Beach Soccer: Portugal Campeão Mundial de Futebol de Praia

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Portugal sagrou-se campeão Mundial de Futebol de Praia pela segunda vez na história. A primeira vez que a seleção nacional alcançou o primeiro lugar foi em 2001 no estado da Bahia. Na altura já contavamos com estrelas como Hernâni, Madjer e Alan.

A partir de 2005 a competição passou a ser uma prova oficial da FIFA e nesse ano conseguimos um segundo lugar depois de termos sidos derrotados pela França. Esse resultado tinha sido o melhor resultado da seleção nacional da "era FIFA".

Este ano o Mundial realizou-se em Espinho e perante uma plateia de 3500 pessoas e Portugal derrotou o Taiti por 5-3. O nosso 5 habitual composto por Andrade, Jordan, Madjer, Bruno Novo e Belchior apenas precisou de 3 segundos para abrir o marcador e fazer o estádio explodir de alegria. Num jogo muito disputado e no qual o Taiti nunca baixou os braços a seleção nacional foi capaz de manter sempre a vantagem. Este foi o primeiro Mundial de Futebol de Praia na historia que Portugal conquistou após o reconhecimento da FIFA.

Em Portugal o Futebol de Praia é uma modalidade cada vez mais profissionalizada e que atrai cada vez mais adeptos e patrocínios. A mesma tendência pode ser observada um pouco por todo o mundo. O futebol de praia como modalidade teve origem nas praias do Brasil há quase 20 anos. A modalidade foi formatada de uma forma dinâmica onde a perícia individual dos jogadores é realçada, com muitos e espetaculares golos, onde o Fair Play faz parte da cultura,  num ambiente estremamente agradável de sol, calor e praia e por essa razão proprício a atrair multidões, publicidade e receitas.

Esta formula de sucesso e a participação de estrelas como Eric Cantona, Julio Salinas, Romario e Zico, levou a modalidade a expandir para mais de 75 países e alcançar cobertura televisiva em 170 paises tornando-se uma importante oportunidade comercial a nível internacional e num dos desportos profissionais em maior crescimento no mundo.

Em Portugal temos condições muito favoráveis como a nossa paixão pelo futebol, a nossa enorme costa, a nossa capacidade para organizar eventos internacionais e as nossas estrelas de futebol de 11, tudo isto para nos tornar-mos uma potência internacional neste desporto e como é evidente vamos no caminho certo.

Copa America USA 2016

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Copa America will blow 100 candles next year, as the South American football tournament will mark the 100 years since its formation back in 1916. In 1916 the inaugural tournament took place in Argentina, with the only participating teams being the hosts Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Chile. Uruguay ended up winning the competition in a round robin tournament. 

Copa America is the oldest continental competition and has since been played 44 times. It is an interesting fact that the tournament resumed throughout the first and second World war, but was paused from 1967 and 1975 due to organizational disputes. Until 1967 the tournament was known as South American Championship and its current name was formed in 1975.

Uruguay is the most successful team in the Copa America history, after they won the title in 2011 and thus surpassed Argentina with 15 titles. Argentina with fourteen and Brazil with “only” eight title follow the absolute ruler of the South American continent. 2015 event was won by the hosts Chile, which was their first ever victory.

The CONCACAF and CONMEBOL continental federation decided to make a drift and host a special tournament in 2016. Although the Copa America regularly takes place every four years, to commemorate the 100-year anniversary a special tournament named Copa America Centenario will take place in the United States, with ten teams from South American federation and six from North American federation. 

This will be the most important football event ever to be hosted by the US after the 1994 World cup. If we look at the fact that the practical introduction to soccer in the States came only in the 90’s, this is quite a success. In the 1994 tournament, the attendance averaged over 60.000 on many stadiums, such as Orlando Citrus Bowl, which is due to host several games in the 2016 Copa America Centenario.

While the United States is set to host the tournament and the North American teams to offer some participants, it is really about the CONMEBOL teams and stars like Leo Messi, Neymar, Luis Suarez and more. While in 1994 the media in the US was very much divided over soccer popularity, nowadays the MLS has grown to be a very respectful league and the interest has incredibly risen. 

With a tournament like this, the United States as a country can profit enormously but also make a significant boost to the soccer culture in the States. The Gold Cup has a great tradition and has immensely improved over the years, but this event will outshine the CONCACAF tradition undoubtedly. The Unites States national team is starting to look really good at the World cup, but more quality tournaments and quality games can give them experience they need to push even more forward. 

Although the tradition of football is huge in the US, the general belief is that it way behind some traditional sports like baseball, basketball, ice hockey or American football. The truth is that football (soccer) is actually third in popularity and growing every year. 

Football was never really much an issue with the fans, as the United States has one of the largest fan bases in the world, but this tournament could bring the players closer to the audience and also enrich the experience of the whole continent.

Copa America Centenario is scheduled to take place from June 3^rd to June 26^th and it is easily one of the most anticipated events of the calendar year. With Euro 2016 taking place at the same time, it will be a crazy soccer/football oriented summer.