While a former Indian footballer said Morocco had the edge on the field, a city-based doctor recalled how Moroccan fans, though far fewer in number, held their own against the “Big Yellow Army” in the galleries.
Two Calcuttans were among more than 80,000 fans at the New York New Jersey Stadium who watched the Brazil-Morocco clash on June 13, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
Arindam Deb, a former Indian national footballer and presently a coach, said Brazil did not play up to expectations.
Arindam Deb at the Brazil-Morocco match
“Brazil did not seem to be playing as a team and seemed unprepared. Morocco performed much better, and they played as a team,” said Deb.
“Like most Bengalis, I am a fan of Brazil and also of Argentina. I hope Brazil will play better football in the next match,” he said.
“Argentina lost their first match in the previous World Cup in Qatar and then won the Cup. However, they did not look as unprepared as this Brazilian team,” he said. “There were glimpses of individual brilliance like the goal scored by Vinicius Junior.”
Deb said he hopes that under the coaching of Carlo Ancelotti, Brazil would play like in their glorious past.
The atmosphere got heated up in the stands after Morocco scored the opening goal, said Rabin Chakraborty, a Calcutta-based interventional cardiologist.
“The fans were boisterous. The moment Morocco scored, supporters started jumping in joy. A section of Brazil supporters told them not to go overboard because an equaliser was coming soon. For a brief while, passions flared during the argument,” said Chakraborty, who is in the US with his oncologist wife Arundhati.
Their daughter, Anindita, a child and adolescent psychiatrist who lives in Michigan, joined them.
The family went with a friend, New York-based anaesthetist Sharad Sharma, and his daughter. The group also wore yellow.
Brazil and Morocco players and the national flags on the pitch before the game (left); The packed New York New Jersey Stadium
The group entered through Gate 1 of the stadium. Like the rest of the stadium, their stand was also mostly yellow. However, what the Moroccans lacked in numbers, they compensated for with spirit.
“The Brazilian fans spoke Portuguese, while the Moroccans spoke Arabic. They were conversing in broken English while trading barbs. For a third party like ours, it was funny,” said Arundhati.
The Chakraborty couple had put up at Sharma’s home. On Match Day, they drove from his friend’s home to the stadium. The distance is around 40km. It took them over an hour due to the heavy volume of cars heading to the stadium.
“We drove to a pre-paid parking lot, called the American Dream. The stadium is a 15-minute walk from the parking lot. The road was like a carnival. The security arrangements were heavy, but there was no unnecessary harassment. The entire system worked like an oiled machine,” said Chakraborty.
They were in the stadium by 4pm local time. The match started two hours later. They munched on fries and soft drinks. “We got a bagful for $11 (Just over ₹1,000). Considering it was a World Cup game, the food was pretty affordable,” he said.
The doctor couple are veterans of sporting events around the world.
They spent a week in Qatar to watch the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
“As Vinicius Junior netted the ball, the stadium erupted. A woman, her face painted in yellow, broke into an almost-frenzied celebration that lasted long, drawing protests from a couple of Moroccan fans who complained that she blocked the view,” said Arundhati.