Soccer In Brasil

Culture in Brazil (especially focusing on soccer)

Brazil is a big country. I mean, huge. It’s the biggest country in South America. It consists of 8,511,996 square kilometers, including all of its oceanic islands. Its full, official name is the Federative Republic of Brazil, and the most recent consensus counted the total population as 188,078,22 Brazilians. So now that you know the basic statistics of Brazil, I can relate to you the actual topic of this paper- Brazilian culture, with an emphasis on soccer (Brazil, pp. 1-5). Soccer is a source of great national pride for Brazil, and it is a huge passion for Brazilians of all ages.

First, of course, the history of the Brazilian national soccer team. Charles Miller brought futebol, which means soccer in Portuguese, to Brazil in 1885. At first, it was only practiced in private clubs by young men from elite and rich families. The Brazilian Football Confederation was founded in 1914. The national soccer team, also founded in 1914 and affiliated with FIFA (FÐ"©dÐ"©ration Internationale de Football Association) in 1923, has participated in the World Cup eighteen times since 1930. In fact, it is the only team to have never missed a World Cup participation. It has won a total of five times (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002), making Brazil’s soccer team the most successful team in FIFA world cup history (Brazil Soccer Team). This means that the team is ranked as the number one football team in the world. Brazil has more professional soccer teams than any other country involved with soccer.

In case you were wondering, Charles Miller has not been forgotten in Brazil. He was such an important guy, they named his favorite ball trick after him. It’s his famous trick of flicking the ball up with the heel, and it is now called the 'chaleira', after 'Charles'. Also, he has a street named after him in central Sao Paulo, called the Praca Charles Miller.

In addition to the national Brazilian football team, there is a plethora of individual state and regional teams. The most popular teams are in the states of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, and Minas Gerais and Rio Grande do Sul also have strong teams (Football in Brazil).

Since the 16th century, traditional Iberian, indigenous, and African values have been blended together to create a unique Brazilian society and culture. Brazil is surprisingly unified, considering its diverse population. One thing that makes Brazil different from other countries is that foreigners have occupied it for much less time than most countries. Thus, it can become more blended as a single Brazilian people, as opposed to being influenced by outside cultures. Brazilian culture is a blend of Portuguese, African, and Amerindian influences (Brazil, 128). Its people come from all over the world, and they have helped to build Brazil’s own culture and the largest multi-racial democracy in the world (Muller). This lifestyle may be a product of an Iberian and colonial heritage of diverse ethnic groups living together, a weaker central authority ruled by the Portuguese crown, and day-to-day methods of resistance to abuse and manipulation (Brazil 126).

The relaxed attitude of Brazilians is a result of the fact that laws are imposed from the outside, as opposed to laws being made for the common good. This attitude comes from cultural values in support of conciliation, tolerance, and cordiality. There is a Portuguese saying that encompasses the essence of the Brazilian people. “NinguÐ"©m Ð"© de ferro.” It translates to “No one is made of iron” (Brazil, 128). Brazilians are known for their informality, good nature, and charm, also their desire to be well liked.

For many years after Miller brought soccer to Brazil, only wealthy young men played the sport. But after years of discrimination against poor people and black people, soccer was changed into a professional activity and sport in 1933. It quickly became a Brazilian obsession, and Brazilians often refer to their country as "o paÐ"­s do futebol" ("the football country"). Over 10,000 Brazilians play professionally at home and all over the world. This spread the influence of the game to all economic classes and social levels. It became extremely popular in schools, club, and factories. Thus, many blacks and mulattos who lived in low-income areas started playing soccer.

Another factor in the countrywide participation in the game of soccer in Brazil is the fact that the rules are simple. Also, there is very little equipment or training involved, and it can be played almost anywhere there is space. Moreover, anyone with any level of skill can play, meaning that great athleticism is not really required to have a fun time. The game, (on a non-competitive level), is played by children before, during, and after school as a means of exercise, camaraderie, and fun. Of course, if adult soccer players plan on playing competitively like many Brazilians, they may want to get in shape. Brazilian soccer players have a reputation for being agile, fast, and conditioned.

The “Brazilian style” of soccer is unique, and possibly a reflection of its multiracial society. All of the fundamentals of the game are included such as passing, shooting, and heading. However, the basic method of “dribbling” has been perfected and expanded upon by the Brazilians. Brazilian soccer players are taught to keep the ball in short spaces when trapped by many opponents (What is Brazilian Style?). Also, as a core Brazilian way of life, they play with agility, ease, and looseness that sometimes can be misinterpreted as laxness. Those that think Brazilians are lazy, however, should be ready to get their butts whooped. Brazil's unique style is also characterized by a lot of creativity, rhythm, and something also like dancing. The great "foot ability" that Brazilian soccer