Surprise, sadness and anger following Brazil's exit
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-07-04 09:05 Eighteen-year-old Bruno Cunha,
a college student, had an unpleasant new experience: for the first time he
watched Brazil failing to reach the World Cup final.
Brazil's soccer
captain Cafu (L) embraces goalkeeper Rogerio Ceni as they arrive at the
Cumbica International airport in Sao Paulo July 3,
2006.[Reuters] | "We were not even among the top
four teams," Cunha said after France beat Brazil 1-0 in Saturday's
quarterfinals.
The student is part of a generation under 20 years old in Brazil who had
never experienced the national team's failure to make the final. He was only two
years old when Brazil was last stopped before the final match, which happened in
the 1990 World Cup in Italy. Brazil won the championship titles in 1994 and 2002
and lost the final match to France in 1998 .
The older generations did not take the defeat easy either. The depressing
atmosphere of downtown Rio after Brazil's loss contrasted with the excitement of
the previous weeks. The horns were silent and the bars empty, while people
collected the remaining national flags and green and yellow ribbons that
ornamented almost all the streets and squares in the region. It is as if every
Brazilian has a hangover.
In the International Guarulhos Airport, in Sao Paulo, some of the national
team players arriving on Monday from Frankfurt, Germany, chose to use a private
exit to avoid meeting journalists and angry fans in the lobby. Other players,
such as team captain Cafu, passed through the lobby and had to face fans who
shouted "traitor" and "mercenary" while he spoke to reporters.
"We lost one match and it is not fair to erase all that was done by our
winning generation of players. In four World Cups, we made it three times to the
final match and we won the championship title in two," said Cafu.
Head coach Carlos Alberto Parreira arrived in Rios Tom Jobim International
Airport and had also used a private exit. He headed to a hotel where he held a
press conference.
"There was no lack of will. We have to stop looking for people to blame and
admit France played very well. Zidane killed us. He is an outstanding player.
"When Pele and Garrincha played well, not even five players could stop them,"
Parreira said in the press conference.
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