So I’ve watched the last two games Brazil played. One was an embarrassment, and the second was unfortunate, but not heartbreaking. ESPN’s coverage of the tournament has been comprehensive with expert analysis. However with regard to knowledge about the host country, and portraying “what all this means”, they and many other sports journalists have been rather clueless.
Some insight… I am not Brazilian, nor am I an expert on the country. My portuguese is shamefully bad. I am however married to a Brazilian ( My two youngest children hold dual citizenship and I know a lot of friends and family there.) Nor can I say I have a good overview of all regions of the country– most of my visits have been to Sâo Paulo and the surrounding areas. Nevertheless, I’ve been there more than a typical tourist has been, and have read a fair amount about both Brazil’s present and past.
The point is that Brazil is not a country composed solely of emotional, passionate people. It is a nation that has offered the world much in the way of the arts (especially in music), architecture, and the sciences. (Brazilian scientists designed artificial legs controlled by brainwaves for paraplegics, and FIFA did their best to limit Brazil from showcasing that before any games.) Brazil is also the most socially networked nation on earth.
This is why I (along with my wife and her family) bristle when we hear announcers or studio anchors talk about “a national tragedy”, with an Argentine win being the final humiliation. Of course many Brazilians are embarrassed. We would be too, if our nation’s favorite sport had a national team that underperformed. Then we would realize that It’s just a game and move on. As will Brazil. Would there be debate? Of course, as there will be in Brazil. Would most people riot because of the loss? No, and neither would most in Brazil. Will the the current party holding power be replaced? Maybe, but it won’t be due to how the team played on the field.
Talk of tragedy, and how will this affect the people is ignorant hyperbole. In case you missed it, Brazilians recently conducted many protests about the country’s current levels of inequality. Those protests weren’t about how well the team played or would play, they were mostly about why the government chose to devote its resources to stadiums when education and health systems were being neglected. It was and still is a valid argument to have– as it is in America.
Regardless of whether or not Brazil should have devoted its resources to hosting the World Cup, they seem to have done a pretty good job of it. And whether or not they should have tried to spread the games to the entire country, they did, and that is no small achievement. The country can be proud that it put on a good show, no matter how well the national team performed. Brazil has some serious problems– corruption, inequality, and a an overeager national police. The performance of its soccer team is pretty low on the list, and thankfully the people know that.