Five minutes before the first match of the World Cup, 400 people were packed into the residence of Brazilian Ambassador Mauro Vieira for Thursday’s opening game from São Paulo. Men, women, even babies were transfixed by the 10 huge television screens, afraid to miss one second of the action. In this alternate universe, the gods are bronzed-faced Adonises and everyone bleeds yellow and green.
Every four years, diplomatic Washington takes an unofficial sabbatical. Embassies insist that work will continue uninterrupted during the month-long World Cup. Everyone is lying.
“I’m very excited,” said Vieira, who greeted every guest with a hug. “Brazil is very proud to host the World Cup — soccer is followed by almost 3 billion people around the world, and it’s great to receive so many Americans here to celebrate.” Unsaid: How many of his guests were playing hooky.
For futebol devotees, World Cup fever combines the Super Bowl, March Madness and the Olympics — but “much more intense,” insisted one guest at Brazil’s viewing party. Half the crowd, including the ambassador, wore Brazil’s yellow soccer jerseys, and 90 percent sucked down caipirinhas or beers provided by co-hosts Anheuser Busch-InBev and Nike. No sign of Fuleco, the Brazilian three-banded armadillo and official tournament mascot. Or caxirolas, the rattle noisemaker (this year’s answer to the vuvuzela), already banned from the stadiums.
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