Rio De Janeiro: A Game of Two Halves

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé, is regarded by many as Brazil’s (and possibly the world’s) greatest ever footballer, scoring 1,088 goals during his career.
Rio De Janeiro: A Game of Two Halves
Brazil and Football: literally, they shoot...
In Rio (and Brazil as a whole) sport is primarily about football. The country has produced some of the best footballers in the world and Brazil is
the most successful national team in the history of the World Cup, having won five titles and reached the final of two others. Brazil is also one of
the few countries (along with Argentina and Spain) to win a FIFA World Cup away from its continent (Sweden in 1958 and South Korea/Japan
in 2002) and is the only country to take part in all World Cups since 1930. It is the team with most wins and goals scored in the history of the
competition. Traditionally, Brazil’s greatest rival is Argentina. The two countries have met each other four times in the history of the World Cup,
with two wins for Brazil (West Germany 1974 and Spain 1982), one for Argentina (Italy 1990) and a draw (Argentina 1978). The country that has
played most against Brazil in the tournament is Sweden, with seven matches - five wins for Brazil and two draws. On Brazil game days during
the World Cup competition it is considered an informal holiday, and employers are frowned upon if they insist on making workers miss a match.
Internally, Brazilian championships are played virtually year round, except December and the first half of January. The largest and most popular
clubs in the city of Rio de Janeiro are Flamengo, Botafogo, Fluminense and Vasco. These clubs have large followings which can lead to heated
passions between rival fans. While most fans respect each other and the game, drugs and alcohol can lead to incidents of hooliganism.
Sacred Ground
Turf War
Girl Empowerment
Local Hero?
The Estádio do Maracanã is an almost holy
place to the people of Rio. In 1950, the last time
Brazil hosted the World Cup (and where Brazil
famously fell to Uruguay in the finals by two
goals to one), the stadium held 200,000 people
- nearly two and half times the population of
Hartlepool. After renovations the stadium was
downsized to “only” 80,000 seats and has
been used by various clubs ever since. The
Maracanã was partially rebuilt in preparation
for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and
the 2014 World Cup, and will also host the
tournament final and the opening and closing
ceremonies of the 2016 Summer Olympics
and Paralympics. The revamped Estádio do
Maracanã held a test game on April 27th 2013,
with teams led by Ronaldo and Bebeto. The
first official match there was on June 2nd 2013,
when Brazil drew 2–2 with England in a friendly.
Vila Alianca is a favela settled in 1964 by
families displaced from other favelas in Rio’s
southern zone. It was named after “Alliance
for Progress”, President John F. Kennedy’s
economic-development program for Latin
America, but it quickly became a strategic
location for numerous drug gangs. As most
residents were too impoverished to afford to
see proper matches and teams, local people
set up their own leagues - a fact that the drug
gangs quickly picked up on and exploited
through gambling. Eventually they started
funding their own teams to tip the odds, which
has led to the curious situation of teams run
openly by drug-lords, and protected by armed
criminals (who often take their machine guns
onto the pitch for goal celebrations). As the
matches have a pacifying effect on local
people, police generally do not intervene.
For decades women’s football was banned
in Brazil. Despite the national passion for
football and success of the men’s team, the
women’s game has been slow to establish
itself. Between 1941 and 1979 a law, originally
imposed by the then-ruling military dictator,
prohibited girls and women from playing
football as it was considered “incompatible
with the female form”. Even after the ban was
lifted women’s teams have lacked sponsorship,
support and media attention – even despite the
homegrown success of Marta (above), routinely
named as the world’s best women’s footballer.
Ironically, it is transformed former drugs lords
who are providing the funding to establish the
sport. Favela Street is an organisation using
football to change life opportunities for Brazilian
girls who would otherwise face a strong
possibility of abuse and exploitation.
Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima, better known to
the rest of the world as Ronaldo, was born near
the favelas of Rio de Janeiro on September 18th,
1976. The youngest of three siblings, Ronaldo
began his football career by playing football
for various small youth clubs in Rio and, aged
12, dropped out of school to concentrate on
his sport. Ronaldo became one of the greatest
players and strikers in the world, also enjoying
the vast associated riches. However, far from
being lauded as a symbol of how people can
escape the favelas and succeed, he is regarded
by educators with disdain as many young boys
turn their backs on learning to pursue a dream
only the barest fraction will be able to make
reality. Most find themselves in debt to gangs
while trying to make their big break and fold
into criminal organisations as drugs mules or
enforcers, or even end up as male prostitutes.