Estadio Municipal de Braga
Because of circumstances beyond their control, it may well happen that neither of the participants in tonight' s crunch match between Holland and Latvia will make it to the next round of Euro 2004. This will be a great pity as the Dutch have given us glimpses of the greatness they're capable of and the plucky Latvians have been hugely impressive in their first major tournament. That's football, however, and we've reached the heartbreak stage of this exceptional contest in Portugal.
The real winners tonight, however, will be the residents of Braga, the small, ancient town in the far north of Portugal, where Holland and Latvia meet. The game will be played in Braga's new stadium, which was designed by Eduardo Souto de Moura, one of Europe's most understated architects. Estadio Municipal de Braga is remarkable in a number of ways. First of all, it has been blasted out of the granite face of Monte Castro, with one end filled with craggy rock and the other open and overlooking the town. The 30,000 spectators will be seated in two tiered stands that reflect each other across the pitch. Secondly, Souto de Moura has grasped a central fact that's eluded so many stadia designers: football is a show, which is best enjoyed when everyone has a good seat.
Long after Euro 2004 has ended and the football fanatics have dispersed to the four corners of Europe, Sporting Braga, the home team, will be left with a magnificent venue for its games.
