Dead pants in the stadium – France in the final and nobody cares

It was the long-awaited 'derby of the century': Belgium versus France. But in the ranks, nothing was felt. Even the Brazilians were partly stronger.

For most spectators in the stadium of St. Petersburg, the goal for 1-0 fell from nowhere. In any case, it was the noise level rather quiet. Maybe some were still in the medium term mentally. The explosion of absolute mood did not happen anyway. The neighborhood duel between France and Belgium had been announced as "Derby des Jahrhunderts" (The Team). However, not enough Belgians and French were present for the good derby.

First half

Even before the kickoff of the first semifinal, there was a lot of skepticism in the rostrum to find out if the game was really complete. 20 minutes before the kickoff, about a third of the seats were empty. There were not as many seats as a coup de send, but we were expecting more from such an important match. The fan groups in Belgium and France were clearly in the minority anyway. Most visitors were neutral – or Brazilians.

920 million euros in construction costs, then … pic.twitter.com/8Hn6ujNumv

– Martin Schneider (@MSneijder) July 10, 2018 [19659007] Because with the end of Brazil in the quarterfinals, many fans of "Selecao" did not expect it. The ticket for sale was out of the question. Do not encourage France or Belgium. So, songs were sung on Brazil. And they were stronger in the first half than what came out of the French or Belgian block. Meanwhile, the host Russia has been acclaimed. For the most part, however, it was simply quiet in St. Petersburg. Unless a team is getting dangerously close to the door. There was then a little sense of humor.

Second period

After Samuel Umtiti's 1-0 come from the Belgian first small block. Too big was the shock on purpose. However, the French on the other side woke up and called the choir "Go the blues". But that did not last too long. 80 decibels indicated the smartphone application. At the stadium scale, it looks like "silent as a mouse".

Neither the supporters of Belgium nor those of France make significant noise. Go you are in a semifinal! #FRABEL # Russia2018 # WorldCup2018 pic.twitter.com/GPiYTUb9BM

– Jon Eden (@Football_eh) July 10, 2018

Well, the game offered not too many highlights that could bring the arena to a boil. But France was too confident and clarified, stifling the chances of the Belgians in the bud. It only became strong towards the end when the Habs team was booed for their time playing. Then, in particular, the neutral spectators took the floor. It's only after the final whistle that the French holiday has begun. Dancing and singing, they celebrated the finale.

Prototype South America

South Americans and Africans have shown how it can be at the World Cup. Although they were not numerous, they tirelessly encouraged their team. South Americans, however, were almost always outnumbered. Especially during matches in Argentina and Colombia, fans have made goosebumps moments in the stadiums.

For Europeans, it is difficult. Already in the European Championship, apart from Icelanders, Brits and Irish, there was strong support from the ranks. At the World Cup, this observation is confirmed. Although the players in France against Belgium are motivated by the importance of the game for the hair spikes, larger groups of fans in the ranks in individual situations could have lead the team. But international matches are not comparable to a club match. Maue's mood is not just a problem in the games of the German national team.

More spectators than fans: The problem of a World Cup (source: dpa)

This situation is emblematic of the big problem of a Cup World: too many spectators and not enough fans.A consequence of the price of horrible tickets, which is unlikely to change anything, because as long as there are still some fans for TV cameras, Fifa is satisfied.