British supporters jostle to join the Moscow carnival as Russia crushes Spain | Soccer



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M oscow hummed with the sound of horns and sidewalk evenings Sunday as Russia celebrated the defeat of Spain in a World Cup nerve shootout and fans of England rushed to participate in the carnival of the capital. , which is the lowest ranked team of the tournament, produced the biggest surprise up here beating Spain, a giant of the game and world champions eight years ago. A ripple followed by a roar went through a crowd of 78,000 spectators at the Luzhniki stadium, and Russian players stormed the pitch.

In Nikolskaya Street, a pedestrian street near Red Square, illuminated by twinkling garlands, hundreds of locals and fans from all over the world head to see outdoor TV screens in cafes . They huddled under the umbrellas as the rain began to fall towards the end of the last game of the series, the score remaining 1-1 after overtime.

When goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev made a stop with his left foot to get a 4-3 shootout win, the buildings seemed to be shaking. Many waved flags over their heads and others sobbed in astonishment. Vladimir Kondratyev, director of a sales company that was inside the stadium, hugged the Brazilian man by his side.

"I told everyone that they were going to win," he said as he exited Luzhniki. cane. "I've never doubted them for a second."

The festivities continued into the night, with drivers hitting their horns and some leaning over the windows of cars in front of pedestrians passing by.





  Moscow celebrates Russian victory over Spain



Moscow celebrates Russia's victory over Spain. Photography: Gleb Garanich / Reuters

The unexpected success of Russia has undoubtedly helped to create an atmosphere of well-being at the World Cup, and more and more English fans are eager to experience it. Their first knockout round match against Colombia on Tuesday is considered England 's biggest match for more than a decade, with expectations that intensify after the premature exits of Spain and defending champions. Online sellers quoted three times the face value. It is understood that all of the official allocation of the 1,520-seat FA is exhausted, which means that FIFA will no longer be able to purchase tickets, but that all other fans who want to attend the match in the Spartak stadium will have to buy other tickets.

Up to 6,000 English fans should make the trip to the Russian capital, which has been transformed by a riot color, music and good-natured rivalry for the last three weeks. With most internal flights between the 11 host cities of the World Cup requiring a stopover in Moscow in transit, the city has enjoyed a carnival atmosphere while fans of the 32 countries of the tournament converge on the main squares

. in Moscow, it is certain that they will be eclipsed in number and noise by Colombians, with a country estimated at 50,000 supporters currently in Russia. A sea of ​​their yellow shirts paraded past the red-brick Kremlin walls on Sunday, through metal detectors and in Red Square.





  Colombia fans on Red Square, Moscow



Colombia fans on Red Square, Moscow. Photography: Facundo Arrizabalaga / EPA

A wet afternoon in front of St. Basil's Cathedral, they gathered en masse. Some came from the capital, Bogota, others from Cartagena and Santa Marta, but 12,000 km from home they joined to support their team.

For Osman Abadia of Cali, it was not a major tournament but a kind of pilgrimage. Abadia said that he felt like a minor celebrity while locals and fans from other countries were lining up to take pictures with him.

His baseball cap, his T-shirt and his giant Colombian flag all bore a picture of his mother, who died last year at the age of 96 years. "She loved football, so I came to Russia." "She would have liked to watch us play in England."

Many Colombian fans have traveled from the United States, which has a large population of expatriates. Nataliy Perez, a 30-year-old worker from Medellín who has been living in Miami for 16 years, visits her parents and uncle.

They visited the cities of Kazan, Samara and Saransk. "In Samara, we danced salsa in the streets with the Russians," she said. "It surprised me because the first thing you feel when you hear Russia is that they are cold and serious but they have been very different."





  Football fans from Russia and Colombia in Nikolskaya Street, Moscow



in Nikolskaya Street, Moscow. Photography: Facundo Arrizabalaga / EPA

Over the last 18 days, the streets around the Bolshoi Theater have been dominated many times by supporters of Peru, at their first World Cup for 36 years, Argentina and Panama. Brazilians dressed in alligators and Mexicans sombrero joined the songs of "Ros-Si-Ya" while the host country was delighted with his victory over Spain.

The friendly atmosphere has challenged some expectations. With England also impressive on the pitch and having the opportunity to win a knockout game for the first time since 2006, more fans are expected in Moscow.

Flights are cheaper than in other parts of Russia and housing is still available. almost certainly to pay a premium on the tickets. On the resale site of Viagogo tickets category two seats with a par value of £ 142 were resold up to £ 542, while category three tickets which cost £ 88 were sold up to £ 392. at £ 495.

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