I received a phone call from my best friend in July and she informed me that tickets to this big game would go on sale early one morning. I was interning at the Robbins Family Center for Advising and Career Planning all summer so I didn’t have time to sneak online and purchase the tickets myself. So she did what any best friend would do, and bought tickets for me! 
She is a HUGE Portugal fan, and I thought this would be a fun event to attend with her. Plus, I knew instantly this would be the perfect gift for someone very special to me, and so you can imagine how difficult it was for me to keep this a secret for over two months. Hours before the game on Tuesday I announced the surprise and together we headed toward Gillette Stadium to meet up with my friend.
Now, I am not aware of how crazy Foxboro can get during Patriot games, but trust me when I say that the amount of people there and the surrounding traffic was INSANE. We drove into a sea of red and yellow; everyone was repping either Portugal or Brazil. Groups of people parked miles away from the stadium and eagerly walked towards the entrance gates, it was like watching one massive cattle call. Cars were honking, music was blasting, and you could hear crowds of people competing for the loudest cheer. I have never been surrounded by so much energy and excitement!
The two national teams met for an international friendly match as part of Brazil’s Global Tour. Brazil is ranked 9th in the world and is the official host country for the World Cup this upcoming summer!
Their starting lineup for last night’s match consisted of, Cesar, Maicon, Maxwell, Thiago Silva, David Luiz, Ramires, Luiz Gustavo, Paulinho, Bernard, Jo, and Neymar.
Portugal is ranked 7th in the world and their starting lineup consisted of Patricio, Pepe, Alves, Coentrao, Joao Pereira, Meireles, Nani, Veloso, Moutinho, Vierinha, Nelson Oliveira.
Here are some of my favorite moments from the match:
- Surprise performance by Michel Teló , a famous Brazilian singer-songwriter ( I recommend listening to his biggest hit “Ai Seu Ti Pego”)
- Special guest appearances made by soccer legends Pelé and Eusébio along with Patriot’s owner, Robert Kraft
- The playing of the Brazilian and Portuguese national anthem
- Seeing my friend and the rest of the Portugal fans go crazy when they scored the 1st goal of the match
- Participating in a perfectly executed wave (the stadium was packed so it looked really cool)
- Walking back to the car after the game ended and listening to all the Brazil fans celebrate
Brazil ended up defeating Portugal 3-1 (much to the chagrin of my friend; she claims it was because Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t make an appearance). The match wasn’t about winning or losing though, it was all just friendly competition. This experience was fantastic and I am glad I got to share it with special people; I look forward to Gillette hosting more games like this!
These top teams may be gone, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t make your way over to Gillette to hang out at Patriot’s Place and catch a Revolution game!
Dean is hosting “GO: New England Revolution & College Night” on Saturday, September 28th for students. This is a great opportunity to have fun with your friends off campus and even meet new students from surrounding areas. The fun begins once the shuttle takes off from the Jones Parking Lot at 5:30pm; upon arrival you will get to attend the pregame tailgate party. Here is a preview of the activities:
• XBOX console, featuring the newly-released FIFA 14
• Life is good’s giant Jenga set
• Soccer speed kick inflatable
• Comcast SportsNet’s instant photo printer
• Complimentary hamburgers and hotdogs
• A DJ from WBRU (Brown University student radio)
• Appearances by the RevGirls
Afterwards, the party will move to the stadium at 7pm where the New England Revolution will kick off with the Houston Dynamo. If this sounds like your kind of night, (why wouldn’t it be?) then you should mosey on over to the Kokes Fitness Center located in the Campus Center to pay a deposit of only $10! The best part is you will get the money back once you board the shuttle! You would be crazy not to go! Unfortunately, I will be unable to attend, so someone let me know how it goes!
