Brazilian Soccer - 4 Reasons Why Their National Team Is Better Than Yours

If you know anything about football, or soccer as it is often known in North America, you’ll know that the national team to beat is Brazil. Known for its fast flowing nature, trickery and attacking style, the Brazilian squad has been terrifying oppositions in World Cup matches for decades. If you were in any doubt about the chances of your national squad beating Brazil, these 4 points should put you straight.

1) Brazilians want to win more than your team
Football in Brazil is close to a religion, and everyone from players to managers to spectators take it very, very seriously. To illustrate, three hours before an international match, you’ll be out of options to deposit a cheque because all the banks close, allowing their employees to prepare for the game. Brazilians also accept nothing less than a win as a result, viewing a draw as a loss. Up against that attitude, you won’t stand much of a chance on the pitch or supporting from the sidelines.

2) Brazilians have the best players in the World
The ultra-rich European leagues are widely regarded as the best in the World, and they are flooded with Brazilians; 600 players to be exact. Superstars such as Robinho, Ronaldinho and Kaka dominate the English, Italian and Spanish leagues, commanding huge salaries and advertising contracts with big name sporting brands. To crown it all, the best player in the history of soccer is a Brazilian. Pele (Also known as the slightly less memorable Edison Arantes do Nascimento) was voted number one in the 2000 FIFA “Player of the Century” poll, amongst numerous other player and fan awards. Scoring an incredible 1281 goals in 1363 games, his talent is qualified by more than just opinion.

3) The Brazilian national team is a priority
As salaries for European teams climb higher, league teams are frequently accused of prioritising “club over country”, with players encouraged by their coaches to focus on international competitions such as the UEFA cup more than those of the national squad, such as the World Cup. Not so in Brazil. Brazilian players have the tendency to view competing in the higher standard of the European leagues as an opportunity to develop and refine their skills in order to stand a better chance for national selection.

4) The Brazilian team is the most successful in the World
The statistics speak for themselves; with 5 World cup wins, Brazil are the most prolific national team on the planet. They are the only team to have qualified for every single World Cup, and their dominance of Latin American football is demonstrated by their successful retention of the Copa America in 2007.

Next time you jog out onto a pitch to play against the Brazilian team (hey, it could happen!) or sit down to watch an international match, be sparing on the optimism; you’ll be betting against some of the most competent and accomplished players on the planet.

Author: Gary Sargent - Escaped to Peru / Escaped to Latin America

Capoeira - Martial Arts To Prepare For A Brazil Vacation

It’s commonly acknowledged that if you share something in common with people from your travel destination, you’ll have no problem connecting with locals. Cricket in India, surfing in Australia, tango in Argentina; there will always be a lively conversation around the next corner if you’re an enthusiast or a practitioner.

One of the great Brazilian passions is Capoeira (cap-o-wear-a), a mixture of martial art and dance that was developed some time after the 16th century by African slaves in Brazil. Under the watchful eye of their captors, the slaves developed a way to practise their fighting techniques disguised as a traditional dance. Capoeira spread from Brazil rapidly in the 1970s, and is now practised all over the world in a wide variety of forms from its original state.

If you’d like to be able to break some common ground with Brazilians either over a conversation or by jogo (game or match), here are some suggestions to be well prepared.

Listen to Brazilian music and do some dancing
Brazil has a rich culture of music and dancing, so if you’ve got two left feet you should try and learn to loosen up a bit. Get together with a group of friends and check out a Brazilian music venue, or even put on some samba at home to dance to if you can’t bear the thought of showing your moves in public.

Build up strength in your body
Capoeira can be a very physical dance with constant, flowing movement and combatants often being on their hands as much as their feet, so try doing some regular excercises to build up some strength. Handstands, push-ups and cartwheels will be useful. If you do an existing martial art, try doing it to music to adjust to constant movement.

Learn about the music, instruments and etiquette of a Capoeira ‘game’
A match or ‘game’ isn’t just about the dancers; musical instruments and singing also play a large part in the experience as the match can change depending on the tempo of the music and all movements are synchronized with the band. With different songs for the different elements of the match, you’ll get much more out of the experience with a bit of research. You’ll also probably want to know why both combatants may begin walking in a circle (a Volta ao mundo), why they swing around in a trianglar step pattern (Ginga) or how one combatant signals to another for a ritual within the match (a Chamada). Check out Wikipedia for a more complete explanation of the terms, customs and elements of Capoeira.

Attend a class or watch some online tuition videos to get the basic moves
Once you’re a bit clearer about the intricacies of the dance, you can try mastering the basics. If you prefer to turn up to a class with a bit of experience under your belt, try searching the Internet for some instructional videos; plenty exist. If you would rather get to grips with Capoeira under the helpful eye of an instructor, search your local listings for a class and get signed up. As with any dance or martial art, it’s worth making a commitment of a few months and being disciplined by turning up to every class; results only come with time and frequent, dedicated practise.

If you’ve made it all the way to this point, you’ll have enough Capoeira knowledge under your belt to be able to strike up a conversation with anybody spinning around in the typical uniform of white trousers and t-shirt. From there, who knows where your Brazilian vacation could lead!

Author: Gary Sargent - Escaped to Peru / Escaped to Latin America