Philadelphia Eagles, fans ready for gameday in Brazil
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The stage is set for the Philadelphia Eagles first game of the season in São Paulo, Brazil, against the Green Bay Packers. It is the first NFL game in South America.
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More than 42,000 fans are expected to attend.
The teams are already in town and have got some practices in, and players and coaches have sounded excited to be there despite some of the commentary leading up to this game.
The Sao Paulo venue is the home of soccer club Corinthians and was used for the 2014 World Cup.
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The funny thing is, that soccer club- The Corinthians- hates green since it's the color of their local rivals.
"In South America, you see how passionate they are," said Eagles running back Saquon Barkley. "If you need a team to root for, why not the Philadelphia Eagles."
"The only thing I don't enjoy regarding this match is that they are playing in my rival soccer team stadium," said Daniel Benabou, of Sao Paolo.
Apparently, they hate the color so much there was talk of painting the field black about a decade ago.
The Eagles being the designated host team, and which may curry favor with some local fans, will wear black helmets, white jerseys and black pants - Corinthians colors. But one Brazilian Eagles fan at the airport said he would be wearing green.
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"I think it's silly. I'm wearing green and I don't care," Benabou said.
"I'm going to say to the Brazilian crowd, 'We are so excited to be here. Make sure you're as loud as possible: Fly Eagles, fly, and quiet down a little bit," head coach Nick Sirriani said.
