Brazil-Japan friendly here: Organisers confident of a crowd

Football fans in Singapore hoping to watch a new-look Brazil take on Japan at the National Stadium on Oct 14 can expect to pay similar ticket prices from the last football spectacle.

Match promoters World Sport Group (WSG) revealed yesterday that tickets for the international friendly will range between $40 and $180 - similar to the price range for the Aug 16 match at the same venue between Italian champions Juventus and a Singapore Selection side.

That match drew a crowd of 27,388, and WSG are confident that they will see a strong turnout for the Japan-Brazil shootout.

Ticket sales will begin tomorrow, and will include family packs (two adults and two children) for $100 or $160 depending on the seat section.

DISCOUNT

Fans who bought tickets for the Juventus game will get a $20 discount on any category of ticket ($10 for children) as long as they buy within the next two weeks.

Said Malcolm Thorpe, vice-president of Sports Development & Events at WSG: "We are pleased that we've been able to keep ticket prices the same for this match, which is between two top-class international teams who both played in the recent World Cup.

"The attendance for the Singapore-Juventus match was in line with what we expected, so we're confident that for a game of this stature, we'll see a strong turnout.

"We have already had lots of interest from fans who know that they will have the chance to see some of the world's top players in action in a really competitive match."

Japan, the reigning AFC Asian Cup champions, will be the "home" side for the match, which is part of the Gillette Brazil World Tour. The game kicks off at 6.45pm on a Tuesday, at the request of the Japan Football Association, as the country's clocks are one hour ahead of Singapore.

"This will be a home match for Japan. The kick-off time has been set by the Japan Football Association in consultation with the CBF (Brazil Football Federation) and has been scheduled so that as many fans as possible in Japan, Brazil and around the world can also enjoy the spectacle on TV," Thorpe explained.

"In Singapore, we're used to staying up well into the night to watch Champions League football and other world-class sporting events. At least this time, local fans can watch a top-class game, 'live' in the stadium."

FRESH ERA

The match ushers in a fresh era for both teams with new coaches hoping to forge strong sides for the next World Cup in Russia in 2018.

Dunga, a World Cup winner as Brazil captain in 1994 and a quarter-finalist as coach in 2010, took over as Selecao coach for the second time in July and is looking to rekindle the magic of his country's football heritage.

Japan also have a new coach in Javier Aguirre, who guided Mexico to the last 16 at the 2002 and 2010 World Cups. The match in Singapore will be a key part of Aguirre's preparation for Japan's Asian Cup defence in Australia next year.

aakasim@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Sep 3, 2014.
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