Why Brazil Will Win the 2014 World Cup
Unlike other football tournaments the World Cup relies solely on the national development of its own players. After my studies and time in Brazil I have enhanced my understanding of football and its representation within Brazilian culture. Football in Brazil is not a simply a sport, but an industry. Here, the focus of many clubs is based on creating the next Pele’s, Kaka’s and Ronaldo’s and exporting their talent in exchange for money. It all starts with the programs in place in Brazil which start at the age of 11. According to research done by Koslowsky & Botelho which compared brazilian and portuguese learning practices. The brazilian training facilities showed strengths in taking the technical aspects of training and applying them to the game (Koslowsky & Botelho). Unlike most other countries, Brazil has privately owned training facilities such as Trieste Stadium and NB Futsal which get rented out by clubs such as the two I have been in contact with in Curitiba, notably Atletico Paranese and Coritiba. These top of the line facilities help soccer clubs by training their future stars and by determining those who will become professionals and those who won’t. At the age of 14 the best players are given contracts with the clubs intentions of making profits on them. For those who don’t make it big in football (which in Brazil is 98% of children who play, according to a guest speaker from Atletico) there are very limited options. Due to the lack of options many highly skilled players are left with very little education due to their dedication to football. This leaves them often resorting to blue collar jobs or football related professions such as coaching due their expertise in the field. Brazil pools its resources to benefit the best but does very little for those who want to enjoy the game. Since the last president Luis Silva (aka Lula) even university sports including football have been canceled.
One might ask themselves why is it that these children are so committed to playing for these massive football clubs. The answer lies within the economic situation of Brazil. Here in Brazil as of 2005, 42% of children are living in poverty (Bodack). Many see sports like football as their only way out of their current lifestyle. Especially considering the fact that they cannot afford post secondary schooling and don't have access to the same kind of learning experience as the other more affluent kids. As our professor Nick Holt mentioned it greatly reminds me of the situation many children in the USA are faced with when trying to get out of the ghetto and make a living through professional basketball. This amazing opportunity of making it out of the favela is also supported greatly by the media portraying stars such as Neymar and Pele who came from nothing and became rich and famous by playing a game many children love to play. Moreover, the sport can be played in almost any environment making it readily available to almost all children in Brazil.
With the motive to be the best, the feasibility to play anywhere, the proper coaching offered by its many masters and the ever present facilities offered to the top prospects, no wonder people are saying Brazil has the best chances at winning the 2014 World Cup.
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