Of course, there is a big difference between a normal Tuesday afternoon and the day of the first World Cup match on Brazilian soil since 1950 and so I did not plan to read too much into the timing. That said, Google Maps estimated it would take me one hour 12 mins (if I used public transport) to travel the 14 miles.
What awaited me was not such a surprise. I have followed the development of Brazil's stadiums closely over the past couple of years and so knew the Arena Corinthians was far from completion - despite Fifa's latest deadline passing nine days ago. It continues to look like a building site, complete with cranes and diggers and peppered with construction workers dressed in either yellow or blue jumpsuits.
| Having lived in the United Arab Emirates for seven and a half years, I have witnessed first-hand the rapid development of several high-profile projects, including racecourses, swimming arenas, F1 circuits and the world's tallest building, Burj Khalifa. I would expect Arena Corinthians to be ready for the big match between Brazil and Croatia on June 12. That is not to say it will be complete, but it will be operational: the pitch will be immaculate, the seats will be in place, the turnstiles will be fitted, the F&B stalls will exist and the cash registers will make the little ka-ching noise that those involved with the project have come to hold so dear. In other words, it will look ready on television. In reality though, up close it will be nothing more than a rush-job: behind locked doors will lie unfurnished rooms full of construction equipment; in the areas inaccessible to fans, walls will remain unplastered; the surrounding area will likely remain a construction site. Everything that is not essential to the match experience will remain unfinished. That is how it was at the Confederations Cup last year. That is what I expect this June. That and a longer commute than I experienced on April 9. ISWAS |