Futebol

Que a Brasil l'esport nacional és el futbol no és cap secret. Ho sap tothom. O almenys tothom que ha nascut en un pais on el futbol és l'esport nacional i que ha vist, tota la seva vida, una gran quantitat de jugadors brasilers en els equips de la seva lliga. Però és que, honestament, no m'extranya. I és que tothom juga a futbol miris cap a on miris. Els nens de les faveles hi juguen, els nens del carrer hi juguen, els no tan nens hi juguen... fins i tot pots veure com, les parelles a la platja, enlloc de jugar a pales, es regatejen amb una bola de futbol. Regatejar-se a la parella!

Els que em conegueu una mica sabreu que a títol futbolístic sobren els comentaris de mi. Però pels que no, que sapigueu que jo tinc dues cames esquerra a l'hora de jugar a futbol; per això a aquí a Estats Units jugo a futbol americà i a Japó jugava a beisbol. Això és per que s'ho va endur tot el meu germà (o l'hi vaig deixar jo, ja que jo vaig venir abans). La cosa és que ell si que ha jugat bastant per aqui, i diu que al·lucina de com juguen els brasilers inclús descalços sobre l'asfalt. Si els trepitjes no noten res. Al xutar la pilota arrosseguen el peu per l'asfalt com si portéssin botes. Qualsevol lloc pot ser un camp improvisat, i a les faveles no tenen aigua corrent però si camps de futbol (almenys a la favela de Santa Marta). Practiquen moltíssim i no importa les condicions, siguin bones o dolentes. En el cas de la foto, uns tocs a la platja d'Ipanema mentre es pon el sol ho podriem classificar com condicions bones. No? 

The fact that the national sport in Brazil is football ("real football, the one that you actually play with the feet) is not a secret. Everybody knows that. Or at least anyone who was born in a country were the national sport was football and saw how most of the teams in the league had brazilians in them. But the thing is that, honestly, it doesn't surprise me. Everywhere you look around, you can spot people playing football. Kids in "favelas" play it, kids in the street play it, not-any-longer kids play it... you can even see how couples dribble themselves. Imagine dribbling your own couple! Better not.

Those that know me a little bit will be aware that comments on my football proficiency level are unnecessary. But for those who don't know me, I'll tell you that I have two left legs when playing football; that's why in USA I play american football (the one you mainly play with your hands) and in Japan I played baseball. This is because all of the football-proficiency was taken by my brother, leaving none for me. The thing is that he has been playing here and says that he is amazed how brazilians play even on their bare feet on the street. If you step on their feet, they won't even inmute. When they kick the ball, they drag the foot over the concrete like if they were wearing boots. And anywhere is a good place to improvise a football court. In the "favela", they don't have tap water but they have football courts (at least in Santa Marta). They practice a lot no matter the conditions, either good or bad. The photograph is of a guy practicing in the beach of Ipanema during a sunset. We could classify that as good conditions, couldn't we?