Day 6: The Secret to Brazilian Soccer?

Brazilian Clubs are Quite Good at Producing and Selling Players
(... And they have got better since players obtained more contractual freedom in the 1990s)

(Source: Damo, 2014). 

What do the following players have in common? 
Neymar, Fred, Alex, Oscar, Robinho, Ronaldinho, Pele (as well as players from other countries, like Ronaldo, Pele, Messi, and Xavi)...

They all played this game. It's call futsal.

OK, so futsal is played INDOORS. Why doesn't every Canadian kid just play futsal up to age 11? Did I mention it's played indoors?

You don't even need a fancy futsal court. You can have something like this, which I saw in Morretes on my first day:

You can even play it outdoors in the 3 months of Canadian summer. Look, an outdoor futsal field:

Favelas
As much as I have tried to resist believing it, everyone connected to soccer we have met so far has told us the majority of players come from the favelas and these players (and their families) see football as the only way to break the cycle of poverty and have better lives. To the cynic, the favelas provide an endless supply of kids that can be trained up (with little regard for their education) and then a couple of the top kids make it, while who cares what happens to the rest?

Even in favelas they have futsal

The 'secret' we can use in Canada: WE SHOULD PLAY FUTSAL UP TO AGE 11 

And Finally...

Here’s my routine for the past two days.

• 2.00am: Be awoken up my some screaming in street. Hear fireworks.
• 8.00am: To go gym. Injure self.
• 9.30am: Breakfast and ice injury.
• 10.00am: Pull sofa out to near balcony window to sit in sun. Prep for class and do e-mailing. Ice injury.
• 12.00pm: Hobble through main square to work, guarding big green MEC backpack closely. Consider creating sign reading “Tourist – please rob.” Sit on bench, observe Brazilians.
• 1.00-4.00pm: Teach.
• 4.00pm: Hobble back toward apartment. Stop for rest. Sit on bench, observe Brazilians.
• 4.30pm: Demonstrate lack of command of language with shopkeepers/pharmacists/etc.  Leave with unknown products vaguely resembling what I was attempting to buy.
• 5.30pm-ish: Home. Cook rice and beans.
• 6.00-bedtime: Watch ESPN’s exhausting soccer coverage. They spent an hour on the England x Ecuador last night, including at least 30 minutes on why Rooney isn’t very good. Kick back in apartment for Skype, work, teaching prep etc.