<p>World Cup venue Cuiaba’s road network is undergoing a facelift of Hollywood proportions.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The charming provincial venue for Friday’s clash between Chile and Australia may be the smallest of all the 2014 World Cup cities, but it can proudly put in a claim to have the mother of all roadworks.<br /><br />Fans emerging from the Green City’s airport this week were greeted by tarmac chaos -- an asphalt lunar landscape, but unlike the Moon, without the nice view of Earth.<br /><br />A multitude of man-made craters -- a health hazard for any caipirinha-guzzling supporter -- mounds of sand, cement mixers, and heavily-laden trucks with claxons blaring, made life trying for the average hire car.<br /><br />The terrain was more suited to a 4x4, or better still a Sherman tank. “It’s a mess,” taxi-driver Eduardo, a cuiabano, happily conceded. “But once it’s finished, it’ll make life easier for us.”<br /><br />Like the city, Cuiaba’s brand new stadium, the Arena Pantanal, has endured its own frustrations, and even tragedy.<br /></p>
<p>World Cup venue Cuiaba’s road network is undergoing a facelift of Hollywood proportions.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The charming provincial venue for Friday’s clash between Chile and Australia may be the smallest of all the 2014 World Cup cities, but it can proudly put in a claim to have the mother of all roadworks.<br /><br />Fans emerging from the Green City’s airport this week were greeted by tarmac chaos -- an asphalt lunar landscape, but unlike the Moon, without the nice view of Earth.<br /><br />A multitude of man-made craters -- a health hazard for any caipirinha-guzzling supporter -- mounds of sand, cement mixers, and heavily-laden trucks with claxons blaring, made life trying for the average hire car.<br /><br />The terrain was more suited to a 4x4, or better still a Sherman tank. “It’s a mess,” taxi-driver Eduardo, a cuiabano, happily conceded. “But once it’s finished, it’ll make life easier for us.”<br /><br />Like the city, Cuiaba’s brand new stadium, the Arena Pantanal, has endured its own frustrations, and even tragedy.<br /></p>