On Football and Divinity.

I am a fan of Brazil. They play the best football in the world. For me that means they play the most skilful, clean, satisfying football to watch and cheer for. They take an almost zen approach to football, not seeming to actively oppose the next team but instead to flow around and through them like water, materializing when needed to score or dispossess them of the ball.

That being said, I pride myself on being a fair minded football fan. I like to think that I (meaning Brazil and I, heh) are above the petty tricks other sides use to gain short term advantages in any football match. Tricks such as handballs (ha!), fouls, blatant diving (everybody dives/acts to some extent) and other nefarious tricks that have become commonplace in the sport of football.

I like to think that we are beyond all that, based on the quality of football that we play. That thought gives me a warm feeling and a (small) comfort that the aura of footballing superiority that we possess is justified.

Then today I watched as Fabiano put on one of the best footballing displays by a Brazilian player in recent memory, one that was disputed mainly because there are two separate instances where it is seemed that he was guilty of a handball. He got a goal from this display, of course. It would not have mattered otherwise. Well. The dismantled defenders that he left in his wake might still have been upset about it.

The rules for handballs in football can be found here. They're quite clear and in light of what they say its clear that Fabiano handled the ball not once, but twice on his way to scoring that goal. This is not as bad as Rivaldo in his day, but still, its far from great. Its not what I hold myself and my team to.

Or is it?

Football is a sport that's about as much as getting away with what you can, as it is winning by the rules. That's why there are referees to ensure that players stick to the rules as much as can be enforced. This goes for all players, my lauded Brazilian side included.

What does this happening then mean for me, with regards to my belief in their superior play? Does it mean that Brazil is now tarnished in my eyes, a team filled with charlatans and holier-than-thou fakers where football is concerned?

Hardly. What it means is that the reality of football is that you get away with what you can get away with. Whether what you did was blatant or sneaky, if the referee, God bless his human soul, doesn't notice it, then you will get away with it.

That's it. Brazil is a superior football side composed of human beings, beings who will still try and cheat now and then. I can argue that they don't do it anywhere nearly as often as other teams, or say that his actions could be put down to the heat of the moment, but it would ring false to me. Handballs included, his display is still a dazzling one by a superior player. Its now just a display by a human being, however, not some footballing god on a team of footballing gods that should be worshipped.

A hard realization, but not the hardest one I've had to face in my short life.

Still, its not so bad.

Rivaldo used to be my favourite player.

More as it develops!