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THE first question those in Brazil's more cosmopolitan cities ask when you tell them you are going to Cuiaba is "Why?''
The infamously hot, dusty regional capital is in the far west of the country 1600 kilometres from Rio and in the exact centre of South America. It is, like Bourke or Canberra, the kind of place you only visit with good reason.
A view of Cuiaba. Source: News Corp Australia
Having spent most of their time in the beachside splendour of upper middle-class Victoria, the Socceroos will arrive on Friday (EST) in what the adventurous traveller might call "real Brazil''.
The team bus will travel on a pot-holed road from the airport through mostly dilapidated suburbs into a city where even the pavements around the relatively quaint town square are cracked and broken and the roads rutted.
The Arena Pantanal is in what you might consider, somewhere else, a rundown neighbourhood.
Across the road smoke billows from the Sutil Restaurant e Gourmet, which smells anything but.
Once you are through the stadium gates, however, and past the surprisingly lax security, you find a far more elaborate stage has been set for the Socceroos' than is usually the case for visitors to Cuiaba.
Despite grim reports of poor construction, the new stadium is in mint condition.
The site that will greet the Socceroos in Cuiaba on Saturday morning (EST). Source: News Corp Australia
When there was a fire on the construction site in November and several deadlines for completion came and went with the jack hammers still pounding, it was feared the game might be played amid rubble. But the Arena Pantanal is a demonstration of the Brazilian habit of leaving things until the last minute.
Four days before the game only the finishing touches were required. A FIFA official supervised with a measuring tape while the groundsman marked out the pitch on a pristine surface.
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While the stadium has been completed despite the gloomiest forecasts, one forecast cannot be defied. Hot humid conditions are expected for the 6pm (local time) kick-off.
Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou has put a premium on fitness over performance in the lead-up games. A disappointing last 60 minutes against South Africa in Sydney, he said, was partly the consequence of a heavy workload.
Even with the players enjoying light sessions in the last few days, their stamina will be severely tested. Especially against a wonderfully skilful Chilean team playing in familiar conditions – or conditions that stars such as Alexis Sanchez (Barcelona) and Arturo Vidal (Juventus) were used to before they joined some of the world's great clubs.
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The home continent advantage means Chile will have a band of fans at least as large and, judging by their chants and singing at the airport, even more raucous than the 16,000 Australians expected at the game. The Socceroos can only hope the Chilean team's under-rate them as badly as their fans.
One Chilean fan was asked if he thought Chile might win, say, 2-0. "No, no,'' he replied with a broad grin, holding up both hands with fingers outstretched to indicate Chile would win 10-0.
The Socceroos would delight in wiping the smile off that confident face. That is one very good reason to come to Cuiaba.
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