On July 16, 1950, the skies above Rio de Janeiro carried not just the glare of the sun, but the blazing pride and golden dreams of an entire nation, Brazil. Rising beside the shores of Guanabara Bay stood the newly built concrete giant -- the Maracana Stadium. It was not merely a structure of brick and cement; it was a vast temple of hope, ambition and supremacy for nearly 200 million Brazilians.