10-03-07, 9:32 am

On September 26, 2007 at Hangzhou, China a revolution was born that would shake the world—a revolution in the world of Fútbol, commonly known in North America as “soccer.” It was not only a great victory for the Brazilian people and the women who won that match against the American team on a pitch in China, it was also a confirmation to the world that you do not necessarily have to have vast amounts of funding, a healthy bank account, commercial endorsements, or manicured practice fields to win the World Cup.

There was something else that these Brazilian women fútbol players offered the world besides their skillful strategies: their ability at the art of playing the game. Whether watching the match on our TV sets, or from a seat in the stadium at Hangzhou, one could witness what the Brazilian people call ‘fútbol-arte’, or art football. However, this is only one aspect of this historical match between the women from Brazil and the United States women’s team; there are political and social factors worth noting as well.

The majority of the players on the U.S. national women’s soccer team are middle-class Anglo Americans with a background of higher education, privileges that most Third World women can only dream about. Most of the women Brazilian players are Black or of mixed blood, many of whom have roots in working class districts, where adversity has nonetheless contributed to the players’ greatness and strengths by teaching them to fight in the conflict on the pitch.

Alex Bellos, in his book Fûtbol: The Brazilian Way of Life, examines the contention of Sócrates B.S. de Souza Viera de Oliveria, the great Brazilian midfielder, that “Brazilian football has whitened.” Blacks, according to Sócrates, have more natural aptitude.[1] Although there has been an emergence of white Brazilian males among the professional fútbol teams, the Brazilian women players have more than counter-balanced this trend of “whitening” with their zest for the game, the tenacity of their Brazilian male coaches and trainers, and the support of Brazilian population, however minimally that support sometimes is.

Since the dictatorship of the ‘seventies there has been a progression towards a social revolution in Brazil where even soccer players have a role to play. It was the great Sócrates who organized the “Corinthians Democracy”, a “utopian socialist cell” whereby soccer players on the professional Corinthian team wore the slogan “Vote on the Fifteenth” on the backs of their soccer jerseys for the elections that were to be held in November 1982, the first in a series of steps to overthrow the military dictatorship. When we see Brazilian women players like Marta and Cristiane, we are reminded that their historical love of fútbol is manifest in the overall political struggle now taking place in the nation of Brazil.

The natural, momentous exhilaration among the Brazilian women was infectious to anyone who loves the game of soccer or allies themselves with world political progress. Their playfulness, combined with well-disciplined team efforts as they battled the Americans on the pitch with audacious shots on goal, was exciting to watch. This game will be remembered as a Classic, a soccer match that mirrors the society and culture of both countries that will be studied by soccer coaches, social scholars, and political scientists in years to come. Marta, the Brazilian team’s great forward said, “It was [a] very difficult game but we produced, I think, a perfect performance. We are creating history by making the Final that is not down to me; it is down to a great performance by our team. To be the best player in them all has always been my target, that is why I work so hard on and off the field. But without my team-mates I am nothing.” [2]

What Marta alluded to was the dramatic social forces now unfolding in Brazil that are a reflection of the teammates themselves. The Brazilian team’s most energetic and forceful players, such as Maycon and Formiga—are both Black players, and the lynchpin in creating the technical and formidable attacks and defensive plays that day.

Controversy was not absent in this game, surfacing when Greg Ryan, coach of the American team changed goalies in the Brazilian v. American semi-final match. He replaced Hope Amelia Solo, an Anglo American and starting goalie for the team, with Briana Scurry, an African American. Much discussion occurred on both sides of this issue over this matter. Ms. Solo comes from a working-class family and recently lost her father, a veteran of the Vietnam War who had suffered psychological problems from that war. Scurry has had to endure racial prejudice, regardless of whether she was the goalie of the American women’s national soccer team or not. Both women have struggled to maintain equality as a citizen and athlete within their own country, not unlike their Brazilian adversaries, who have yet to be recognized for having overcome similar obstacles.

Although the mainstream media attempted to play down the tendency to look for a scapegoat, the blame-game continued. “Changing Keepers Doesn’t Pay for U.S. in Semifinals” one such headline touted in an article that professed it difficult “to imagine a more complete collapse” for the US in its 4-0 defeat at the hands of Brazil in this year’s World Cup match. [3] Tony DiCicco, former head coach of the national team, was quick to condemn the current USA coach, arrogantly and self-righteously proclaiming that Greg Ryan has “lost some credibility with his team.” It is always easy to be an arm-chair coach, especially when you are a well-paid commentator like Mr. DiCicco, yet another example of American capitalism, pitting former and present leadership for national sports teams against one another.

On September 30, the Brazilian women’s soccer team lost to the great German soccer team in Shanghai, China. While the Brazilian coach talked about obtaining more investors to support the Brazilian women’s team, the player Marta was more politically forthcoming: “We are going to lose the game again if we don’t fight to increase the level of administration in Brazilian football. we can’t leave again with promises, like what happened after the Olympics in 2004.” [4] In the game, Marta swiveled and turned against her opponents, not unlike the late Garrincha on the Brazilian men’s national soccer team. But Marta is also a modern player, like Ronaldinho of Barcelona’s men’s soccer team; she knows that simply being a great fútbol player is not enough—one cannot ignore the politics of the sport.

That the Brazilian women’s national team, with so little economic and political recourses, was able to beat a country like the United States is itself a profound achievement, both athletically and politically, that will endure for decades.

Notes: 1. Alex Bellos, Futebol: The Brazilian Way of Life. ( London: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2002., p. 360. ) 2. www.fifa.com/women worldcup/mathces/round. 9/27/2007 3. “Changing Keepers doesn’t Pay for U.S. in Semifinals”, in The New York Times, C17, 09/28/07. 4. Chris Lines, “Germany Retains Women’s World Cup Title”, The Washington Post, 9/30/07.