World Cup 2014: Samba time for London's Brazilians as their team romps home to dream start

 
Jubilant: Brazil fans at The Walkabout Bar at Temple (Picture: Nigel Howard)

Thousands of London’s Brazilians celebrated into the early hours today as the host nation’s World Cup campaign got off to a dream start.

Fans packed out bars and clubs across the capital – home to more than 60,000 Brazilian ex-pats – to watch their team survive an early scare to beat Croatia 3-1 in the opening match.

Hundreds of fans transformed the Brazilian Embassy in St James’s into a blaze of green and yellow as a deafening chorus of cheers bellowed over local beer, cachaca cocktails and caipirinhas.

The host nation’s 3-1 win may not have been as comfortable as some had hoped but once victory was sealed the revellers partied into the early hours in Trafalgar Square and surrounding bars and clubs.

Roberto Jaguaribe, Brazil’s Ambassador to the UK who led the Embassy’s party of about 300, said: “The celebration will last all night. We are very happy.

“Football is a congregation, you want to have many different people enjoying the game to create a special atmosphere. That’s what happened here and it’s been wonderful.”

Robert Halfon MP, chair of the British-Brazil all-party Parliamentary Group, who attended with his Brazilian partner, said: “It has been an amazing night. Brazil is one of the greatest nations on earth.

“Of course I want England to win, but after them I want Brazil. I’m sure we might have one or two Caipirinhas and a bit of a dance.”

The Embassy, in Cockspur Street, St James’s Park, beamed the game onto six widescreen TVs.

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It came after more than 25,000 people flooded Trafalgar Square from noon for Brazil Day in the run-up to kick-off, with bands and dance acts bringing the carnival spirit to the centre of the capital.

Liliam Chagas, 48, in charge of sports and events for the embassy, said: “We brought alive the excitement and magic of Brazil. It was wonderful, all the countries and all people coming together, it’s beautiful.

“There is a real thirst in London for Brazil. This is everything we could have hoped for.”

Fan Metin Gunes, 49, a journalist, said: “We are feeling glorious, absolutely ecstatic. We are going to carry on celebrating the win, go to another bar, celebrate with friends and carry on dancing. I think there’s going to be a lot of Samba. I suppose it may be a struggle at work tomorrow.”

Celebrations: fans cheer as Brazil score another goal (Picture: Nigel Howard)

Melina Giotto, 30, said: “I’d never screamed so hard in my life. I lost my voice. This has been amazing and there is so much more to come.”

Lilas Nascimeto, 37, who works for the Embratur tourist board, said interest in London for everything Brazilian has soared in the run-up to the tournament.

She said: “We have had a real taste of Brazil, but this is just the start. People have just been amazed at this party at the Embassy and in Trafalgar Square.”

The mood was more muted in the Hoop and Toy pub in South Kensington where the 100-strong Croatian camp’s early joy was snuffed out by star striker Neymar who scored an equaliser in the 29th minute before adding a second goal with a controversial penalty in the second half.

Bojan Stojcic, 30, from Rijeka, in Croatia, but now lives in Putney, bemoaned his team’s “bad luck.” He said: “I’m happy with how we played but there were a lot of unfair calls by the referee.”

Alijosa Popovic, 22, from Split, in Croatia, added: “There was a hint of conspiracy theory about their penalty and a few other decisions. I think we will get to the quarter finals.”

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