T R I BU T E TO T H O S E W H O MADE IT HAPPEN On May 1, International Workers’ Day, Corinthians Arena received those Members who helped build it over a period of approximately three years to be the big stars of the stadium’s official test event. The field, access turnstiles, visitors’ locker room, grandstand and bathrooms of the East sector were all tested out. Th e wo rke rs se t u p two te a m s to d e fe n d th e Wh i te te a m, wh ose ca pta i n wa s Ri ca rd o Co rregi o, O p e rati o na l Ma nage r, a n d two te a m s fo r th e B la c k te a m, l e d by Fre d e ri co Ba rb osa, fo rm e r O p e rati o na l Ma nage r. Th e re we re two ga m e s that la ste d 40 m i n u te s e a c h. As th e M e m b e rs p laye d o n th e fi e l d , th ey we re watc h e d by th e i r fa m i l i e s, gu e sts a n d th e p re ss, wh i c h o bse rve d th e p laye rs fro m th e gra n d sta n d s. Be fo re th e sta rt of th e ga m e, Fath e r Rosa lvi n o, th e re l igi o u s l e a d e r re s p o n s i b l e fo r th e Do m Bosco So c ia l Wo rk, b l e sse d th e sta d i u m , a n d toge th e r wi th th e p u b l i c h e l d a m i n u te of s i l e n ce to h o n o r
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th e th re e vi c ti m s of th e two a cc i d e nts that o cc u rre d at th e p ro j e c t. Wi th th e te a m s o u t o n th e fi e l d , An d ré s Sa n c h ez ki c ke d off th e ga m e. I n th e fi rst ga m e, th e Wh i te te a m b e at th e Bla c k te a m 2 - 1 i n a su rp ri se tu rn of eve nts. I n th e se co n d ga m e, th e Wh i te te a m wo n 1 - 0 . Lu c ia n o Ávi la, M e m b e r of O d e b re c ht Co rre to ra d e Segu ros a n d re s p o n s i b l e fo r th e I n su ra n ce Ri s k a re a at th e a re na p ro j e c t, i na ugu rate d th e goa l n e ts wh e n h e ma d e th e fi rst goa l . Ávi la fo rm e rly p laye d i n th e Co ri nth ia n s Su b17 catego ry l e agu e, b u t wa s fo rce d to give u p h i s ca re e r d u e to p hys i ca l i n j u ri e s. “Afte r five kn e e su rge ri e s, I to l d th e p hys i ca l th e ra py te a m that I ha d to p lay aga i n wh e n I h e a rd a b o u t th i s eve nt, ” h e sa i d . “We d i d so m e i nte n se wo rk. I wa s a b l e to b e a pa rt of th i s i m p o rta nt date a n d eve n ma d e th e fi rst goa l at th e a re na. It i s ve ry th ri l l i ng, so m e th i ng i n d e sc ri ba b l e, ” h e sa i d . Th e day e n d e d wi th a pa rty, wh i c h gath e re d so m e 3 , 000 pa rti c i pa nts fo r a n exc i ti ng n e two rki ng ba rb e c u e.