Torcidas organizadas are formal (or informal) associations of football fans in Brazil in the same vein as Argentine hinchadas and European ultras. The name is based on the verb torcer, which means "to root for" but also "to wring" and "to turn". The supposition is that the behaviour of the fans present at the stadium could help the team gather strength to beat the opponent.
In the beginning, and until the sixties, torcidas organizadas were informal associations of fans who gathered to buy fireworks, cloth for large flags, and other stuff to be used during celebrations. Later, such associations became permanent and were formalised legally as non-profit recreational associations, still with the primary goal of providing a better spectacle at the stadium and surroundings. Some of the noteworthy torcidas organizadas from this time were Torcida Jovem do Botafogo (Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas), Torcida Jovem do Santos (Santos Futebol Clube), Mancha Verde (Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras), Gaviões da Fiel (Corinthians), Galoucura (Clube Atlético Mineiro), Máfia Azul (Cruzeiro Esporte Clube), Torcida Independente and Dragões da Real, (São Paulo Futebol Clube), Torcida Jovem Fla and Raça Rubro-Negra, (Clube de Regatas do Flamengo), Força Jovem Vasco (Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama), Young Flu and Força Flu (Fluminense Football Club), Fúria Independente (Paraná Clube), Imperio Alviverde (Coritiba Foot Ball Club), Os Fanáticos (Clube Atlético Paranaense), Torcida Jovem do Sport (Sport Club do Recife), Fanáutico (Clube Náutico Capibaribe) and Inferno Coral (Santa Cruz Futebol Clube). In the beginning the torcida organizada movement was fragmentary, but would later consolidate in larger bodies or leagues. Some torcidas would open branches throughout the country to support their teams playing away, given the national range of their supporters.
Torcidas organizadas later became infamous for their association with stadium violence, which would cause Justice to disband some of them (notably Gaviões da Fiel. Mancha Verde and Independente, both the top and most hard-core firms and active on one of the largest capitals in the world: São Paulo). Some clubs (notably Flamengo) would also be plagued by rival torcidas which would battle each other as well as the opponents.
Rivalry is embebed on Brazilian football culture, but when it comes to their organized (or uniformed) supporters, things can take a turn for the different. Some groups can can relate only with their equals, a common place for "torcidas organizadas", barras bravas" and "firms" all over the world. However, other teams, active on a wider range on national and internation field, have come to experience historical clashes that created firce rivals, as well as close and loyas allies. The perfect example for this is the union between three of the main organized firms then and today: Força Jovem Vasco (Vasco), Galoucura (Atlético Mineiro) who have a friendship that dates back to the early 80's, while rivals Torcida Jovem Fla (supporters of Flamengo) and Torcida Independente (supporters of São Paulo) are also linked to each other. This old unions, dated, some say, since the beginning of the 80s and 90's (in the Jovem Fla-Independente case), has been theme for songs and ovations whenever these two teams meet or whenever they meet each others rivals. They proudly sing that each one of them is unified with another hard-core group of supporters. With this, it was created two opposite mobs of national unified groups. Within these unions it is normal that the supporters exchange shirts, caps, and other articles; therefore for example it is normal to see gear of allied teams Palmeiras, Atlético Mineiro, Grêmio and Bahia in Vasco da Gama games. Indenpendentes and Jovem do Flamengo's alliance was known for their own "symbol". To symbolize their own group and alliance, they raise their fists and cross them, calling themselves "punhos cruzados" (crossed fists). In reference and prejudice to this, Mancha Verdes and Jovem do Vasco put heir middle fingers up and called theselves "dedos pro alto" (lifted fingers); the alliance between Young Flu (Fluminense) Furia Independente Guarani and Furia Independente Parana also have their touching fists symbol. Players for both teams, especially from Flamengos and São Paulo, ar known to represent these 'expressions' after scoring a goal in the pitch, driving the hard-core fans crazy with proud. Depending on the club the Torcidas Organizadas can have a certain level of influence in the confines and politically within the clubs; notably Gaviões da Fiel have a considerable amount of power in Corinthians as do their rivals Mancha Verde in Palmeiras; who were single handly responsible for the demise of players like Vagner Love and Diego Souza to move on to other clubs. Yet Independente have little to no influence over São Paulo FC.
The Brazilian influence stretched into Europe through Torcida Split, a formal association of Hajduk Split FC fans in the Croatian Dalmatia region. Thanks to Torcida Split, many other Torcida organized supporters' groups were created, among them rapidly growing and acting Górnik Zabrze fans, called Torcida Górnik.
Generally speaking, the torcidas organizadas have a different supporting style: they sing all the time, usually the anthem of the club or songs that are known even to those that are not part of a torcida. These songs are usually played along with drum beats and other musical instruments, although most are not allowed inside the stadiums. Other significant difference are the enormous flags that are made and expected by everyone in the stadiums. The torcidas usually display a team logo, or even a gigantic team shirt, but a constant in these flags is a reference to the torcida that made them.
The reason why torcidas sing all the time is because they believe it's important to support the team, no matter what's going on on the field. That's why it is so common to see the crowd singing, even if the opposing team has just scored a goal. However, during the half-time, the torcidas tend to organize small protests that are directed to the team manager or the team president, in order to express their dissatisfaction with recent decisions or even long-standing promises that are not being honored.
As for what concerns the players, the torcidas usually try not to point out a player who's not putting all of his best efforts to work. As matter of fact, many supporters who belong to torcidas cannot stand anyone around them criticizing the players, what usually results in brawls in the middle of the crowd. However, is quite common to torcidas to ask for a substitution, generally just by chanting the name of the player they wish to see playing. Although some believe such practice seems to diminish the other players' efforts, this situation is quite common in stadiums.
Torcida is also a surname most common in Spain, but with Irish origin.