There’s been a lot of play about the Brazil city of Manaus in the press this week, mainly because England and Italy have been drawn to play their first World Cup match in the Amazon region’s biggest city.
A lot of silliness already being trotted out too (e.g. unplayable or extreme conditions, which is a bunch of tosh and blither) so it’s time for some solid, experienced and well-researched opinions to take the place of the hype. Donna Bowater is a British journalist who lives in Brazil and covers the country for The Daily Telegraph. She’s also a big footy fan, so her eye is in the right place when it comes to such matters. Last month she visited Manaus and on her personal blog, right here, gives an excellent overview and lowdown on what awaits the world during the big tourney next year. Any football fan worth their salt will do well to read her note.