Imagina na Copa. Imagine (what will happen) during the World Cup.
That was was the rallying cry of every worried Brazilian during the months leading to the World Cup. Whenever your bus was stuck in traffic or you couldn't get the right explanations for the alternate Metro-bus route, someone would say "imagina na copa". And honestly the Copa was a scary thought. Rio is a crowded city with limited infrastructure. Could you imagine what it would be like with a sea of people invading the city?
During the months leading to the World Cup, love of football and will to cheer seemed to be on pause, frozen until people could assess what the real damage would be from this Copa, and then decide if yes or no it was OK to cheer. Plus the constant media articles on the lack of preparedness of Brazil were not helping to put anyone at ease. It's as if everyone was holding their breath, waiting for a gigantic catastrophe.
Well, I'm happy to report that the sidewalks were fine, the public transportation was fine, really everything worked OK. Yellow and green became the colors of the season, and the flag, any flag, was the must have accessory. Better yet, this World Cup has been called the best one ever.
Unfortunately it was impossible to contain the Argentinian invasion, and we just had to tolerate rowdy crowds singing "Brasil decime que se siente" on every street corner, beach and metro car. Who could have imagined that?
