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Football is the prominent sport in
Brazil.
The
National Team has won the
FIFA World Cup
tournament a record five times
and is the only team to have never missed a
World Cup
participation.
Pelé,
one of the most recognized footballers in history, led
Brazil to two of those championships and is the top scorer
of all time in the sport. The contemporary talents in the football
world include
Robinho,
Elano,
Marta,
Ronaldinho,
Kaká.
Some of these players can be considered super-stars.
The
Brazilian Football
Confederation was founded in 1914. Football
quickly became a passion for Brazilians, who often refer to
their country as "the country of football". Over 10,000 Brazilians play
professionally all over the world.
Football has a major effect on
Brazilian culture.
It is the favorite pastime of youngsters playing
football on streets. The World Cup draws Brazilians together, with
people skipping work to view the national team play, or employers
setting up apparatus for employees to watch.
The
great "foot ability" that the players had could be related to the physical
coordination and rhythm associated with the capoeira, Brazilian martial arts,
and samba which are characterized by footsteps to dance or to play
under the rhythm of African drums. Brazilian football is known for
its trickery, fast flowing and attacking style of play.
For
anyone that follows soccer, it is
evident that the Brazilians play differently. The incredible dribbling ability
of Brazilian players in addition to their superb
body control are only two of the elements which sets them apart.
The Brazilian football player, perhaps most importantly, is creative.
Brazilians play carefree and happy. “When you think of Brazil you
think of samba, smiling, and dancing. The way in which Brazilians
play soccer is a direct reflection of how Brazilians live their lives. |
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GLOSSARY
prominent: destacado; has won: ha ganado; five times: cinco veces; missed: perdido; World Cup: Copa Mundial;
recognized: reconocidos; led: llevó, condujo; championships: campeonatos; top scorer: máximo goleador; contemporary: contemporáneos; players: jugadores; became: se convirtió en; refer to: se refieren a; pastime: pasatiempo; youngsters: jóvenes; draws Brazilians together: une a los brasileros; skipping work: faltando al trabajo; setting up: instalando; footsteps: pasos; drums: tambores; trickery: astucia; anyone: cualquier persona; soccer: fútbol (USA); in addition to: además de; superb: estupendo, maravilloso; sets them apart: los diferencia, los distingue; perhaps: quizás, tal vez; carefree: despreocupados; the way in which: la forma en que. |
