text: Intermediate 
  There are worse things to do in life than stroll along Rios Copacabana beach in the sunshine on the way to watch a World Cup match, so it was perhaps not surprising that England fan Anthony McDowell from Liverpool was in a good mood. The place is lovely. The people are great. Theres a party atmosphere, said McDowell. The only thing that could be better is the England team.
  He and half a dozen friends are among the thousands of supporters from around the world who have made the beach into a party zone of national colours and chants. Some danced, some posed for photos, some drank, but mostly they just walked and talked football, waiting for the next game to begin on the nearby big screen. The last time there were so many people here during the daytime, the pope was visiting.
  The cheerful, largely peaceful mood was very different from the protests, transport chaos and stadium problems during the preparations for the World Cup. But, now the football is under way, visiting supporters are determined to enjoy the experience. If I had known, when I started planning, how complicated and costly it would be, I wouldnt have come. But, now that were here, its great, said Brian Hill, an England fan from Sunderland.
  The trip has not been without its problems. Hill travelled for more than 20 hours to get to Rio. His son, Andrew, had his sunglasses stolen almost as soon as he sat on the beach. And, they have been surprised that many bars do not have big screens for the games. But, like many fans, they said they loved the atmosphere of this tournament, which has got off to a spectacular start on the pitch.
  Everyone must have been thrilled by Robin van Persies extraordinary diving header for the Netherlands against Spain. And, there have been lots of goals: 28 in the  rst eight games  almost three times as many as at the same stage in South Africa in 2010. Adding to the carnival mood on the streets, where the majority of fans are from neighbouring nations, Latin-American teams have been very successful so far.
  Up to now, the tournament has avoided the worst Doomsday scenarios, though it is far from trouble free. The stadiums may have been delivered late and  in some cases  not fully  nished, but there have been no reports of structural problems or dif culties entering the grounds since the kick off.
  As at previous World Cups, ticketing has been a problem, with many empty seats at several games. FIFA spokesman Saint-Clair Milesi con rmed that only 48,000 of the 51,900 seats at the Netherlands versus Spain game were filled.
  The Globo newspaper listed a number of problems in the 12 host cities. Almost all suffered worse traf c congestion than usual. The worst transport problems were in Natal, where bus drivers were on strike. In Salvador, some journey times were  ve times longer than usual. Traf c was already bad but this week it is chaotic, said Jecilda Mello, a local resident. 
  But, protests have diminished since the opening day, when small demonstrations took place in several cities and police used tear gas and pepper spray. Since then, the only security threat has been petty theft and overexcited fans. A spontaneous street party of Argentinian fans was dispersed with pepper spray after the fans blocked roads.
  The huge distances have led to some very different World Cup experiences. The tournament has made only a small mark on Sa_o Paulo, South Americas most populous city, but far away in Manaus  the remote Amazonian city where England played Italy  visitors said there was World Cup fever with brightly decorated streets and  ags on many cars.
  The FA chairman, Greg Dyke, said there was a big difference in atmosphere. Weve had a really warm welcome in Manaus. Its a big thing for them, even if it is a bit strange to spend so much on a stadium with no one to play in it. But we were in Sao Paulo for four or  ve days before the opening match and you wouldnt have known until the last day that there was even a World Cup on. It was weird.