Word: ronaldinho
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...serve a greater purpose, explains Juca Kfouri, a well-known broadcaster and journalist. Since the Brazilian soccer federation sold the rights to organize friendly matches to a private sponsor, the team now plays as many games in Europe as in Brazil. And top players such as Kaka, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho have recently put club before country, giving supporters little opportunity to see their national heroes up close. As a result, the historically tight bond between the ordinary fans in the stands and their idols on the pitch has snapped. "There's no link between the fans and the players...
...international-class players are snapped up by foreign sides. A team of home-based players would struggle against even mediocre European nations, and no coach in his right mind believes that even the most outstanding player from Palmeiras or Corinthians is fit to lace the boots of Kaka or Ronaldinho, the most recent winners of the World Player of the Year award. Of the 11 players who started against Argentina last month, only one, Adriano, played for a Brazilian club, and he was there on loan from Internazionale of Milan...
...trophy: Corinthians won Brazil's professional-soccer-league championship for the first time in six years. But Joorabchian's strategy has produced more than a trophy. He may well have established a new business model that could rescue pro soccer in Brazil, the cradle of superstars like Pelé and Ronaldinho--which has been sinking under corruption, violence, archaic management and a hemorrhaging of talent to Europe and Asia. "You pick a company because you believe it's undervalued," Joorabchian told TIME. "We believe Brazilian football as a whole is undervalued...
...young fútbol freaks, joga.com is a powerful tool. Users can view and debate the Ronaldinho ad ("Ronaldinho is the best player but that 4 times on the crossbar no way," writes Raymond from the Hague, Netherlands, on one board), organize pickup games and rant against the most severe problem facing the sport: racism. Members can blog, upload their own soccer video or view thousands of other clips, from the latest Arsenal highlights to Nikola from Bulgaria juggling the ball--in slow motion, no less--in his bedroom. "Some Tricks I Make!" reads the title...
Adidas has drawn the battle lines; now it's up to the consumers to decide. Not that the companies will quiet the trash talk. For example, Adidas puts the boot to Nike's worldwide youth "futsal" tournament, which features the smaller soccer ball that many great players, like Ronaldinho, grew up dribbling. "It's three on three in a cage," says Filbry. "That's not soccer." Edwards, Nike's marketing guru, guffaws. "I'm happy they would dismiss something that millions of people around the world are playing," he says. On the eve of the World Cup, jawing between...