Sou Corinthiano

Before I came to Brazil, I looked into what clubs were best in the country's Liga do Brasil. Vitor (the Brazilian on exchange currently in Collingwood) told me without a doubt, Corinthians. I looked into the team and I was impressed. They have several Brazilian internationals, including Ronaldo. What I didn't know in Canada however, was that there are two other teams in Sao Paulo alone, and support is split fairly evenly for all three. When I got to school here, everyone asked if I supported a club here. I stuck to Corinthians and whenever I answered with them, there would always be people be saying "e corinthiano!" (a Corinthian!) or "corinthians e fouder" (literally, "Corinthians are fucked"). But at the same time, people always give me shit, trying to switch my support to one of the other two, Palmeiras or Sao Paulo. This is especially true when I mention this to a Palmeiras fan since there's some fierce rivalry between them and the Corinthians. The Clube do Corinthians was founded in 1910 and this year marks their "centanrio", or hundred-year anniversary. In celebration of this, my friends and I had a party at school. They built a cake, popped some corn and I bought a bottle of Coke. During our lunch break, we brought a few tables together, sang some Corinthians chants and ate until we had to go back to class. Some Palmeiras fans were part of it, poaching our food and staying silent during the chanting. I feel like the Yank from Greenstreet Hooligans, being taken in the community this clubs' supporters. If I could, I would consider getting a tattoo as well. I have also had some close calls with fights, not related to soccer though. If you ever come to Brazil, always practice "cuidado com as mulheres" (caution with the women). Supporters are passionate about their clubs here, and Corinthian fans say their blood runs black and white. This is now true for me in two ways.

My school stopping to watch a Corinthians match at a during a field trip.

Here's an English webpage about the Corinthians' fans: http://www.corinthians.com.br/internacional/_en/index.htm