Look out Europe, Latin passion has taken over the World Cup, bringing a carnival atmosphere to the stadiums but also a security headache for Brazilian authorities.
Midway through the tournament, armies of Latin American fans who invaded Brazil by car, plane and busloads have often been the loudest while their teams dazzled on the pitch.
After European teams triumphed in the previous two World Cups, they have reason to celebrate.
From Mexico to tiny Costa Rica, down to Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Uruguay, Latin American teams have mostly outplayed their European, Asian and African rivals during the group stage ending Thursday.
But they have also been the rowdiest fans, giving Brazilian security officials an extra chore while they deal with a waning anti-World Cup protest movement.
And the real excitement has yet to come.
After the first gameless day on Friday, the elimination round starts Saturday, with an all-South American lineup: Brazil-Chile and Colombia-Uruguay. No European team has ever won the trophy in Latin America.
But one of South America's best players, Uruguay striker Luis Suarez, could go home early as FIFA investigates accusations that he bit an Italian defender in Tuesday's 1-0 victory that sent the Europeans packing.
"The first half of the Cup was positive overall. The protests have had little impact. The Brazilian people want to enjoy the cup," said Pablo Azevedo, a sports management expert at Brasilia University.
While fears of anti-Cup protests deterred some Europeans from traveling, Latin Americans "came in much larger numbers than we anticipated," he said.
Azevedo said a survey conducted by his sports research lab found that 300 foreign fans gave a good grade to the tournament's organization, belying fears of chaos.
This is good news for President Dilma Rousseff, who formally launched Saturday her bid for re-election in October, leading in opinion polls despite a drop in popularity over the cost of what she has dubbed "the cup of cups."
- Stadium invasions -
=====================
But some fans have gone overboard.
Authorities deployed extra police around the 12 arenas this week to prevent more security breaches after scores of ticketless Argentine and Chilean fans gatecrashed the Maracana Stadium in two games.
Some 85 Chileans were kicked out of Brazil over the incident at the Rio de Janeiro stadium, site of the July 13 final.
