We Are One (Part II)

Colombia vs Côte d'Ivoire
Our first of two FIFA World Cup matches was between Group C teams, Colombia and Côte d'Ivoire, ranked one and three, respectively.  Held at the Estadio Mané Garrinhca in Brasília, this was the second match for both teams, coming into it with one win apiece.

Having lived in Colombia for five years before coming to Colombia, who to root for was a no-brainer.  Plus, Colombia qualified for the tournament for the first time in 16 years and emotions were electric for the soccer-loving nation as Los Cafeteros fielded one of the best teams in the country's history.

The teams line up for the playing of their national anthems.

Making Colombian hinchas out of Dan and Alissa.

In a stadium of over 68,000 fans, I ran into ex-collegues and a former student.

¡Vamos el tricolor! A lot of yellow, blue, and red in the house!

All smiles after the victory!  Mané Garrincha is a beautiful stadium.

"In Colombia, soccer is a dance."
"Soccer in Colombia is peace." 

In the end, Colombia triumphed 2-1 against their opponents, making for a jubilant crowd.  To say Colombians had taken over Brazil's capital city was an understatement!

First and last photos taken by Dan Monfre.