SAYING GOODBYE TO RUSSIA FOOTBALL WORLD CUP RUSSIA 2018 (Part I)

First, I want to apologize for my absence. But exceeded difficulties, I am back with my baterias al 100% (batteries recharged to 100%).

Today I’ll talk about fútbol (soccer): non-Eurocentrism origins, each country that played in the World cup and its moniker. In my next deliver I will talk about what we learned in the World Cup that ended in what we can call a " Duelo de Titanes" ( Titans Duel) between France and Croatia.

IN THE PAST

The Football World Cup happens once every four years since 1930 but between 1942 and 1946 it was canceled because the world was in war. Second World War lasted from 1939 to 1945. This year the world cup took place in Russia. Eight Latin American Spanish Speaking countries (Argentina, Panamá, Costa Rica, Peru, Colombia, Uruguay, Spain and Mexico) and Brazil. One by one played and got disqualified and some didn’t even reach the quarterfinals. We all supported in the end the Green and Yellow team (Brazil). We all roared with the games and we called every team with their nicknames: “Los cariocas” (from Brazil), “Los ticos” (Tico is a colloquial term for a native of Costa Rica), “La roja” (Spain national Football Club). Let’s see these nicknames and their meanings: 

Argentina: the Albicelestes Selection (their uniforms have vertical White and Sky-blue stripes) just like their flag. They are also called “The gaucho” is a skilled horseman, reputed to be brave and unruly. The gaucho is a national symbol in Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. Gauchos became greatly admired and renowned in legends, folklore and literature and became an important part of their regional cultural tradition. The nickname Gaucho comes from “El Gaucho Martín Fierro”, this is a 2,316-line epic poem by the Argentine writer José Hernández. The poem was originally published in two parts, El Gaucho Martín Fierro (1872) and La Vuelta de Martín Fierro (Martín Fierro’s comeback (1879). This transmutation occurs in the 20th Century after the achievements made by the Argentina National Football team. It was created in 1893 and its very first international match was 1901. Argentina’s football team won in 1978 and in 1986 the World Cup and finalist in 1930, in 1990 and in 2014.  Besides, Argentina has given great players to soccer:  Leonel Messi, Diego Armando Maradona, Alfredo Di ´Stéfano, Marcelo Bielsa, Carlos Bianchi.  

Brazil: Team Verdeamarelha (Green-yellow) This nickname is thanks to the colors of their flag. This team is also known as 'Scratch du Oro' (Scratch of gold), “canarainha” (The canary) for the color of their T-shirt.  Some other people call them “Los cariocas”. This name was given by sports reporters but it is a wrong nickname because Cariocas are the people born in Rio de Janeiro.  But there is a reason for this. Rio de Janeiro was the capital city until 1960 Brasilia was named the Capital city. That’s the reason why today we still hear and repeat this name when we talk about Brazilian people. 

Colombia: The Team of “La Tricolor”. This nickname is the most used by fans and followers of Colombian Soccer Team because the uniform showed the Flag colors: Yellow. Blue and red. This name was used for the Football Cup in 1985 when the squad used for the first time this uniform. The t-shirt was red and had tricolor turtleneck, socks and sleeves with the tree colors in the border. The socks were yellow and the shorts were blue.  This uniform was for local encounters with yellow t-shirt as an alternative. Another name is “Los cafeteros” for being a coffee producing country. Last, but not least, we have the nickname “La fiebre amarilla” (Yellow fever) for the t-shirts worn by the squad and by the fans and followers supporting Colombia in every game and World Cup. As you could see, this year in the Soccer World Cup the Stadiums full with people wearing the yellow t-shirts. 

Costa Rica: “Los Ticos”: (feminine tica, plural ticos, ticas) is a colloquial term for a native of Costa Rica. Costa Ricans are usually called ticos by themselves and persons of other Spanish-speaking countries, in place of the more formal Costa Ricans. There are at least two popular explanations of the origin of the term tico. The first is that it derives from the tendency of Costa Ricans to use -tico as the diminutive suffix in Spanish instead of the more common and widely used -ito.

Literally -tico, when used as a suffix, in Costa Rican Spanish denotes something very small, as the suffix -ito would. Use of -tico versus -ito depends on the word, as not all of them would be easily adapted to -tico suffix. For example: patico (duckling), gatico (kitty), chiquitico (very tiny). All words – mostly nouns- end in TICO instead of ITO (patito, gatito, etc.)

The surname " Tico" comes from Spanish soldier, Jose Joaquin Tico who came to San Francisco in 1796. His descendants include musician Randy Tico, Real Estate Broker Edward Tico, and handball champion Chris Tico. The second explanation of tico is that it's short for Hermanitico ('Little Brother' with the suffix described above), a friendly and respectful way the people of Costa Rica used in the past (during the Central American war against William Walker) to refer to themselves.

Spain: The “The Red Team” or “Red Fury”.

Spain got this nickname because of the color of their uniforms. The red in the t-shirt is larger than the yellow. The original nickname, “The Rage”, was heard for the first time in Amberes, on 1920´s encounter, when Spain obtained the Silver Medal. After that it became “The red Rage” and in 2004 “Red Fury” became popular. 

México:“The squad of the Tri”:  

Mexico obtained this name thanks to the colors of the flag, and when they went to the world cup in 1930 in Uruguay. Another name we call them, is “Los Manitos” because this term is commonly used in Mexican slang. 

Panama: The team of  “Los canaleros” (The Canal Men) or “The Red Tide”. The first name makes reference to the Panama Canal. The second name was given in 2000 for their red uniforms and their culture-sea related. 

Uruguay: La “Celeste” (sky Blue) because their uniforms are this color. They are also called “The Charrúas” like their Amerindian ancestors. most knowledge about the Charrúas comes from Spanish contact with them.

The Charrúas fought for Independence. Chroniclers such as the Jesuit Pedro Lozano accused the Charrúan people of killing the Spanish explorer Juan Díaz de Solís during his 1515 voyage up the Río de la Plata. This is a crucial moment since it shows that the Charrúas were going to resist the Spanish Invaders. Following the arrival of European settlers, the Charrúa, along with the Chana, strongly resisted their territorial invasion. The surname Charrúas for their football team makes them proud of their natives and their bravery, and how they show it in the field. They have played football since 1901 and classified for the World Cup thirteen times: 1930, 1950, 1954, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1986, 1990, 2002, 2010, 2014 and in 2018. They won the World Cup in 1930 and in 1950.

Peru:The“Blanquirroja”

 (Red-white) team: 

because of the colors of their national symbols. Other names are “Bicolor” or “The incans”. The last one, in remembrance of their native peoples.   

   ONCE UPON A TIME…. FOOTBALL 

Although people may think football (or soccer) is an English invention, the first sport similar to football goes back 2000 years during Han Dynasty in China. The Chinese had a military training discipline where people made significative bets.  Some similarities with nowadays include they could use their feet and kick the ball and some differences include punishing publicly the captain whipping him. A very violent ending as the same game those days.  

In the Middle Ages, France and Italy set some of the game rules. What is a game for us nowadays in the olden days it had many other uses: for example, a military exercise for war, and as a ludic activity.  The European weren’t the only ones to develop the game. Next, we will see how Football appeared in other continents:

 BALL GAMES IN AMERICA

It is a belief that football appears with Mayan culture and it was called “Pot Ta Pok”.  This game is about 3.000 years old. In the Popol Vuh (The Mayas Sacred Book) two semi-divine humans challenged the Gods of Death and went to the underworld to manage the ritual called “Pot Ta Pok” (the name was given for the sound the ball made when it was hit). This was a solemn game because it remembered the opposite elements of the universe, the eternal fight of light and darkness. The winner was the player who put the ball through the arch and his prize was to be beheaded and his memory will last for all eternity. The Nahuatl played the “Pok Ta Pok” but they changed the name to “Tlachtli” and Zapotecans called it “Talazi”, but the standard name is “Ulama”. This game was played in Central America to Sinaloa in Mexico.  In South America there was the “Linao” or “Inao” in Chile. The natives called “Huilliches” played this ball game. It almost disappeared in 1980. Nowadays it is played for better strength and tone muscle for the war.

In the United States of America on the eighteenth century, natives played “Pasuckuakohowog”, some kind of dangerous and aggressive football game on the beach. Players quit because of many injuries that included bone fractures, and other serious wounds.  The game lasted several hours and it was usual that at the end of the game they had a great celebration with both teams. In Alaska they played the same game but on ice and under the name of “Asqaqtuk”.

BALL GAMES IN ASIA

In China a ball game appeared. The goal was to throw a ball with their feet into a net made with different things. This game was called “Ts'uh Kúh” (you can also find it as “tsu chu” or “luju”). The men who played this game were Army men. The players could choose their opponents. In Japan the game was merely ritual and it was called “Kemari” or “Kennat”. It started during the Asuka Period (year 600 C.E). The goal of the game was to prevent the ball from touching the floor with their feet and passing it to other players. When a player kicks the ball shouts “ariyaaa! And “ari! Kemari is not a competitive game ad doesn’t have winners or losers. Everyone helps keep the ball in the air. It is still played nowadays but not as popular as in the olden days.

In Korea they had a military training culture, and on the fifth century in the reign of Shilla the “Chhukkuk” appears. In this game two teams confronted representing a military exercise.  

  VOCABULARY 

Baterias al 100%  (BATERIES TO THE 100%): It means you have all your energy charged for a specific activity. 

Duelo de Titanes (DUEL OF TITANS): Expression who talks about two great opponents. 

Fútbol: (Football) Other names are balompié (ball-foot), juego de pelota (ball game) and pambol, the least used. 

💓As always, I hope you enjoy Reading this document as much as I enjoyed writing it.💓

WRITTEN BY ADRIANA MARTINEZ