Estádio Walmir Campelo Bezerra (Bezerrão)

The stadium reopened in 2008 after a rebuild for the FIFA U-17 World Cup. The surface is a hybrid of natural Bermuda grass reinforced with synthetic fibers. The green seats in the stands spell out GAMA, filling the curves of the concrete tiers.

There is a sense of unfinished business in the air. The stands are full of seats in neat rows, but the playing area is not ready for the game. A white pipe juts up from the sandy patch in the foreground, a small detail that suggests the maintenance is ongoing. The Campeonato Brasiliense teams that use this ground have to work around the repairs. The history between the local clubs adds an edge to the matches, even if the pitch cannot yet be trusted for a full ninety minutes.

The stadium fell silent on the day the record was set, but the noise now comes from the tractors and the shovels. The surface is not the same as it was before the renovation, and it is not the same as it will be in a month. The teams cannot afford another slip, and the repairs are a constant reminder of the effort required to keep the game flowing. The ground is waiting for the grass to take hold, and for the sand to be covered.