Heartbreak and hope.

For several football fans at New York New Jersey Stadium — and many watching from Calcutta — Brazil’s 2-1 defeat to Norway in the Fifa World Cup round of 16 was painful for two reasons. Brazil, one of their favourite teams, was out. And with it vanished the dream of an Argentina-Brazil semi-final.

Friends Suprio Upadhyay and Arun Sarkar from Calcutta were among those at the stadium on Monday. Four years ago, they had watched Brazil lose to Croatia in the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Qatar.

“We are Argentina fans, but Brazil has always been our second favourite team. From our hearts, we wanted Brazil to win. We were really looking forward to an Argentina-Brazil semi-final,” said Upadhyay, 55, an employee of a private firm.

“But Norway had the edge in power, speed and energy. Brazil also had no answer to Erling Haaland,” he said. “He’s a striker, but when Brazil earned corners, he was in the penalty box. At one point, he cleared the ball with a powerful header. Brazil’s skill wasn’t enough.”

Haaland scored both Norway’s goals.

“I saw Brazil fans streaming into the stadium full of hope. But after the second goal, many started leaving,” Upadhyay said.

Sarkar, 51, a businessman from Agarpara, North 24-Parganas, said they were still excited for Argentina.

The friends flew to Dallas on Monday for Tuesday’s Spain-Portugal match before heading to Atlanta for Argentina’s clash with Egypt.

“Bengalis are either Brazil or Argentina. There are a few like us who support both,” Sarkar said.

Tour operators said most fans travelling from Calcutta had planned their trips around Argentina and Brazil.

“Tickets for Argentina and Brazil matches are always the most sought-after. Even for the Norway game, I was getting last-minute requests from fans already in the US for other matches,” said Avijit Das, director of Hermes Voyages.

Back in Calcutta, too, Brazil’s exit left fans crestfallen.

Football coach Arindam Deb, who had watched Brazil’s opening group-stage draw against Morocco, said the warning signs had been visible from the start.

“Brazil never looked fully prepared. They didn’t seem like a consolidated team,” said Deb, who watched Monday’s match at his Bandel home.

“Even against Norway, there was little improvement,” he added.

For Bengal’s football faithful, he said, Brazil has always meant something more. “Many here support Argentina because of Maradona and Messi. But Brazil has never been just about individuals. It has always been an emotion. That’s why there is heartbreak at every loss.”