Zizou Does Brazil

March 18th, 2008 | by: Laurie |

Thought you might enjoy this photo of Zidane in Brazil. The article said “indoor soccer” but it looks more like Futsal to me. Zizou’s team lost 4-3. The article says he was “slightly out-of-shape”

We should all be so out of shape.

He was there to do some charity work.

“It was a different story on his visit to a local shanty town. His plan to open a sports hall was cut short when, feeling a little worn down by the travelling, he left after just seven minutes when hordes of journalists and locals advanced. But he still had time to miss a penalty against a local politician.”

Zing. Ouch. I think I’ll head off to find some less negative reporting.

A huge thanks to Jeff for taking the reins of this blog while I’ve been busy elsewhere. I’m taking off on Thursday for Europe, where yes, I will be watching our boys play England next Wednesday.

So. Excited.

When I get back, Jeff and I will be splitting the France blogging duties as we head into Euros. It’s going to be a wild ride, so I think it will take two of us.

Next up, The List. So stay tuned.

France World Cup Blog RSS Feed

http://www.wickeddeflection.com Jeff/433

il n’y a pas de quoi
http://scotland.worldcupblog.org Ian

Enjoy the England friendly. That kicks ass. I’d kill to make it to Glasgow for the Scotland-Croatia match, but it isn’t going to happen. Good luck to France. This is one of the few matches where you’ll have the wholehearted support of Scotland fans everywhere. Slay em.
sandrahn

Actually, the reporting in Brazil of zizou’s visit was fantastic, very complimentary, full of praise for his talents, his humility and graciousness. (I’m from Brazil and subscribe to Globo TV so I got to see lots of the news coverage, also kept in touch with friends in Sao Paulo who know people in Heliopolis, the favela he visited — the reaction was great there). The reporters all start their reports with “o carrasco do brasil, zinedine zidane…” Meaning “Brazil’s executioner, zinedine zidane…” The running theme in the reports was zizou’s supposed concern that he’d be received well by Brazilians after defeating them in two world cups and of course he was very well received, mobbed wherever he went, and that Brazilians don’t hold a grudge, they know how to admire beautiful football. “Indoor soccer” is futsal, Laurie — it’s what the Americans and Brits call it. He played a charity game (raised lots of money for Heliopolis — Sao Paulo’s largest favela) with some Brazilian world cup winners of the past, including the great Rivelino of the 1970 squad.

You can see some great photos (including a fantastic shot of Rio’s christ statued wearing a French NT shirt) and news videos from Brazil and Argentina here: http://community.livejournal.com/zidanefans/
http://www.wickeddeflection.com Jeff/433

I checked out that link. Zizou is really well-received in Brazil!
http://france.worldcupblog.org Laurie

Where I’m from, “indoor soccer” is played on fake grass fields, and you can use the walls to bounce the balls off of. No boundaries, unless you kick it over the wall into the netting. Futsal is the flat surface, no walls to use to keep the ball in play.

Yeah, I’d read a couple of other reports on the Brazilian visit which were positive. But they didn’t have photos!
http://scotland.worldcupblog.org Ian

Yeah, the indoor soccer I watch and play is not futsal. I wish it were, but I don’t think there’s a futsal pitch (court? … I don’t know exactly the term) anywhere near here.
http://scotland.worldcupblog.org Ian

The ball is different, too. Indoor soccer here uses a regular ball, but futsal uses a small, weighted ball usually.
sandrahn

Then obviously I’m confused — there’s an indoor soccer league in the US (games are broadcast on FSC) and it’s definitely in a court that looks like the futsal courts I’ve seen in Brazil, no fake grass — tho now that I think of it more carefully, the court does look much bigger than the futsal courts I’ve seen in Brazil. Guess I’m too unfamiliar with the details of indoor soccer here in the US.