"It's a love that cannot be explained"

HIGHLIGHTS

Always present, always enthusiastic, always passionate! Benfiquistas go everywhere, anywhere in the world, they don't look for ways to feed their genuine feeling for the Club. No amount of rain, snow or heat can stop them! And so it was in Charlotte, at the Bank of America Stadium, on Tuesday, June 24th, during Benfica's clash with Bayern Munique in the Club World Cup, even though the torrid temperature in the stands led to the temptation to seek shade.

In North Carolina, specifically in Charlotte, 27 degrees at 8 a.m. was the harbinger of increasing heat that would reach 38 degrees, but with a thermal sensation of 42 and a wind of 9 kilometers per hour that was barely noticeable. The warnings of extreme heat... were just that, warnings, thought the Benfica supporters.

In the streets of Charlotte, in the vicinity of the Bank of America Stadium, located in the city center, the Reds' fans were gathering. Some arrived the day before, others on Tuesday morning. Those who came by car looked for places to park, forking out around 30 dollars to park the vehicles of such passion. Those who traveled by plane, knowing that internal flights “are even cheap”, as they told us, found it more comfortable to go to Charlotte than to Miami, where food and hotel accommodation “take a toll on the wallet”.

Jesse Teodoro, 31, and his wife, Joana Teodoro, 33, thought nothing of it when they booked their trip from Canada to Charlotte. "We traveled 1,200 kilometers and arrived yesterday [Monday, June 23] evening! Now we're meeting the Benfiquistas. We came from Hamilton,“ he said, explaining that in Ontario, between Toronto and Niagara Falls, ”there are a lot of Benfiquistas".

"You know, it's a love that can't be explained. It's harder for us to live away from Benfica. Look, when Benfica play in the Champions League, it's hard to leave work early to watch the game. It's not easy to leave at 3 pm," exclaimed Jesse Teodoro, confessing his relief at having taken on the role of entrepreneur and started a gardening business about a year ago. Now, “it's going to be easier”, he said.

Venâncio Alves, 52, with a Benfica jersey from 1993/94 on his body and eager to add an autograph from President Rui Costa, then number 10 of the national champion team, traveled from New Jersey and immediately confided what he was coming for, accompanied by his son, Vítor Alves, 21. "There's no club like Benfica. In our area there are many Benfica fans, many of whom are here," he said. The American-born descendant, also wearing the Manto Sagrado and an SLB scarf, described his presence in the city, close to the team of his heart club: “It's a surreal moment!”

Bayern fans were also in the area, but the enthusiasm of the Reds was heartfelt. Luís Taboeira, 55, a businessman, spoke to us about what it's like to “live Benfica with a lot of love”. “It's an opportunity to meet the Benfica Family, my Benfica friends,” Luís' 12-year-old son Tyler Taboeira told us. “I really like Benfica, it's great to see it live here,” said the young goalkeeper, while his father showed us on his cell phone the moments when Trubin and Pavlidis signed his jersey in the Estádio da Luz garage. "I've been there many times! It's beautiful," he replied.

10-HOUR DRIVE TO CHARLOTTE

Many Benfiquistas set off on 10-hour drives to Charlotte. The president of the Sport Newark e Benfica branch, Virgílio Gomes, 45, who has been in the United States for 21 years, also showed his colors and, with a cigar in his mouth, appropriate for festive occasions, he left us with his certainty. "Living Benfica? You live it the same way! It's just a physical difference. I often go to the Estádio da Luz," he noted, explaining how difficult it was to organize bus tours to support Benfica at World Cup matches.

"We didn't organize it, but it wasn't for lack of interest. The problem was that many people wanted to go by plane, others by car... But we'll organize it from now on!" he assured us. "Our branch is doing well financially, too. We have nearly 600 paying members, and we have a good connection to Portugal and Benfica," said Virgílio Gomes, in the vicinity of the Bank of America Stadium.

At the field of the Carolina Panthers - an American football team that plays in the NFL - and Charlotte FC - a soccer team that plays in the MLS - which opened in 1996 and has a capacity of 75,000 spectators, the first fans entered at 1 pm local time (6 pm continental time), at the peak of the heat, and the Benfiquistas made their presence felt, with their Sacred Mantles, accompanied by scarves and props from Portugal, distinguishing themselves from the colors of the German champions.

And even Turkish fans, wearing the Galatasaray jersey and the country's flag, were not lacking in support for their compatriots Kökcü and Aktürkoğlu. Trubin also saw his Ukrainian flag in the stands.

... AND BENFICA WON!

 The presence of Bruno Lage on the pitch, accompanied by the coaching staff, just over 1.20 hours before the start of the match was the starting point for the Benfica fans' greetings, which were amplified shortly afterward when the main players from the Eagles gathered on the green carpet, while the Germans went to the dressing room.

When, 25 minutes before the start of the match, Ser Benfiquista was heard, before the team was officially announced, the scarves were raised and the Lusitanian voices were heard, paying special tribute to Di María and Otamendi, accompanied by applause when their names were mentioned.

Glorioso SLB! was the most heard chant, and the explosion of joy at Schjelderup's goal in the 13th minute was contagious. Even in the face of the German response in the stands, the Benfica fans never gave up and cheered on the Glorioso with the unique passion that characterizes them.

At the end, the historic win against Bayern Munich (1-0), 1st place in Group C of the Club World Cup, and the consequent passage to the round of 16 of the competition were celebrated effusively... and the iconic And Benfica won! was heard in the bowels of the Bank of America Stadium, alternating with Benfica, Benfica, Benfica!, matched by the thanks of the stars. It was mythical and remarkable!