Brazil is well known for its footballing prowess. Ronaldinho, Pele, Neymar, Marta, to name just a few of the footballing legends to come out of the country. But what is football in Brazil actually like? Well I had the opportunity to go to the world famous Maracanã Stadium and watch a game.

The Maracanã has hosted two World Cups and the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2016 Olympic Games. On Wednesday night it was host to the quarter final of the Copa Libertadores, the most prestigious competition in South American club football, the Champions League of the continent if you will.

“I walked past usual football sites, fans drinking outside the stadium, police horses… armoured vehicles, military police holding guns”

Home side Fluminense played Atlético-MG in a midweek, evening game. The kickoff time was 7pm, unforgiving for both the home and away supporters, who had to battle with Rio’s rush hour traffic, busy metro and the fact they most likely work, to make it to the game.

Turning up early, I walked past usual football sites, fans drinking outside the stadium, police horses (granted shorter than British ones), armoured vehicles, military police holding guns. All the usual things you would find outside a football ground, well I guess in Brazil it is. To my more sheltered British football experience, it put me a little on edge, but I made it into the stadium safe and sound.

Once in the stadium there was some wandering to find our section and after some asking it turned out we were in the ‘sit wherever you want’ area. We chose the safe road of sitting exactly where our tickets said anyway and made camp. On our way to our seats we were handed a balloon to blow up, a novelty for a British football fan where flags (quite rightly) are scorned at.

Waiting for kickoff and watching the stadium slowly fill, added to the growing excitement around me. Only the occasional loud bang of a flare outside the stadium took away from taking in the atmosphere.

The Brazilians know how to support football. About 20 minutes before kickoff the real chanting started, I can’t tell you what any of the words were, unfortunately my Portuguese doesn’t stretch much further beyond “white wine please”, but I made sure to join in as best as I could. The balloons were waived in unison as songs rang around the stadium, led by a drum pounding a beat behind the goal. When the away fans tried to reciprocate, they were met with thousands of boos in return.

Once the players walked out onto the pitch, this atmosphere only grew. Flares went off in the home end and created a mirage of flashing lights, whilst balloons were waved wildly around the ground.

The players swapped sides after the coin toss and got into position for kickoff. As soon as that whistle blew, I had the fright of my life as thousands of popping sounds occurred. Unbeknownst to me, once kickoff began, all 50,000 or so people in that stadium then pop their lovingly blown up balloons. Once over the excitement of that surprising event, I could focus on the football.

“I’ve seen my college football team make better touches than what I witnessed from these Fluminense players”

Only one word can describe the football I had to watch on that Wednesday night, and that is ‘shit’. I have seen a wide range of football in my time, my own club having climbed from League 1 in only the last decade or so. But this was some of the worst football I’ve ever watched. All preconceptions of how amazing football in Brazil would be were dashed quickly.

I’ve seen my college football team make better touches than what I witnessed from these Fluminense players. When they did manage to keep it at their feet, it didn’t last long at all and god forbid they make a successful pass between them. When they did manage to get the ball up the pitch for an attack, they were normally without support and I had to witness someone cross a ball into an empty box.

We weren’t the only ones disappointed with the football in front of us, with exasperated sighs and yells at the team constant from the stands throughout the game. This performance was not one they were expecting from the very team who had won the cup the year before.

Still 0-0 in the 85th minute and with the dream of getting on a quiet metro, we left the frustrating match of a team we hadn’t heard of until that afternoon. You may see where this is going. Fluminense substitute Lima scored a header in the 87th minute to win the game. By the cheers we could hear from outside (before we had even exited the gates of the stadium) I’m sure the celebrations were great. A speed-walk to the station and a seat on a relatively quiet metro though, made it all okay.

I think my experience of Brazilian football may have been an anomaly but despite the tragic quality of the match itself, the atmosphere alone made it all worth it and I would recommend it to any sports fan willing to make a fool of themselves singing along to Brazilian chants.