SAO PAULO (AP) A pitch invasion and sound-system problems marked the first major test event at the World Cup stadium in the jungle city of Manaus.
World Cup organizers said they are satisfied with how the stadium handled the nearly 40,000 fans for the Brazilian Cup match between Vasco da Gama and Resende on Thursday, but admit some issues will have to be addressed ahead of the England-Italy game on June 14.
The nearly 600 stewards who were being tested for the first time could not keep some fans from entering the field after the 0-0 draw between the Rio de Janeiro clubs.
Before kickoff, players lined up for the national anthem but the sound system failed and nothing was heard. Fans faced a series of problems entering the Arena da Amazonia, and communications inside the stadium also did not work properly, according to organizers.
"This was the first official test event, we didn't expect everything to be perfect," said Tiago Paes, one of the officials in charge of operations at the World Cup organizing committee. "In general, we were very satisfied with the results in Manaus."