Frank Dell'Apa

Brazil

Boston’s history with Santos & the Seleção

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Brazilian teams have been visiting the Boston area since Pelé led Santos FC on a visit to Fenway Park nearly 50 years ago. The match marked a milestone in modern soccer promotion for the area, attracting 18,431 on July 9, 1968, indicating soccer could be a viable professional sport in Boston, after decades of the sport having been shunted aside.

Santos’ 7-1 victory over the Boston Beacons also attracted mainstream media attention, which was not easy to do. Prominent bylines included Peter Gammons, Leigh Montville, Marvin Pave, Bob Sales. The stories were complimentary about Santos’ performance, Pelé earning plenty of praise. And nearly every story made the same factual error, stating Santos had twice won the World Cup. Remarkably, at that time, even the best and brightest of mainstream journalism had difficulty distinguishing between club and country competitions.

[Read more…] about Boston’s history with Santos & the Seleção

Sept. 12, 2007 – Brazil 3:1 Mexico (Att.: 67,584, Gillette Stadium’s largest soccer crowd)

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Brazil supporters greatly outnumbered Mexican as Gillette was scaled to 67,500, plus a standing-room section used for Patriots games. By game day, 65,000 tickets had been sold, and a 4,000 walkup was expected for the 8:30 p.m. kickoff. But organizers underestimated interest, and traffic enforcement struggled to accommodate the Wednesday night event. Goals: Kleber 45th, Kaká 79th, Afonso 86th; Juan Carlos Cacho (43’). Red-carded: Elano 82’, Dunga 91’. [Read more…] about Sept. 12, 2007 – Brazil 3:1 Mexico (Att.: 67,584, Gillette Stadium’s largest soccer crowd)

Sept. 10, 2013 – Brazil 3:1 Portugal, int’l. friendly, Gillette Stadium (Att.: 62,310)

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Pre-game ceremonies involved former Benfica star Eusebio, who played for the Rhode Island Oceaneers and Boston Minutemen in the ‘70s, and Pelé. This was the third-largest soccer crowd in Mass. history – four of the top seven Gillette soccer crowds have involved Brazil or Portugal national teams. Goals: Thiago Silva (24’), Neymar (36’) and Jô (50’); Raul Meireles (18’). [Read more…] about Sept. 10, 2013 – Brazil 3:1 Portugal, int’l. friendly, Gillette Stadium (Att.: 62,310)

Sept. 8, 2015 – U.S. 1:4 Brazil, Gillette Stadium (Att.: 29,308)

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Lowest crowd total for Brazil’s five appearances (3W-2L-0D) at Gillette Stadium. The U.S. lost for the second successive time in Foxborough, its record dropping to 10W-3L-2D at Gillette and 17W-3L-5D in Foxborough since 1991. Goals: D. Williams; Hulk, Neymar (2, 1 PK), Rafinha. [Read more…] about Sept. 8, 2015 – U.S. 1:4 Brazil, Gillette Stadium (Att.: 29,308)

June 12, 2016 – Brazil 0:1 Peru, Copa America Centenario, Gillette Stadium (Att.: 36,187)

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Brazil crashed out of the Copa America Centenario as Carlos Bledhorn Verri “Dunga” failed to make late substitutes and then failed to adequately explain why, in his last game as Seleção coach. [Read more…] about June 12, 2016 – Brazil 0:1 Peru, Copa America Centenario, Gillette Stadium (Att.: 36,187)

Sept. 12, 2007 – Brazil 3:1 Mexico (Att.: 67,584, Gillette Stadium record soccer crowd)

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The area’s Brazilian community arrived in numbers to support the Seleção, transforming the stadium atmosphere into a combination of Carnaval and World Cup. [Read more…] about Sept. 12, 2007 – Brazil 3:1 Mexico (Att.: 67,584, Gillette Stadium record soccer crowd)

Sept. 10, 2013 – Brazil 3:1 Portugal at Gillette Stadium (Att.: 62,310, third-largest soccer crowd in Mass. history)

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New England is among the few areas of the country where Lusophone influence is stronger than Hispanic. Organizers began capitalizing by staging a Brazil v Mexico friendly at Gillette Stadium in 2007, the Mexican players expressing surprise when their supporters were outnumbered. [Read more…] about Sept. 10, 2013 – Brazil 3:1 Portugal at Gillette Stadium (Att.: 62,310, third-largest soccer crowd in Mass. history)

July 23, 1997 – Revolution 0:1 Palmeiras at Foxboro Stadium (Att.: 19,623)

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Substitute striker Euller’s 71st-minute goal off a clearance made the difference for Palmeiras, which was playing a long ball game under new coach Luiz Felipe Scolari. Palmeiras’ roster included 1994 World Cup champion Zinho, a second half substitute, and 20-year-old central defender Roque Junior, who would be transferred to Milan three years later.

The match was a warmup for the Reebok Cup, sponsored by the Stoughton-based company. Palmeiras drew with Junior (2-2) in Miami and lost to Necaxa (4-1) in Chicago. A brawl broke out in the Palmeiras-Junior match, a Palmeiras trainer appearing to threaten a Junior player with a scalpel, coach Julio Cesar Uribe red-carded after punching a Palmeiras player.

From my Boston Globe story:

“The team is adjusting to the style of new coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, plus the addition of several new players, including World Cup ’94 starter Zinho. However, Scolari’s intentions seem to be to impose the combative, direct style which earned him success at Gremio Porto Alegre.”

Scolari would go on to guide Brazil to the 2002 World Cup title but his return to the team ended in losses to Germany (7-1) in the semifinals and The Netherlands (3-0) in the third-place game in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

TODAY IN NEW ENGLAND SOCCER HISTORY

June 12, 2016 – Brazil 0:1 Peru, Copa America Centenario at Gillette Stadium (Att.: 36,187)

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Carlos Caetano Bledhorn Verri “Dunga” has had mixed success at Gillette Stadium. Dunga was coaching Brazil in the Seleção’s Foxborough debut, a 3-1 victory over Mexico that concluded with his 91st-minute expulsion by referee Baldomero Toledo, before a 67,584 crowd, in 2007. Brazil returned for a 2-0 loss to Venezuela, its only defeat against the Vinotinto in 47 years, in 2008. Dunga, who captained Brazil to the 1994 World Cup title, replaced Luiz Felipe Scolari after the 2014 World Cup, but his reign ended after a disastrous Copa America Centenario campaign. [Read more…] about June 12, 2016 – Brazil 0:1 Peru, Copa America Centenario at Gillette Stadium (Att.: 36,187)