A venda do Brasil

Artigo publicado na coluna Inside Soccer, de Tim Vickery, do Sports Illustraded.com:

In Europe, the streets are full of people wandering around in Brazilian national-team jerseys. On the streets of Rio de Janeiro, you see more and more people wearing jerseys of European club teams.

It's all part of the so-called "globalization" of soccer, and over the last two decades, it has turned the game upside down.

These days, it makes no sense to talk about "Brazilian football" without first defining what exactly you're talking about. Are we referring to the national team? Or the domestic game? The two have become separated.

As recently as 1986, things were very different. That year, all but two members of Brazil's World Cup squad were still based at home. Back then, the international soccer community looked forward to World Cups because it was the big chance to get to know the latest models from Brazil's hyperactive production line.

These days, the entire Brazilian national team is made up of household names who play for top European clubs and have become global pop stars. Ronaldinho. Adriano. Kaká. The Brazilian team belongs to the world. On Tuesday in London, it plays its third friendly in six months. But the Seleção's last friendly in front of a home audience (with the exception of a fifth-choice lineup facing Guatemala nearly two years ago) was just after its victory at the '02 World Cup.

While the national team racks up air miles in search of treasure, the domestic game lives off crumbs. Some will rush to its defense, pointing out that in both of the past two years, FIFA's World Club title went to Brazilian teams. But the way those triumphs were achieved is significant.

São Paulo and Internacional are both well-administered clubs that have adapted to the new reality. In order to sustain a squad of good and average players, they seek to sell potentially great ones to Europe. In the past, Brazilian sides used to look forward to the clash with the champions of Europe in order to show off their skills. Now they openly admit their hope that tactical dedication and a will to win will sneak them past opponents who are technically superior.

It's a logical response to the talent drain. Three powerful forces push Brazil's best players across the Atlantic. Obviously, they can earn much more in Europe. Plus, they're escaping the social violence that makes life in big-city Brazil so hazardous. They also want to prove themselves. As a result, we're at critical mass: It's no longer possible to be considered a great player without succeeding in European club soccer.

None of this will change anytime soon. Even so, it's hard to escape the feeling that domestic Brazilian football is operating way short of its potential. If São Paulo and Internacional can bend themselves with the prevailing winds, then why can't the domestic game as a whole do the same thing?

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