HIGHWAY TO POA
Australian fans plan friendly game with local team and share so much more while in Porto Alegre to watch their national team play. Further proof that football brings people together.
Nina Raynaud
Porto Alegre. Monday June 16th, 2014. It is 10 :00 am. One of the Porto Alegre malls, Praia de Belas, opens its gates. The road traffic is calming down after the morning rush hour. Not far away, a football pitch, one of many in Brazil, the country of football. This morning, it is flooded. This offers a contrasting picture with the green grass, brown mud and grey misty sky providing a surprising combination. All of a sudden songs are heard in the distance, strong footsteps approaching. The Brazilian army is undertaking its training all about the site. These soldiers are not on their own.
They are accompanied, just for a few meters away, by galvanised Australian supporters. Indeed, these football fans, the Fanatics, are very enthusiatics about the idea of participating in a friendly match against a local soccer team from Porto Alegre. An Australian amateurs team facing a Brazilian team with retired professional footballers. The sportive event continues to the tune of the FIFA World Cup. Only slightly less formal. The Porto Alegre one impresses with its seriousness, mastery and skill. The Aussie one with its friendliness, passion and resolution.
As at every Football World Cup, Australian supporters organise travelling, events and get-togethers. Even though the official team was about to play the following day, more than 12.000 fans are present in the city of Porto Alegre. Some of them to measure themselves up against legendary Brazilian technique. They are 300 attending to the event.
Once the game started, after the two respective anthems, players from the Australian team take turns every 5 minutes in order that whoever wants to play, is able to participate in the match. The game unfolds in a joyful and relaxed atmosphere. In the end, the winner is the local team of Porto Alegre, with the score 3-1.
Meanwhile no matter what the score is when both sides can share time together around the universal football passion. Before everything, there is an act of charity as the whole Australian group decided to take advantage of the official match in Porto Alegre to donate a sum of money to disavantaged schools of the city, 20.000 $R. In order to thank them the little school children who attended the game offered collages as presents to every Australian present this day on this football pitch in return for their generosity.
An event which goes beyond the conventional barriers with the aim of bringing people closer, thanks to the football.
The kangaroos blow up the formality…
