Estádio Beira-Rio

Full name	Estádio José Pinheiro Borda
Location	Av. Padre Cacique, 621-1571, Praia de Belas, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Broke ground	September 12, 1956
Opened	April 6, 1969
Renovated	2013
Owner	Sport Club International
Operator	SPE Holding Beira-Rio S/A
Surface	TifGrand™ (2013-present) Bermuda Green (1980-2013)
Capacity	51,300
Dimensions	105 x 68 m
Tenants	Sport Club International

                                          

                                  

                                

                                 Estádio José Pinheiro Borda, better known as Estádio Beira-Rio (Portuguese pronunciation: [esˈtadʒiu ˈbejɾɐ ˈʁiu], Riverside Stadium) due to its location beside the Guaíba River, is a football stadium in Porto Alegre, Brazil. It serves as the home stadium for Sport Club International. It is named after José Pinheiro Borda, an elderly Portuguese engineer who supervised the building of the stadium but died before seeing its completion.

Estádio Beira-Rio replaced International’s previous stadium, the Estádio dos Eucaliptos.

General Information

·         Grass: Bermuda Green (imported from the USA) and after renovation: TifGrand™.

·         Box offices: 4, with 68 booths.

·         Toilets: 39. After renovation: 81.

·         Capacity 56,000. After renovation: 51,300 (5,000 VIP seats).

·         Executive suites 33. After renovation: 125 (70 suites + 55 skyboxes).

·         Video screens 1 (42m²). After renovation 2 (100m² each).

·         Parking 2,000. After renovation: 5,500.

·         Record Attendance 106,554 (Rio Grande do Sul All-Stars team 3-3 Brazil's national team, on June 17, 1972).

History

·         In 1956, councilman Ephraim Pinheiro Cabral presented a document to the government that included a donation of part of the Guaíba, to be reclaimed for Sport Club International.

·         Estádio Beira-Rio was constructed with the help of the club's enthusiasts and supporters. They contributed bringing bricks, concrete and iron.

·         During the 1960s, Estádio Beira-Rio was ironically called "Bóia Cativa", since it seemed that never it would be concluded, especially since those were difficult times for International on the field.

·         The stadium's debut was played on April 6, 1969, when International beat Portugal's Benfica 2–1. The first goal ever scored in the stadium was done by International's Claudiomiro.

Current Situation

Beira-Rio is the second biggest stadium in the Rio Grande do Sul state and also South Brazil. The stadium has recently been renovated to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The “Beira-Rio” complex also houses a chapel, an events center, bars, stores and parking builded for 3,000 cars. ” Parque Gigante” featuring pools, gyms, football fields, and tennis courts, is located next to it. The first test event after the stadium's renovation was hosted on February 15, 2014 in a match between International and Caxias, a local club.

Improvement and restoration

The stadium has gone through restoration and development that makes it fit to host matches during the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. International has a project of restoration and improvement of Beira-Rio complex named 'Gigante Para Sempre' (Giant Forever). The stadium has been adapted to an international standard, ready to host any national or international game. Beira-Rio is one of the only 2014 FIFA World Cup stadiums to be privately owned.

Parking

For the convenience of the public who frequent games, concerts, stores, and restaurants at the complex, a parking building was constructed with a lower height than the trees. This has reduced the impact on the garden landscape. On the other side of the complex there is another parking lot beneath the promenade.

Additional Pitches

The additional pitches, used for training of the senior and youth teams now have a new arrangement. New pitches and courts have been constructed.

The Lower Tier

Seats in the lower tier of the stadium were modified, the current seats were demolished and new seats were put in closer to the pitch. Construction is complete.

2014 FIFA World Cup

Date	Time (UTC-03)	Team #1	Res.	Team #2	Round
June 15, 2014	16:00	France	Match 10	Honduras	Group E
June 18, 2014	13:00	Australia	Match 20	Netherlands	Group B
June 22, 2014	16:00	South Korea	Match 32	Algeria	Group H
June 25, 2014	13:00	Nigeria	Match 43	Argentina	Group F
June 30, 2014	17:00	Winner Group G	Match 54	Runner-up Group H	Round of 16