Everyone loves Brazil

[boyofbadgers]

Except that they don't. Maybe.

I was going to write an entry wondering how on earth the Brazilian football team maintain their unusual levels of popularity among fans from other countries. Is it memories of amazing sides past? Is it Ronaldinho's cheeky grin? Or is it because of complex socio-economic factors and/or patronising Western views of plucky poor kids playing barefoot on the beach?

But after reading a fair bit of criticism, both pre and post last night's match, it increasingly looks like your average punter is starting to get sick of the media's sycophantic coverage of Brazil. It remains to be be seen whether this will translate over time into actual dislike of the team, or even ambivalence towards them, but it might just be the first step on the road towards Manchester United style hatred.

So, as is traditional, a poll:

[Poll #747774]

Comments

[tansu.livejournal.com]

I like the nicknames very much. (Cafu has a great derivation behind it, it being short for the name of a past Brazil player who today's Cafu was said to play a bit like when he was younger. Like if we called Rio Ferdinand "Bobby" because when he was a kid people said he could be the next Bobby Moore.)

England should follow suit and have "Lamps" "Becks" "Stevie G" etc on their shirts.

(yes of course this is a stupid thing to say because as you rightly point out it's due to an aspect of Brazilian culture which doesn't really exist in English culture)