Complete Football Issue 01 | Page 18

SALVADOR STADIUM: M a n g Estadio a b e Octavio i r a The first capital city in Brazil’s history, Salvador will welcome the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ at a new, purpose-built stadium with a capacity of 52,048. Officially known as the Estadio Octavio Mangabeira, the Fonte Nova was opened on 28 January 1951 and was the venue for many a derby between Salavador’s Esporte Clube Bahia and Esporte Clube Vitoria. It was closed in November 2007 and subsequently demolished three years later. MATCHES: Spain VS Netherlands; Germany VS Portugal; Switzerland VS France; Welcome To Samba Country: The Venues STADIUM: ARENA AMAZONIA MANAUS STADIUM: ARENA AMAZONIA Though not a traditional hotbed of Brazilian football, Manaus is sure to be popular with fans attending the Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup thanks to the unique character of the Arena Amazonia, formerly the Estadio Vivaldao. The city is situated at the heart of the Amazon rainforest, the largest tropical rainforest in the world and the inspiration for the refurbished stadium, which will be enclosed by a metal structure designed to resemble a straw basket, a product the region is famous for. MATCHES: England VS Italy; Cameroon VS Croatia; USA VS Portugal; Honduras VS Switzerland 2 COMPLETE FOOTBALL NATAL STADIUM: Estadio Joao Claudio de Vasconcelos Machado Ever since it was inaugurated back in 1972, the Estadio Joao Claudio de Vasconcelos Machado – better known as the Machadao – has welcomed the biggest clashes in Natal football to the Lagoa Nova neighbourhood. The three leading teams in Natal, the capital of Rio Grande do Norte state, are ABC, Alecrim and America, who last appeared in Brazil’s top flight – Serie A – in 1985, 1986 and 2007 respectively. MATCHES: Mexico VS Cameroon; Ghana VS USA; Japan VS Greece; Italy VS Uruguay FORTALEZA STADIUM: ESTADIO GOVERNADOR PLACIDO CASTELAO The people of Fortaleza have a passion for the game as well as the city’s two biggest clubs, Ceara and Fortaleza. And it is an attachment that can only grow with the remodelling of the city’s main football stadium, the Castelao. Built in 1973 and officially known as the Estadio Governador Placido Castelo, the Castelao is home to both teams and has been entirely renovated to host matches at the FIFA Confederations Cup Brazil 2013 and the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™. MATCHES: Uruguay vs Costa Rica; Brazil vs Mexico; Germany vs Ghana; Greece vs Côte d'Ivoire; (1B) vs (2A); (W49])vs (W50) RECIFE STADIUM: Arena Pernambuco The Arena Pernambuco, which is part of a complex also featuring restaurants, shopping centres and cinemas, is located in Sao Lourenco da Mata in Recife’s metropolitan zone, just 19km away from Guararapes International Airport. The project is seen as an economic catalyst for the continued expansion of Grande Recife, within an area which is considered to be economically deprived. It is also estimated that the area will expand into a neighbourhood including nearly 5,000 homes. the city has gained a brandnew arena in time to host five matches at Brazil 2014.