Comteian Order and Progress Dismantled by Germany
Brazil is known for the football
skills globally. Football is their national culture and a social capital. When
they got their independence from the Portuguese their nation was underdeveloped
with no connectivity among its vast land, little literacy rate and other social
development indicators also culminating southwards. The nation at this juncture
looked unto their colonial masters for inspiration and direction, which was not
provided. The nation found its source of inspiration in the philosophy of Order
and Progress in Comte (Goldblatt 2014). This philosophy has been the driving
force in the development of Brazil, which today has the fifth largest economy
in the world.
When the country was in shambles
the beautiful game was the only solace for the population. It had its own style
and identity. The Selecao has
participated in all the world cups. They have won it five times, the most by
any nation. Their style of play, their victories and defeats have been deeply
rooted in the global culture of the game. The beautiful game developed and was
associated with the country and no one would have imagined the crushing defeat
that they received on the hands of the instrumental German team in their
backyard, a humiliating, crushing 7-1 defeat worst ever world cup defeat. The
defeat not only crushed the national identity of Brazil but also the faith of
many more than the 200 million population of Brazil. The reason for this defeat
is not just one but many.
The beautiful game has changed
over the years with so much money and power involved. The market forces have
made inroads into the game and the structure of the governing bodies thereby
changing the ethos and values it was associated with. With the advent of
globalisation football became a very prosperous business prospect. The flow of
money into the game had all the big clubs in the game consisting of big squads
with plenty of talent and many would be from Brazil. Brazil became a conveyor
belt for the entire globe in supplying footballers with great technique and
skill. This changed the philosophy associated with the game the nation played.
The nation took pride in the fact that they played the game with skill, grace
and with faith.
The graceful, skilful and sublime
game gave way to physical and mechanical style of play associated with the
Europeans. Till the 80s when majority of the team was based in Brazil they
played the game in the way they only knew. With large number of players plying
their trade in the European soil recently, they have forgotten the way they
were used to playing trying to adopt the alien culture which has led to the
gradual decline in the beautiful game. People still want Brazil to win but not
in the way England or Germany wins but in the Brazilian way.
The humiliating defeat they
suffered in the hands of the German is the result of trying to adapt to the
alien way of playing the game. They lost the physical battle with the Germans
and thereby the game. Physicality in not their virtue but playing in the
beautiful manner is. Being over emotional also affected them and led to the
loss of discipline in the game. The swollen eyes in the stands and the raised
hands of the players praying after the game summons their plight.
The global audience wants brazil
to play the game which touches everybody’s heart and should turn a leaf from
Comte life. As he maintained cerebral hygiene to protect himself from the
influence of others so should Brazil do. The earlier the better.
Goldblatt, D., 2014 Futeball Nation: The Story of Brazil through
Soccer, Nation Books, New York
