Gallery: Brazil, Colombia play charity match to benefit Chapecoense
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UESLEI MARCELINO / Reuters
Brazil and Colombia came together Wednesday for a charity match to raise money for Chapecoense, the Brazilian club that was devastated when a November plane crash claimed the lives of 19 players.
The contest, played at Rio de Janeiro’s Engenhao stadium, was preceded by a touching pre-game ceremony in memory of the 71 people killed when the plane travelling to Medellin, Colombia descended into the mountains; 71 balloons were released to commemorate the dead, while the stadium lights were dimmed, allowing those in attendance to light up the cavernous ground with their mobile phones.
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Related – Chapecoense: A beautiful dream that never got a chance to come true
Six passengers survived the crash, four of whom were in attendance for Wednesday’s match: Chapecoense goalkeeper Jackson Follmann – who had his right leg amputated as a result of the crash – defenders Alan Ruschel and Neto, and journalist Rafael Hernandez.
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Follmann, Ruschel, and Neto were the only players to walk away from the plane crash in November, when the Brazilian club was preparing for the Copa Sudamericana final against Atletico Nacional.
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They were greeted Wednesday by Brazilian and Colombian national teams comprised entirely of home-based players; the likes of Neymar, James Rodriguez and other European-based stars were not in attendance due to respective club commitments.
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Brazilian midfielder Diego, who served as captain for part of the evening, said it was an honour to participate in the emotional event.
“This was more than a game, I had the chance to be with Follmann and Neto, they are heroes,” he said. “They are heroes and anything we can do to help them then we’ll be there.”
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Brazil went on to win the match 1-0, thanks to a 47th-minute header from Dudu.
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But the football was secondary on this night. The focus, rightly, was on those who survived the terrible tragedy. And, of course, those who did not.
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