Watching the Confed Cup Games in Rio

By Lisa Flueckiger, Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Confederations Cup finally began last Saturday, June 15th after months of preparation with a vivacious game between Brazil and Japan, which ended with a 3-0 win for the Seleção Brasileira. To join in with the torcedores (fans) for all the action leading up to the Final on Sunday, June 30th, here are some suggestions for where to watch the games.

Terreirão do Samba
The biggest outdoor event in Rio de Janeiro accompanying all Confederations Cup games will take place in the Terreirão do Samba, next to the Sambódromo near Praça Onze in Centro.

The games will be shown on two screens of 60 and 20 square meters respectively. Before and after the matches, fans can party along with concerts, DJs, baterias (samba drums) and shows, such as samba school champion Vila Isabel on the day of the Confederations Cup Final.

Perhaps the best thing about the event in the Terreirão do Samba is that it is for free. Although a maximum of two tickets per person have to be picked up before entering, on some days up to 10,000 spectators are expected. Activities start as early as 2PM every match-day.

Morro da Urca
For those who want to watch the games of the Brazilian team in a more exclusive atmosphere, they can take the cable car up to Morro da Urca (Urca hill), the smaller hill in front of Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf) Mountain. Here, normal commercial visits to Sugarloaf will be stopped and only ticket holders to the game viewings will be able to access the mountain starting from 2PM onwards.

The games in Urca will also be surrounded by shows by singers, DJs and samba bands, as well as free beer until 6PM. The festivities will continue until midnight. Tickets cost from R$178-304, depending on the game (Brazil-Italy being the most expensive) and they can be bought directly at the station or via Ingresso Rapido.

Lapa Irish Pub
For those that prefer to watch their sports in a pub environment with friends, and listen to rock music before and after the games, watching the Brazilian national team display their skills in the Lapa Irish Pub is the ticket. The cozy Irish Pub offers imported beers and opens at 4PM on Brazilian match days.

“The Lapa Irish Pub is for people who like rock music, as that’s the music we play during the break. And if they stay on we will have live rock bands later on,” Mônica Roif, the pub’s manager tells The Rio Times.

Gringo Café
Another option for catching the matches amongst a mixed crowd of foreigners and Cariocas is the Gringo Café in Ipanema. Conveniently located on Rua Barão da Torre the Gringo Café makes a great place to watch, as they are open all day so no game will be missed there.

Sam Flowers, the owner of the café, reveals that there will be a special drink promotion during the ninety minutes of football (soccer): two for one caipirinhas and Itaipava long neck beers. These go well with the American specialties served in the café, such as wings, ribs and of course, bacon-cheeseburgers.