Kolkata: Brazil fans in the city are divided in their loyalty as India face the Selecaos for the first time ever in a ‘friendly’ on Oct 3. Many will cheer for India even as they sport Brazil’s yellow jersey, with their hearts split as minnows India take on the ‘giants of football’ at the Salt Lake stadium on Saturday. ‘Brazilpara’ in north Kolkata is being decked up with posters of Indian players, which will share space with those of Neymar and Vini Junior.“This is a happy dilemma. Our dream team is playing in our backyard against the Blue Tigers. While we want the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Endrick and Rayan to be at their best and put up a dazzling display, we realise that it will hurt India. We don’t want India to be humiliated either. I will cheer for both and want both teams to play good football,” said Joydeep Pal, a member of Uttar Kolkata Dishari Club at Fakir Chakrabarty Lane, Kolkata’s Brazilpara.
The Oct 3 match brings back memories of 1977 when Mohun Bagan locked horns with football legend Pele’s New York Cosmos at the Eden Gardens
Die-hard Brazil fan Kajal Saha said he had never expected a match like this, that too, in Kolkata. “This is fascinating and my heart is now split between my love for Brazil and my country. After a lot of thought, I have decided that even though I have been a Brazil fan for the last three decades, I can’t support them against my country. Hence, I will of course support India,” said Saha, a techie. He will be cheering from the stands with seven of his friends and family members.For Brazil fans in Kolkata, their World Cup hopes had come crashing down three months ago as Norway’s Erling Haaland unleashed a trademark powerful left-footer that thudded into the far right corner of the net in the 89th minute of a fierce encounter. Gloom had descended on Brazilpara in Girish Park’s Fakir Chakrabarty Lane. It is dressing up yet again to welcome its heroes. This time in both yellow and blue. “There is a lot of excitement. Many of us will be there at the stadium while the rest will watch the match on TV, just like we do for all Brazil matches. The only difference is that their opponent will be India. Most of us have a divided loyalty but we certainly wouldn’t want India to lose. A draw will be the perfect result,” said Soumen Bora, a resident of Fakir Chakrabarty Lane.Watching stars like Vini Junior, Magalhaes, Marquinhos, Danilo Santos and Endrick is a mouth-watering prospect, said Pal. “We have seen them on TV, now they will be setting the Salt Lake turf on fire and we would be watching them from 100 m away. It’s a pity that Raphinha is not there. But the rest has enough firepower and watching a Brazil team play is a rare privilege,” said Pal.
