Yokohama, Japan: Sitting in the second row and watching Chelsea play Corinthians for the Club World Cup was a unique experience. To see the giant screens, massive crowd and the players and officials on the field was quite surreal.

The match, played at the 30,000-seat Yokohama International Stadium, was presented by Toyota Motor Corporation, a sponsor of the tournament for more than 30 years. To see photos of players such as Frank Lampard, Fernando Torres and Gary Cahill was one thing, but seeing them play live was quite another. The speed and the precision with which the teams played was more obvious than what shows on television.

The stadium erupted as the teams filed on to the field. The thousands of Corinthians fans far outnumbered the Chelsea supporters and I found myself among screaming Corinthians fans. The noise went up a notch during the close calls, and there were a few.

One young woman close to me screamed the loudest. She jumped and waved her hands in the air, almost in a frenzy. Natalia Zanotti had travelled with a large Brazilian contingent and cheered and chanted throughout the match. The petite 22-year-old social media journalist could hardly contain her excitement.

I asked Zanotti what her expectations were, but she made a sign that she could not speak English. However, we found a way to communicate — I spoke Spanish and she responded in Portuguese. “I know we will win,” she said. “We are going home with the trophy.”

She was so sure of herself, as if she believed her chanting would ensure the team’s success. I asked her how many goals she was expecting. “One,” she said, as she showed me her index finger. “One single goal.” Her prediction turned out to be prophetic, as Corinthians did claim a 1-0 victory thanks to Paolo Guerrero’s second-half goal.

Zanotti stayed on her feet the entire 90 minutes, but Chelsea fans seemed to show less energy, perhaps because there were fewer of them. They were drowned out by the Brazilians and Japanese supporters, who remained relentless in their cheering.

Most of the Japanese fans were supporting Corinthians, but some were neutral. Takeshi Asakura, 30, said he was at the game because he thought it would be exciting if Corinthians won.

“They are the underdogs, the element of surprise is always important to create excitement. If Chelsea win, it is expected, but if Corinthians win, then that will be more interesting.”

But for Chelsea fans such as Masaki Suzuki, 52, who drove four hours from Nagoya to Yokohama for the match, the Blues’ loss was unexpected.

“They have so many talented players, I was looking for three goals. I am very sorry for Chelsea as they tried so hard — maybe next time,” said Suzuki, a manager at a ceramics factory. Like many disappointed Chelsea fans, he hurried out of the stadium at the final whistle.

Suzuki’s journey home was nothing compared to that faced by 36-year-old Victor Santos, who had made it all the way from Spain. Santos was disappointed but defiant.

“Chelsea will come back, don’t worry,” he said. “They have many good players, many good Spanish players.”

I asked him if he thought Rafael Benitez would stay on as Chelsea coach, since so much was riding on this match, “Of course,” Santos said. “He is the best trainer in the world.”

The way I saw it, the game was full of energy but the stadium had even more energy. The Corinthians fans created a carnival atmosphere as they chanted and played drums throughout the match. A giant Corinthians flag was waved in the stands from the first kick until the game ended.

As a Chelsea fan, I was disappointed, but I learned something about the fierce loyalty fans have for their teams, reacting to every kick and move.

I saw for the first time raw passion and the rush it gives the fans.

I also learnt that a team’s biggest fan could be a petite 22-year-old woman. Zanotti got what she wanted — that lone goal — while thirty-year-old Asakura also got the surprise he was looking for.