Brynn Barineau

Category: Brazil’s History & Politics

  • World Cup Trivia

    World Cup Trivia

    Americans are embracing soccer as never before.  According to FIFA, Americans bought more tickets to the World Cup than any nation other than South Africa.  Last Saturday, more than 17 million Americans watched the US play England, a larger audience than the first 4 NBA playoff games and twice the size of the audience for the Stanley Cup final. (Apparently, the Stanley Cup is a championship for some weird ice-soccer game.)

    While Americans are watching more soccer, by Brazilian standards we’re still novice fans.  If we want to call ourselves true fans,  than we need to have an appreciation of the history of the Cup. Here are some facts you can use to impress any Brazilian you might run into during the World Cup.  Toss a few of these out in conversation and you’re sure to earn his or her respect as a fellow soccer fan.

    Very Important World Cup Trivia
    1. Brazil has won more World Cups than any other country.  They are penta-champions, hence the five stars around the logo on their jerseys.

    2.  Brazil is the only country to have qualified for every World Cup.  That’s 19 Cups if you want to sound extra impressive.

    3.  Brazil holds the record for most consecutive wins in World Cup play.  They won 11 straight games from 2002 – 2006.

    4.  Brazil also holds the record for most games without a loss, 13 from 1958 – 1966.

    5.  Pelé has an accent at the end of his name which puts the stress on the second syllable.  His name is correctly pronounced pay-LAY, similar to the word touche. And he’s the greatest soccer player to have ever lived. (Maradona is from Argentina and therefore not eligible for consideration.)

    6.  Maracanã, the world’s largest soccer stadium, was built for the 1950 World Cup in Brazil.  173,000 ticket holders came to Maracanã to watch the final between Brazil and Uruguay but officials estimate there were actually more than 200,000 people in the stadium.  (Btw, Brazil lost that final, a fact you might want to avoid in conversation.)

    7.  Brazil will once again host the World Cup in 2014.

    8.  Brazilians call soccer the jogo bonito, beautiful game, and superior skill on the field is futbol-arte, football art.

    9.  Brazil has been, is and will be the best soccer team in the world.  Forever and ever.  Amen.

    You probably only need to use that last fact to impress the Brazilian.  That plus a joke about Argentina and you’ll be embraced as a fellow soccer lover in no time.

  • The World Cup aka The Single, Most Exciting & Greatest Event Ever

    The World Cup aka The Single, Most Exciting & Greatest Event Ever

    In case you’ve recently emerged from a cave or live in the United States, the World Cup, the global soccer tournament which occurs once every four years, began last Friday.  Well, it technically began last Friday.  As far as Brazil is concerned the World Cup truly begins today.  Today, Brazil plays it opening game against North Korea.

    I grew up playing soccer but being a soccer fan in the US is tough.  In terms of media hype, international soccer ranks above curling and below high school football championships.  That trend is changing but, Americans have, at most, a passing interest in it.  Brazilians, on the other hand, have a fanatical obsession that if directed at any other object would require medical treatment.

    Every building I’ve walked into over the last week, from banks to grocery stores to juice bars, is decorated with Brazilian flags.  Green and yellow streamers hang over the streets.  Walking in Leblon, I came across an intersection that had been repainted as the Brazilian flag.  While I’m writing this, I can hear Brazil’s version of the vuvuzela being blown and the game doesn’t start for 6 hours.

    The World Cup is everywhere.  In the grocery store, all soda, candy and chips have soccer themed packaging. The tournament is on the front page of every newspaper and covered in every broadcast.  Every commercial features groups of green and yellow clad fans having what is clearly the best time of their lives.   I can only imagine how lonely a non-fan must feel right now because the media’s message is pretty clear.  If you are not watching the World Cup, then you are an eccentric and probably dangerous recluse who is missing the greatest party and most thrilling display of human athleticism ever.

    So as not to miss out on the party, I’m going to put on my Brazil jersey and watch what the commercials promise to be the most exciting sporting of my life or at least of the next four years.

    Don’t miss it!  Brazil v. North Korea  2:30pm EST

  • Combatting Hypertension and Puritans

    Rio has a way of bringing out the Puritan in me.  I see a fourteen year-old girl in a thong and I’m thrown into what can only be described as a tizzy.  I turned into a flustered grandmother when handed a government sponsored condom upon arrival at the Carnaval parade.  My husband says not to be too hard on myself.  He says I’m just a product of my culture.

    I’d like to protest but he’s right.  Americans are so uptight about sex.  Brazilians seems to be more open about sex and the fact that people actually have it.  This open attitude is certainly embraced by the ministry of health as demonstrated by their carnaval themed condoms and a report they issued last week.

    A new study shows the rate of hypertension in Brazil has risen from 21.5% in 2006 to 24.4% of the population in 2009.  Hypertension is a problem the US and Brazil share but Brazil seems to be taking a slightly different approach to combatting the problem.

    As part of fighting hypertension, the health minister recommends, “besides eating five portions of fruits a day, you could try to have sex five times a day.”

    Take a minute and try to imagine an American cabinet member or any government official saying those words to the press.  If your head hasn’t exploded from trying to visualize something so inconceivable, move on to imagining the voices of the FOX news pundits.  And finally, picture the headline a week later announcing the resignation of this official.

    Here in Brazil, the newspaper article acknowledged the minister was joking and further quoted him seriously recommending, “dance, sex, a change in diet” and physical activity as ways to combat high blood pressure.  Then the article went on to discuss the report in greater detail.

    A government official recommends sex five times a day and the reporter focuses on hypertension statistics?  What is wrong with these people?

    As far as I know, the health minister still has his job and no reports have come in of children irrevocably damaged from hearing their government acknowledge that there are physical benefits from a healthy sex life.

    But before anyone starts applying for residency visas, a word of caution.  While Brazilians have fewer hang ups about sex, the country is far from being a bastion of liberal values.  If any daughters result from these hypertension treatments, good luck convincing their fathers to let them play soccer.  Soccer turns girls into lesbians.

    Now, if you’ll excuse me.  I’ve had french fries a few times this week and my husband is out of town.  I’ll just have to go to the gym.