Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterNew York City was awash with yellow and orange as sports fans took over the Big Apple on Saturday.Brazil, the five time World Cup winners, were in town and so were their fans as they made themselves seen and heard throughout Manhattan in the lead up to their clash with Morocco at the New York New Jersey Stadium.The Brazil fans have been pouring into the city in the days leading up to the game and making themselves known taking over Time Square with a sea of yellow.Latest Videos FromWatch full video here: New York is a sports mad city but before Saturday night their sports teams had been starved of success for years and in the case of the Knicks, decades. The Yankees have not won the World Series since 2009, the Mets have gone even longer with their last triumph coming the year after Live Aid in 1986. The New York Giants last won the Super Bowl in 2011 and the New York Rangers last lifted the Stanley Cup in 1994 - coincidentally when the USA last hosted the World Cup.In fact, the last sports team to win a major title was New York City FC when they won the MLS Cup in 2021. You may like Brazil player ratings: How Carlo Ancelotti's men rated in their World Cup opener against Morocco How to watch Brazil vs Morocco live streams online and for FREE, with the five-time World Cup winners taking on the AFCON champions. Carlo Ancelotti makes worrying Brazil admission after nerves all over the place draw vs Morocco While the sea of yellow shirts of Brazil drifted off toward East Rutherford, native New Yorkers dressed in orange and blue got ready to cheer on their beloved New York Knicks in Game Five of the NBA finals against the San Antonio Spurs. Leading 3-1 after four games the Knicks needed just one more win to secure their first title since 1973.For Brazil, there were plenty of question marks surrounding Carlo Ancelottis side in the lead up to this World Cup with more questions than answers in qualifying.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.And after this opening game there are still plenty of questions. Big name players like Gabriel and Casemiro looking off the pace and riddled with mistakes.Morocco looked far the better side in the opening exchanges and took the lead when Brahim Diaz played a razor sharp pass from the centre circle that split Marquinhos and Gabriel and allowed Ismael Saibari to run on and gloriously lift the ball over an on rushing Allison to give the North African side the lead.Brazil were all over the place. They were sloppy in possession and Lucas Paqueta and Casemiro struggled to find a teammate with their passes. At the back they looked shaky and there were real concerns for the five time winners. What to read next Brazil squad World Cup 2026: Carlo Ancelotti's side to face Morocco Brazil expert makes brutal BBC 'whack-a-mole' analysis of Selecao's first half against Morocco How to watch Vinicius Junior at the 2026 FIFA World Cup But with football now mimicking basketball with four quarters rather than two halves thanks to the introduction of hydration brakes that played into Ancelottis hands as Brazil - lucky not to be further behind by the first break - were able to make tactical changes and improve.And as poor as some of Brazils big names were, Vincius Junior grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck and showed why he is regarded as one of the worlds top talents.There did not seem to be too much to worry about for Morocco when Vincius received the ball from Bruno Guimaraes on the left of the box, but he stepped inside the covering Neil El Aynaoui and shot into the far corner.Like all good managers, Ancelotti reacted and made changes - hooking Casemiro and Roger Ibanez at the break. But there was to be no winner in the game and in fact it was Morocco who came closest to nicking it at the end when they were denied by a brilliant double save by Alisson from first Neil El Aynaoui and then the follow up from Ayyoub Bouaddi.As the Brazil and Morocco fans made their way back to Manhattan via the ludicrously expensive trains and buses, the Knicks were getting underway in their search for history 1,580 miles away in San Antonio.Yet again the Knicks were behind at half time - although this time only by five points and not the 27 they overcame in Game Four. And still trailing going into the final quarter.Jalen Brunson led the comeback with a stunning 45 points in the game and the Knicks clawed their way into the lead with seconds remaining and held on for a 94-90 victory that sent their fans wild. Yet again their never say die attitude prevailed.Car, busses and lamposts - nowhere was safe from a celebrating Knicks fans and chants of Knicks in five rang around the avenues and streets while the NYPD were forced to close down the streets surrounding Madison Square Garden for fear of overcrowding and use horses to break up large groups of fans.Car horns beeped and drinks were drunk and then thrown up in the air as Knicks fans celebrated their first NBA title for 53 years.A fanbase starved of success for so long were going to celebrate and celebrate long into the night - even a number of skyscrapers, including the Empire State Building turned their lights orange and blue in tribute.New York is very much orange and blue at the moment but if Brazil want to turn it yellow again on July 19 then there is plenty of work to do in the coming weeks. They face Haiti next and know that nothing other than a win is acceptable.And if they are looking for their own Jalen Brunson to inspire them and lead them to glory then that player might just be Vini Jr and they will need him to be at his brilliant best if they are to earn a sixth star on their shirt.The Brazil fans can certainly match the Knicks faithful, now it's time to see if the players can too.TOPICSVinicius JuniorWorld CupJames AndrewSocial Links NavigationEditorJames Andrew is the editor of FourFourTwo, overseeing both the magazine and website. James is an NCTJ qualified journalist and began his career as a news reporter in regional newspapers in 2006 before moving into sport a year later. In 2011 he started a six year stint on the sports desk at the Daily Mail and MailOnline. James was appointed editor of FourFourTwo in December 2019. Across his career James has interviewed the likes of Franco Baresi, Sir Alex Ferguson, David Beckham and Michael Owen. James has been a Fulham season ticket holder since the mid-1990s and enjoys watching them home and away, through promotion and relegation.
