Sports
Football, a national passion
By Elegie Santini
April 2006
"In Brazil, football is not a sport. It's a ball's game, where astuteness and dribbling are a must. It's a game that reflects the nationality of a country dominated by the passion for the ball.
"In Brazil, football is not a sport. It's a ball's game, where astuteness and dribbling are a must. It's a game that reflects the nationality of a country dominated by the passion for the ball.
During a game, Brazilian players may forget the objective of scoring goals, so convinced they are that the virtue without happiness is a contradiction."
("The Country of the Ball", Betty Milan)
Two simple wooden sticks or two stones are good enough to mark the goals. A couple of old socks or crushed paper can turn into a ball. Once chosen the teams, the game starts bringing magic with it. Behind the ball runs anyone: black, white, fat and slim guys, rich and poor. Everybody united by the same passion: football.
This sport that mobilises the Brazilians, as any other sport does, has its origins in 2500 BC in China, having reached the Ancient Japan, Greece and Rome. In the Medieval Italy it was transformed in a game called gioco de calcio, played in public squares by 27 players in each team whose objective would be to bring the ball to the posts installed in the two corners of the square.
According to specialists, gioco de calcio was brought to England approximately in the 17's century. The game then starts getting new rules and become more organized and systematised The measurements of the field are established, as well as the two posts installed in the extremes of the field, that would be called "goal".
It is also established that the ball would be made of leather and inflated with air. With clear and objective rules, football was then practised by students and the English aristocracy, and little by little getting more and more popular.
It is also established that the ball would be made of leather and inflated with air. With clear and objective rules, football was then practised by students and the English aristocracy, and little by little getting more and more popular.
In 1863 the Football Association is founded in England and the first championships are organized among teams formed by workers from the various factories that abounded in the country.
That is when people started identifying themselves with their football clubs, be it for community, cultural or even religious reasons. Later, in 1894, football arrives in Brazil, brought by Charles Miller, a Brazilian born in the traditional district of Bras, in São Paulo.
When Miller goes to England to study, he learns the sport and brings back in his luggage the first soccer ball and a couple of rules. Miller was not only the "father of Brazilian soccer", but also the first player to distinguish himself in the country due to his extreme ability.
It doesn't take long for the Brazilians to be more and more interested in the game and, in 1898, the students from the Mackenzie College in São Paulo found the Mackenzie Athletic Association, created with the sole purpose of playing football.
Soon after, other clubs were founded in various states of Brazil, like the São Paulo Athletic, Sport Club Internacional , Sport Club Germânia, Sport Club Rio Grande and Associação Atlética Ponte Preta, in Campinas.
In 1901 the São Paulo Football League is created. One year later Fluminense Futebol Clube is founded in Rio de Janeiro and Sport Club Corinthians Paulista in São Paulo. Flamengo appears in 1911.
With the creation of the first Brazilian Sports Federation in 1914, Brazilian football is already well organized and participates in its first international game, against the English team Exeter City, with a team formed by players from Rio and São Paulo.
Around 1922, the first Brazilian soccer 'stars' pop up, like Luis Macedo Mattoso, "Feitiço". However, the moment of glory – and tragedy – would come in 1950, when Brazil would host the first World Cup after World War II.
In the Maracanã stadium, built to house the Cup, people would watch some of the finest and unforgettable exhibitions of Brazilian strikers, like Ademir de Menezes - "Master" Zizinho - and Leônidas da Silva - the "Black Diamond" - who invented 'the overhead kick'. In each game, Brazilian passion would grow, fuelled by the magic of these stars. Nevertheless, as all passions, soccer also produces suffering, and this is what happened in that fatal July 16th game when, against all odds and expectations, Brazil lost the World Cup to Uruguay.
This happened in front of 200,000 people that muted Maracanã until the final whistle blow.
Everything died in that game, except the passion for soccer. Gradually energy picks up and, before the decade is over, Brazil would realize its maximum achievement with the Canary Team and the world would witness the birth of two of the major genius in soccer history: Garrincha and Pelé.
It was them – anonymous in 1950 – with their magic touches and dribbles, and commanded by a "prince" called Didi, who returned happiness to Brazilian hearts. Other conquests would be just a matter of time: in 1962, with a new show from Garrincha, and in 1970, led by "King" Pelé, Tostão, Clodoaldo, Gérson, Carlos Alberto Torres and Jairzinho, Brazil obtained the world tri-championship, unseen event in 40 years of world cups.
The rest is public knowledge: in 94 with Romários's fantastic performance, Brazil became tetra-champion and in 2002, at the first Cup hosted by two different countries, Ronaldo, "the Phenomenon" led Brazil to its penta-championship.
This is the "art soccer" of a country that has the most acrobatic players in the world. Dribble is a Brazilian invention and part of its tradition of "make-believe". This is why, in Brazil, soccer cannot be dissociated from "fun" which is our passion.
This is the "art soccer" of a country that has the most acrobatic players in the world. Dribble is a Brazilian invention and part of its tradition of "make-believe". This is why, in Brazil, soccer cannot be dissociated from "fun" which is our passion.
We have fun on our day-to-day activities, in Carnival and in soccer, because fun is part of our existence and constitutes a great spiritual resource of Brazilian society.
We are now approaching a new world cup where discussions heat up and hearts beat stronger. It is the "passion" that flows again. They say that in Brazil everyone is a "Coach". According to Paulo Cesar Vasconcellos "apart from being Coaches, every Brazilian is a player, an umpires or club president. Everybody knows tactics, game plans …". That is passion.
"Being world champions or not, we will always be the champions of the passion generated by a soccer ball" (Betty Milan)
Chronology and Curiosities of Soccer
· The first rules of the game were established in 1848, during a conference in Cambridge, England.
· Goalkeeper position was created in 1871.
· In 1875 the 90 minutes game duration was established.
· The penalty, a punishment for fouling inside the area, was instituted in 1891.
· In 1907, the offside rule was created.
· Oldest football club in Brazil: Sport Club Rio Grande, in 1900.
· First international game in football history: England x Scotland, 30 November 30 1871.
· First soccer game in Brazil: Gas Company x São Paulo Railway Company, 14 April 1895.
Did you know that Brazil was not always the Canary Selection ?
The green and yellow jersey, a symbol of the Brazilian team, was not the first Brazilian outfit. Until the 1954 World Cup, Brazil's jersey was white with blue collars. After the defeat to Uruguay, in 1950, Management decided to change the uniform and, for that, a national popular contest was launched in 1953. The basic criterion was for the uniform to have the four colours of the National Flag. The winner was a young "gaucho" (Southern Brazilian) of 19 years of age, Aldyr Garcia Schlee, who created the green and yellow uniform. This jersey made its debut in 1954, at the World Cup in Switzerland, and it was during that event that the radio commentator, Geraldo José de Almeida, coined the expression "Canary Team".
posted by Viva Brasil Magazine @ 7:40 PM
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