The Next Ronaldinho???

I highly doubt it.  However, I did play in my first Brasilian futebol game last night, and it was as fun as I imagined it would be.  I scored two goals and one was the goal of the game (please forgive my lack of humility but it was good!).  I think I even impressed the Brasileiros, which I guess is all you can ask for as an Amerian playing futebol in South America.  As most of you know, the game of soccer means everything to the people of Brasil.  To those playing the game, however, it's almost like a dance (the locals compare it to the samba).  It is total and utter enjoyment and it runs parallel to everything else in the country.  From my perspective, the most glaring difference in the game between here and the U.S. is the total respect everyone has for each other.  It was a friendly game, nonetheless, it was far different from what I am used to.  During training in the U.S. we play lots of games and it seems that everyone is constantly bitching to each other on both teams (fouls, ball out of bounds or not out of bounds, somebody missed a pass, or whatever).  I'm ashamed to say that I'm just as guilty as anyone.  Last night guys were calling their own fouls, happily encouraging each other, and just enjoying the game in full.  Two times there were disagreements on fouls and both times each player kept conceding to the other guy in an effort to keep the pace of play and show respect.  Needless to say, I strongly believe that those of us who enjoy the game of soccer can learn a great deal from the jugadores (players) here in Brasil.  Maybe I can convince the Olympic Club to let the team travel to Brasil on a soccer cultural improvement mission.  ;)

I was invited to the futebol game by a Brasilian guy I met through a friend.  As with everyone else I have encountered here, he has been extremely friendly and welcoming to me.  He is married and has several companies so it's not like he is lacking for things to do.  However, he is always inviting me to surf, to go to churrascos (BBQ's), and recently to play on his futebol team. One of the more interesting aspects of Brasilian culture is that most people work several different jobs, and typically none of them are related.  As it has been explained to me, it's almost like a hedge in the event that one of the jobs is experiencing difficulty.  My friend Guga owns a scooter rental shop and an ice cream distributing business (talk about a hedge!).  The Brasilians are very resourceful people, and I'm beginning to respect them more and more each day....