During the first minutes of Monday’s World Cup match between Brazil and South Korea, Dayamica Silva was tense. She hoped the day would have good surprises. She had faith that Brazil would pull off a victory
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“[My team] means everything to me; it is my homeland,” she said, with the Brazilian flag draped on her shoulders.
Silva was one of about 25 fans who gathered to watch the game at Sabor Brasil, a restaurant in Nashua.
At first, the crowd was silent; only the commentators' voices could be heard inside the two rooms where fans watched the match on big screens. That changed when a beautiful goal arrived from Vini Junior. People jumped from their seats and high-fived each other.
Meanwhile, the restaurant’s owner Shirley Fonseca moved quickly, preparing caipirinhas, a Brazilian cocktail, and putting together to-go meals.
“This is better than what I expected,” she said, about the number of people in her restaurant but also the match.
Brigida Landmessar, who is also Brazilian, came to the restaurant with her husband for lunch and a couple of drinks while they cheered on their team. When Neymar scored a goal, she said she was celebrating as if she was home.
“We are just here; it doesn’t change anything,” she said.
Braulio Soares also took a day off to watch the match. He said watching Brazil play makes him remember his childhood. He wished he was in Qatar, to see the match in person, but he was content to watch the game in Nashua while eating feijoada, a popular bean stew.
“This makes us feel special as a country,” he said.
After their victory against South Korea, Brazil is one step closer to winning the world cup for the sixth time.
