They were sure of Brazil snatching a win when the game with Croatia went into extra time after a goalless 90 minutes at the Education City Stadium in Qatar on Friday, 9 December.
Neymar Jr kept their hopes and enthusiasm high by rifling one past the Croatian goalkeeper, but the rivals caught up through substitute Bruno Petkovic in the 117th minute.
Still the fans of Brazilian football team in Kerala were a confident lot.
The fans had gathered at small and big screens set up in clubs and parks across the state. Animated discussions began when both teams prepared for the penalty shootout.
Croatia keeper Dominik Livakovic became an instant villain by saving Rodrygo’s shot, Brazil’s first. The fans knew anything can happen in football, and stayed glued to the screens.
Their world came crashing down when Marquinhos failed to score and Orsic succeeded for Croatia. Welled-up eyes kept peering at the screens unable to come to terms with reality.
A rude jolt
It was slow process. As the reality gradually dawned upon them they remembered the next match between their archrival Argentina and the Netherlands.
End of football. Won’t be surprised if it’s going to be Croatia vs Morocco final 😬
— N.S. Madhavan (@NSMlive) December 9, 2022
Football fans in Kerala are a divided lot, most of them supporters of either Brazil or Argentina. The state witnessed a cutout war before the kickoff in Qatar.
Memes, posters and videos poking fun at each other surfaced in large numbers almost daily. A video in which a husband and wife are seen supporting rival teams and the domestic squabbles over their favourites was widely circulated.
Soon after Brazil’s ouster from the World Cup, fans tried to find reason and the players responsible for the defeat. Still, they vowed to stand by their favourite Canaries.
“We will stand along with you and continue to further support the team [sic],” Brazil Fans Kerala declared on its Facebook page. The page is one among those with the highest fan following in Kerala.
Faizal was almost on the verge of tears. He had his friends never expected such a rude jolt.
“We are still in a state of shock. How could it be true? We thoroughly believed that Brazil would win the title this time. This is unbelievable and unbearable for us,” he said.
Argentina fans rejoice
Huge crowds had gathered at the numerous small and large screening venues in the state on Friday, a big night for Kerala since both Brazil and Argentina were playing.
People kept awake until 3.30 am when Lautaro Martinez took the final penalty and took Argentina to the semi-finals.
Although most fans of Argentina were overjoyed, several others were unhappy over their team missing two opportunities during the final stages of extra time. They had seen an inconsolable Neymar barely a couple of hours ago.
“We were hoping that Brazil would beat Croatia so that Argentina could have a semi-final match with the canaries,” Akshay, a Thrissur resident and Argentina fan, told South First.
He felt the win has significantly boosted the morale of the Argentinian team.
“Vamos Argentina… Vamos Messi…,” chanted a group of fans who took to the streets to celebrate the victory in the northern Kasaragod district. Vamos is a Spanish term that means “let’s go” or “come on”.
The Argentina fans were also happy for the consistent performance of Lionel Messi in the quarter-finals. His goal on Friday night took him to the list of the most goals scored by an Argentinian in the World Cup, equalling Gabriel Batista.
Even politicians in the state could not hide their excitement and dismay over their favourite team’s performance.
Kerala’s Education Minister V Sivankutty, a vocal supporter of Brazil, congratulated Croatia for their win in a Facebook post.
The post received a sarcastic response from his own party’s veteran leader MM Mani, an Argentina supporter. “I have nothing to say, I join in your grief,” he responded to the minister’s post.
“Do not worry Brazil… We will capture Croatia… But, when will we get you in our hands?” he asked in a sarcastic way in another post.
The trolling was not confined to the ruling party. Rahul Mankoottathil, the state secretary of the Kerala Youth Congress and a supporter of Argentina, took a dig at his colleague and former Thrithala MLA VT Balram.
He posted a picture of Balram holding a Brazilian flag at a stadium in Qatar, “Come back home dear,” read the rough translation of the sarcastic Facebook post.
(With inputs from PTI)
