Don’t mention the vuvuzelas
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The atmosphere at the games this time around has pretty poor. What has really been missing is a decent atmosphere generated by the host country’s fans. Compared to previous world cups it has been lacking.
The benchmark for atmosphere has to be Argentina in 1978. The spectacle and noise generated by the Argentinian fans has never been matched since.
Don’t mention the vuvuzelas
This is what happens when you award it to countries who have no football culture.
The host country have plenty of 'fans' at every game, normally garbed up in the colours of the two teams playing. Nearly always the camera pans to supporters of the team who've just scored and they're just standing there, half not knowing what to do, the other half taking photos. But yes, it's a poor atmosphere
It's just a bought event. Nothing more.
Played at a stupid time of the year.
In a weird, sinister place.
Does anyone know how many went out there? I was shocked seeing the USA game. I was expecting hundreds, not thousands. I'd guess at about 4,000.
Pretty impressed by the Argentinian fans, apparently more of them there than any other country? Always travel in huge numbers, hell of a long way and it’s hardly a wealthy country…..
I thought we had 3000 tickets allocated for each game. Added on top of that fans who bought tournament tickets, plus people who've gone out on the off chance of getting tickets, I'd say about 4-5000 are out there.
Atmosphere for the Iran game was brilliant. They outnumbered us 10 to 1 and it must have been quite intimidating for the players as whenever they touched the ball they were met with a wall of noise.
USA game was more 50/50 but with it only being 3-4000 for each team and 60% neutrals it plays a part in bringing the noise levels down a bit.
Argentina keeping up their reputation for large noisy support.
Agreed. The DWC airport just seemed to be crawling with Wales fans for the first two games. Never saw many England fans at Airport or on Doha until the game against us. Apparently, many booked for last group game and beyond. Obviously confident of getting through. Also noticed many of them not in colours and for most part quiet exccept in the ground. We matched the noise of the Yanks and the Iranians at the stadium in most part. But completely overwhelmed against England. Lots of local people and Indian sub-continent people from Dubai etc were supporting England.
Spedger
I think this is more to do with the fact that we qualified so late. Early qualifiers were able to get direct flights to Doha and reasonably priced accommodation there. Latecomers like us were stuck with a choice of a Wonky Sheep package or shuttling back and fore from Dubai. I am glad I took the former as I did 5 other games.
Agree the point about the Qataris not getting the World Cup even though tickets were a fraction of the price for visitors. It was galling to see so many empty seats when no tickets for those matches were available for general sale. Still, being such a compressed area with 31 other nations' fans was unique. Being amongst 30k Tunisian fans and the Mexican hordes on the metro after the Argentina game will live long in the memory.
I went to 9 games last week. Tunisia blew me away - they were amazing. Morocco were decent, and then there were the South and central Americans. 80k Mexicans travelled. They were like cockroach’s- everywhere. Brazil and equador were amazing as well.
Flip side- the European teams. France shocking. Barely any Danes. About a thousand Croatians. Went to Spain v Costa Rica and all of the chants were for mexico!!