and the lack of a shower that really made us feel seedy!
It was 14 hours to Dubai, a 2-hour wait, another 14 hours to Rio, a 7-hour wait and then 3 hours to Cuiaba – so you can imagine how wrecked we were.
But all that aside because when we witnessed the LOVE this country has for football we knew we made the right decision to come here for the World Cup. While we waited at Rio De Janeiro airport for our flight to Cuiaba, the opening World Cup match was on: Brazil VS Croatia.
As we walked around the food court in the search for our dinner, everyone’s eyes were fixed on the little TV screens scattered around. There were hundreds of people all facing the same direction. It was deadly quiet as the spectators anticipate Brazil’s recovery from their own goal scored earlier. But when Brazil were able to equalise and then lead the game – to watch the crowd erupt in celebration was enough for us to forget the flight! It reminded us why we were really here. We could just feel the passion in the air and the buzz of relief when Brazil won that game.
What an opening game to witness amongst the locals!
And today is GAME DAY for us – Australia play Chile in their first round match and we have just been handed our Category A tickets complete with access to the VIP tent before and after the game! HOORAY!!
Now, its only 7 hours from kick-off, we cannot wait for the atmosphere and experience. 
Gosh, so it took this trip to Brazil to make us realise the ONE thing we really don’t like about travelling… the transit itself which is long forgotten anyway because as soon as we reach our destination, we embrace what lies ahead!!
wise monkeys abroad 