If you ever want an example of how large the United States is without ever visiting the United States, attend a World Cup. It is widely held view that the US does not embrace football, yet increasingly at World Cups the Americans turn out in force, show patriotism to put most nations to shame and outnumber their opposition in the stands. In Natal, it is no different. For the past two days, as Jurgen Klinsmann and his squad prepared to open their campaign against Ghana, hordes of American fans flooded to Brazil’s north-east coast and turned this sleepy, sun-kissed city into a US enclave. |
The following afternoon, as Germany and Portugal did battle on the television, American fans whooped and hollered in that uniquely American way. The biggest cheer of the game was saved for Pepe’s dismissal, ruling him out of his country’s match with the US in Manaus.
Speak to enough “Americanos” and you might meet Dustin, an American who lives in Uganda but was last night supporting his home country rather than his Ghanaian neighbours. Or Andrew, a California-based professor of Middle East history.
The latter might even tell you of how he was born in Beirut, worked in Baku and once spent several days in 1998 lying on the beach in Dubai. “It was just paradise,” he said, shortly before heading off to recreate the moment by lying on the beach in Natal.
For sure, he was surrounded by more familiar accents this time. ISWAS