June 20, 2002

1:09 AM

Ready To Rumba?Or Samba? Will England or Brazil go through in tomorrow's crucial World Cup game? Predict at your peril. I'd love Brazil to win but, no doubt influenced by the treacherous utterances of Pele and Jairzinho[see penultimate link], say England will tragically but deservedly win 2-1.
posted by MiguelCardoso (36 comments total)

* looks around for flying objects, sees coast is clear *

England CAN do it. My worst fear is they beat Brazil and then get complacent going into the next round. I don't think that will happen, but it is the way of many teams.
posted by Frasermoo at 1:43 AM on June 20, 2002

I've had enough of the automatic Brazil worship. Would it be possible to see a Brazil match without pictures of blondes in bikinis and fat men banging tom tom drums - without hyperventilating commentators banging on about the samba, the beaches of Rio and how Brazil is the world's team? They're not my team and I hope they get stuffed.
posted by Summer at 2:08 AM on June 20, 2002

pictures of blondes in bikinis and fat men banging tom tom drums

Replace dirty t-shirts for bikinis and pint jars for the drums and you could be talking about your typical English pub audience. Without the benefit of the samba or the beaches, that is. ;)
posted by MiguelCardoso at 2:14 AM on June 20, 2002

I vote for the Poms cuz they have better songs.
posted by dydecker at 2:25 AM on June 20, 2002

Well, they're my team Summer. I'd support these jugglers even if they were playing against my national team. They are the only team in the world that has players that seem to be actually enjoying the game. They're magic to watch and it will be a poorer WC if they're eliminated (not unlikely given the fact that no one in the team really wants to defend). Football at its most celebratory I say, and if they manage to pass through to play Senegal (hopefully), it just might be the most exciting WC game ever.
My prediction: if Brazil manages to score early it will be a blow out, if not they'll probably be eliminated.
posted by talos at 2:27 AM on June 20, 2002

Yes, Miguel, we drink beer in pubs and wear (clean) t-shirts while doing so. Maybe you haven't witnessed the full horror of British commentators covering a Brazil match. I'm always surprised there's not a short silence while they achieve orgasm.

talos: I've got no paticular gripe with Brazil, I just don't think they're the magical team they're portrayed as. They're as guilty of cynical tactics as much as any other team.
posted by Summer at 2:30 AM on June 20, 2002

But Summer I have heard and read the British commentators and I assure you that no other nation I know of worships Brazil's football team the way the English do. It's probably the only side in the world you lot wouldn't really mind losing against. Why is this? Perhaps you're just extremely intelligent and have great taste.

P.S. I say the English because the Scots and the Welsh seem more balanced in their appreciation or pretend to support Brazil just to spite the English.
posted by MiguelCardoso at 2:41 AM on June 20, 2002

But Summer I have heard and read the British commentators and I assure you that no other nation I know of worships Brazil's football team the way the English do.

Zactly. Thing is, I think it's patronising, just like the descriptions of 'plucky' Ireland's World Cup 'adventure'. Or the 'naivety' of the Asian teams. Or maybe the tension's getting to me. I need this match to be over before I get a stomach ulcer.
posted by Summer at 2:47 AM on June 20, 2002

After Rivaldo's disgraceful cheating I have lost all respect for Brazil.

Me nerves are starting. Thank god my local is opening at 7.15 am.
posted by Frasermoo at 2:51 AM on June 20, 2002

Ditto, fraser. Rivaldo almost single-handedly emptied Brazil's goodwill-account. Sad, that, but true.
posted by dagny at 3:00 AM on June 20, 2002

I'd like to see an England v Germany final. Now that would be a match worth watching. Tension? Hmmm?
posted by Spoon at 3:23 AM on June 20, 2002

Come on England!!!

posted by stevridie at 4:13 AM on June 20, 2002

Steady on...
posted by Spoon at 4:16 AM on June 20, 2002

After the ungracious remarks about Rivaldo - how can one wonderful player's stupid theatrical attempt(in a camera-saturated environment already!) put you off the whole of Brazilian football? - it's a relief to see how respectfully and indeed fondly a Brazilian website assesses the English team. [Full translation follows...]
posted by MiguelCardoso at 4:35 AM on June 20, 2002

Here it is then: "What a bunch of losers!" ;)
posted by MiguelCardoso at 4:35 AM on June 20, 2002

how can one wonderful player's stupid theatrical attempt(in a camera-saturated environment already!) put you off the whole of Brazilian football?

BECAUSE
THEY
ARE
THE
ENEMY
posted by Frasermoo at 4:53 AM on June 20, 2002

I assure you that no other nation I know of worships Brazil's football team the way the English do.

It's that 1970 England - Brazil game again. It was the first world cup shown on colour TV in the UK and the first (and only) time England were defending the cup. The likelihood is that anyone who's a commentator or football pundit on TV these days was either a kid or a young man when that World Cup was on. If it was anything like it is now then then they'd have been having afternoon classes cancelled at school to watch the games live from Mexico.

I'm guessing the controller of BBC1 was young then too. The twenty-two year old game was replayed at the tail-end of prime time last night.
posted by vbfg at 4:55 AM on June 20, 2002

... respectfully and indeed fondly a Brazilian website assesses the English team ...

Hmm, I reckon I could ring an insult or two out of a page called "dossieinglaterra.html". Dossie? We're not dossie. :)
posted by vbfg at 4:58 AM on June 20, 2002

i wouldn't like to give a forecast, the last time i gave one was entirely wrong! (mex 2-1 u.s.). but i really would like to see brazil at the semis playing against senegal. what a match!
the first team scoring is going to win. that's how is football today. they usually try to hold the advantage once thay have it, and just make plenty of counterattacks. it's very difficult to came from behind and then win.
which team should have better stamina? maybe they will need more than 90 minutes to define the winner…
posted by trismegisto at 5:11 AM on June 20, 2002

Olha que a cidade toda ficou
messa tarde bonita
Só pra te ver jogar
Umbabarauma homem gol

At least the Brazilans have the best football songs.
posted by arf at 6:24 AM on June 20, 2002

Jump, jump, fall, get up, go up, get down
Kick, open a hole, thrill and give thanks

They've captured the sport in song!
posted by vbfg at 6:55 AM on June 20, 2002

On the Tokyo Subway last week I laughed when a group of fat bald Englanders were chanting "Beckham's Face, rah, rah, rah Beckham's face, rah, rah, rah..." WTF???

But I like this. To the tune of "If you're happy and you know it clap your hands". To be sung in France:

If it wasn't for the English you'd be Krauts
If it wasn't for the English you'd be Krauts
If it wasn't for the English
Wasn't for the English
If it wasn't for the English you'd be Krauts
posted by dydecker at 7:18 AM on June 20, 2002

At least the Brazilans have the best football songs

Brazilians have some of the best music period, so it's no surprise that their football songs are good.

I've really never been into soccer football, and am not much of a sports fan, period, but I admit to actually becoming slightly interested. And it's not just because USA is in it. It just makes me feel so...continental.
posted by groundhog at 7:38 AM on June 20, 2002

Is there a good webiste out there with the lyrics/music to all the English crowd songs I've heard so far? That's what I most associated with soccer/football nowadays. If I'm playing a video game version of the sport and it doesn't have crowd noises, it loses a lot of it's luster.
posted by grum@work at 7:48 AM on June 20, 2002

Try to track down the lyrics to "In your Liverpool slums" if you can. It's a cracker, makes me proud to be a Brit... :-|
posted by bifter at 7:54 AM on June 20, 2002

England football song:

Inger-land, Inger-land, Inger-land
Inger-land, Inger-land, Inger-ler-ernd
Inger-land, Inger-land, Inger-land
Inger-ler-ernd
IN-GER LAND
posted by vbfg at 8:02 AM on June 20, 2002

Oooooo...it's a tough one to call.

Getting out of the 'group of death' was more than a lot of people expected for England and I really thought that we'd miss Gerrard but now there's hope of real glory...

One reason to want the Brazilians out is their shirts! How could anyone take such a thing of natural beauty [the Brazil strip] & manage to make it look so bloody ugly?!

Maybe it's time for the English to fail gloriously as we alays seem to do or maybe this time Svennis & Tord & co. really have put us on to a higher plane?

Dunno. But I do know that in about 18 hours time there are going to be a lot of very happy or very sad English (& of English descent / sympathy) MeFites postin' up a storm.
posted by i_cola at 8:04 AM on June 20, 2002

Is there a good webiste out there with the lyrics/music to all the English crowd songs I've heard so far?

Here's a great one for songs all over the world: http://home.wanadoo.nl/maarten.geluk/. Now I can be obnoxious and unruly in hundreds of languages!
posted by krunk at 8:09 AM on June 20, 2002

grum@work: You might want to download Baddel Skinner and the Lightning Seeds Three Lions off P2P.

Any Brazilian song worth a download?
posted by dydecker at 8:24 AM on June 20, 2002

maybe this time Svennis & Tord & co. really have put us on to a higher plane?

It is extremely bad luck to mention planes. Do not mention planes again until England are out.
posted by vbfg at 8:24 AM on June 20, 2002

Any Brazilian song worth a download?

Jorge Ben -Umbabarauma
posted by arf at 8:30 AM on June 20, 2002

Any Brazilian song worth a download?
Jorge Ben -Umbabarauma

Many Jorge Ben's songs are about football, like 'Fio Maravilha'. And most of his songs are upbeat and catchy. You can find some songs credited to Jorge Ben and some credited to Jorge Benjor, which is the name he uses nowadays since he changed his name due to the similarity to George Benson, many years ago.

We have quite some football fanatics among our artists (maybe because the majority of the Brazilians are football fanatics), like Chico Buarque and Skank.

If you want general Brazilian songs, them it depends on the kind of music you like most. The most famous Brazilian genre is Bossa Nova and I particularly like João Gilberto and Tom Jobim, but I'm sure that there are many other mefis here that can guide you better than me.
posted by rexgregbr at 9:09 AM on June 20, 2002

BTW, the 3 greatest footie songs *ever* (and I'm truly sorry to you all but there is absolutely no argument in the slightest whatsoever about this one!) are, in reverse order:

3. 'Tornados v Dynamos' (3-3) by The Real Sounds of Africa

2. 'Sharp as a Needle' by Barmy Army

1. 'Go For It' by The Coventry City 1987 FA Cup squad.

(Fat Les's 'Vindaloo' & New Order's 'World in Motion' get honourable mentions. 'Abide With Me' too but it's a hymn.)
posted by i_cola at 9:30 AM on June 20, 2002

If you want general Brazilian songs, then it depends on the kind of music you like most.

I really enjoyed this album by Bossacucanova. It's a remix of some bossa classics, and although it's probably not for purists, I think it would be a great introduction. Check out the demo track at the website, it's one of my favorites. If you can listen to this without moving your feet, you must be dead.
posted by groundhog at 9:57 AM on June 20, 2002

Check out Bebel Gilberto (daughter of Joao Gilberto) for an up-to-date spin on classic samba. Beautiful stuff (and with Amon Tobin on production on some tracks...)
posted by bifter at 3:54 AM on June 21, 2002

Last night I was thinking about this thread and I remembered to mention 'Os Mutantes'. It's a group from the end of the 60s and beginning of the 70s, that had two great musicians (brothers Sérgio and Arnaldo Dias Baptista) and a great singer (Rite Lee, who became very famous here in Brazil after she launched her solo career).

They play a mix of rock, bossa, tropicália and psychedelic and they've developed an impressive cult follow (with fans like Kurt Cobain and Beck, to name a few). I particularly like the album "Tecnicolor". It was recorded in Europe and it remained unreleased until 2 years ago. It has some of their songs in english and french versions, along with songs in portuguese too.
posted by rexgregbr at 7:17 AM on June 21, 2002