Wednesday 9 July 2014

Comteian Order and Progress Dismantled by Germany

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 

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