The Beaver Dam - Let's Get the Ball Rolling

Lucia Santos Executive Director Isabela Villas Boas Academic Superintendent Katy Cox Project Developer

Beaver Dam Production Staff: Abraão Duarte Ana Albi Netto Clarissa Bezerra Cláudio Fleury Domingos Di Lello Elisabeth Blom Lueli Ceruti Maria da Luz Delfino Robson Moura Sílvia Caldas

CAPA

BEAVER DAM VOLUME LXV 1st / 2014

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling

LET'S GET THE BALL ROLLING...

At this point, “the ball” has rolled hundreds of miles up, down, and across soccer stadiums all over Brazil. It has been kicked, butted, punted, and thrown…followed by millions of frantic eyes in this country and all around the world. It has been the object of hope, exultation, frustration and despair in the hearts of ticket holders and tv audiences in dozens and thousands; viewers have filled family rooms, bars, beaches and public squares in seething masses in search of the perfect spot from which to see a net bulging with the orb which innocently and impersonally embodies the pride and current fortunes of entire nations. The ball has bounced and flown and rolled to the roar of the cheering crowd, and to the sound of cash registers ringing up ten more shirts, fifty more flags, five more hats as the hordes customize themselves to represent their adopted deity. Whole oceans of beer have been produced to whet the thirst and wet the throats of throngs; gallons of paint in a rainbow of hues have been prayerfully applied to faces turned into masks, the visage of a populous in thrall to a contest in which any prize is second best to a golden globe held high above the participants in this awesome campaign.

Our worldly globe became the ball in a net which encircled the earth and clasped Russians, East Indians, Koreans and Brazilians in the same embrace. This net of involvement and integration is comprised of a cause which is more ancient than pyramids, more common than the cold; it is the rush of the game, the holding of the breath while a ball soars, no matter where or when the play takes place. This particular phase in time has ended – and the compositions in this issue of the Beaver Dam are related to its meaning and its beginning – but the nature of the game is in our blood and will go on, as our emotional DNA, for generations to come. The ball will always be rolling...

Catherine Taliaferro Cox

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling

The football matches are not going to be easy because there are experienced players who have played for other countries, but the difference is that besides Brazil has good and experienced players, our team is really competitive. Considering that Brazil has won 5 World Cups, it will presumably win again because it is experienced and it has the best football team. If Brazil wins, it will be interesting to Brazil's fame, but unfortunately many people are not happy about hosting the World Cup in Brazil because Brazil's economy is worsening.

The country should be more concerned about health, education, transportation, and housing.

After all, those are fundamental rights and should be watched over. The Brazilians wil be proud and celebrate, but they are still going to be concerned about the unresolved issues.

Rosiane do Reis Macêdo

The last World Cup was the most remarkable to me. It happened in South Africa, at the same time that I was there. I went to Africa because my mother works at the United Nations (UN), and she was sent to participate in a diplomatic mission. When I arrived there, I already knew that one of the matches would be in the city that I was, Johannesburg. I had never watched a live game before, so I bought my ticket as soon as possible. The match was in the Soccer City Stadium, between Brazil and Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire). The match was calm at the beginning, but during the game it got aggressive and the players began to make many fouls. One of our players, Kaká, got stressed and was expelled.

Despite the expulsion, even with one player missing, Brazil continued the game and won the match with the score three to one. I was very happy that Brazil won the first game that I saw, but unfortunately we didn't win that World Cup. Bruna Cristina Pinheiro do Valle

Brazil won its last championship at the World Cup in 2002, when I was only 11 years old. Despite the elapsed time, its peerless triumph continues frightening its adversaries and inspiring generations of soccer lovers. Brazil broke the record of victories in a World Cup after winning seven games in a row, and became the only nation to win the championship in three different continents. The sentence "everybody tries, but only Brazil can be five-times champion" (in Portuguese: "todo mundo tenta, mas só o Brasil pode ser penta") has been emblazoned on thousand of walls and cars in my city. The faith of millions of Brazilians together has been such that, magically, gave life to the rhyme. I have known a fan who knelt and called for divine forces, in a paradoxical combination of doubt and certainty: "Lord, let the Brazilian team win the World Cup! Otherwise, stick my knees to the floor forever". Well, Brazil won. I hope the title, which marked Brazil's fifth World Cup championship (a feat that no other nation has ever achieved), has been a demonstration that the faith of the Brazilian fans will be able, in 2014, to give life to another popular adage: "The Pope is Argentinian, but God is Brazilian".

Camila Lopes Lacerda

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling

My first unforgettable World Cup was in 2002. I remember it as if it were yesterday, June 30th. Brazil had the best team I have ever seen. We had great talents as the striker, Ronaldinho, the left back, Roberto Carlos, and the goalkeeper, Marcos. Even though Germany's team was the favorite soccer team at that time, Brazil won and became five-times World Champion.

First of all, my brother has given a considerable contribution to my passion: soccer. Since I was a child my brother has encouraged me to play soccer with him and his friends, so I was always the only girl in the middle of a group of guys. I enjoyed it a lot. For that reason, I grew up with this sport and I discovered my love for it. Since then I started watching and cheering at all matches.

During that time, I remember that everyone decorated the streets, their houses and wore green and yellow clothes. It was an amazing time! Moreover, on the last day of the championship, to celebrate it, we had a big party at home, which lasted until the day after. However, I couldn't stay up until late because I was only 9 years old.

Although Marcos was the goalkeeper, he was my favorite soccer player. Therefore, I went to "Esplanada dos Ministerios" to see the parade, be near the champion soccer team and of course, be near my idol. It was the most unforgettable moment of my life.

To sum up, I loved the last World Cup that Brazil won. I actually had one of the most incredible moments and certainly a great experience that I will take with me forever Priscila Miranda Pietschmann

I have a confession to make: we lost the World Cup in 2010 because of my fault. I was living in Rio de Janeiro and it was my second World Cup. I decided to collect the World Cup sticker album. In twelve days I had almost completed it all; there was just one Dutch sticker missing. In one of the first days of the Cup, during the game Brazil x North Korea, I was looking for that one sticker that was missing, seeing if my friends had it, but I wasn't lucky. I stayed at a friend`s house to see the game. It was a very exciting game that Brazil won. On another day, Brazil played with Portugal, and the game was a tie.

Everyone says that it happened because the two teams played equally well, but my mother still says that they won because of the goalkeeper. On that day I went to the center of the city to find the sticker, but no one had it. The next game was Brazil and the Netherlands. I was desperate to find the sticker, but I had already looked everywhere. Moreover, the Netherlands was the country that wasn`t complete in my album. When I found a guy that had the sticker, it was too late. Brazil had lost the game. And I discovered that the one who scored the goal for the Netherlands was the one who was missing in my album. My father and a lot of friends think that was a big bad luck. However, it was my fault. But I promise that this year I will finish my album before the World Cup starts.

Henrique Carvalho Wolski

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling

I don't believe in our victory I don't believe that Brazil will win the championship because we don't have the best team. The soccer players weren't chosen on technical criteria and, as usual, most of the players play in European teams and are already very famous. Not necessarily, they're the best players.

Also, I wouldn't like our team to win the World Cup because we are in an election year. If we win, the social problems will be forgotten. After the event, our problems could get worse and, probably, the government would spend more money on parties, awards and gifts for the soccer players. I want the Brazilian team to reach the final cup to make it worth the money spent. However, we're the country of soccer. If we win, a lot of people will be happy, including myself. In this case, let's throw a party!

ClĂĄudia Helena de Carvalho Barros

Brazil is a big nation full of talented people; in soccer it is not different. We even spread this talent with Brazilians playing soccer all over the world. Moreover, it is usual to hear that our country is the country of soccer. I have no clues if Brazil will win because since the first World Cup in 1930, the interest in soccer around the world increased substantially and we've never won a World Cup in our own soil. On the other hand, we have a great chance of winning because all the country will be cheering and sending positive thoughts to the team - they will feel more stimulated and confident to win. In case of Brazil being the winner, I am sure that it is going to be a big party with people both celebrating on the streets and shooting off fireworks. Besides, the players will parade on the streets and avenues. In my opinion, it will even affect the politics because it is an election year and some complaints about the present government will be forgotten due to the happiness of the population.

Alexandre Schrammel

It is a dream come true to have the World Cup here in Brazil. In addition, all of us are waiting for the title. We know there is a lot of money involved in the construction of the stadiums, but politics had a positive aspect in this area. If there were no politics, there would not be a satisfactory handling of the money invested in it. For instance, we can see the increase in the employment rate. Tourism also had strong growth both earlier and after the World Cup. Many tourists will come back to visit our country after that. The trade and transport have improved evidently. Moreover, these changes will affect people not only now in this event but in the future. After the championship, we will still benefit greatly from the resources applied. With our cheering, Brazil will be undoubtedly the champion once again.

Anyway, we shall see more fully the results of these investments after the Cup. Meanwhile, we should enjoy every opportunity that the World Cup will bring us right now.

Rayza Brenda Rodrigues Francisco

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling

Each Brazilian can help Brazil to win the World Champion The championship is right on the corner and it's going to be the second time it happens in Brazil.

Soccer is a passion for the Brazilian people and it's part of our culture. However, Brazil hasn't won the World Cup since 2002. So, actually, it will be awesome if Brazil wins this time; in fact, our soccer team has enough abilities to do this . They will play at home. The Brazilian fans should believe and trust our players. If Brazil actually wins the World Cup 2014, it will be a surprise like a fulfilled dream, but it will not help to change the great inequality in the country. The World Cup is really important, but Brazil needs to care for the social ills first before investing in such a big and expensive event like the World Cup. Furthermore, it is happening something different and strange this time. It's only one month b e f o r e t h e World Cup and where are the flags, the T- shirts? The streets have not been painted yet. One of the causes is that like some foreign people, Brazilians are also frightened. Brazil still has problems with the corrupt parties that steal money from honest people, giving themselves a good life and forgetting the poor and homeless ones, who have to work hard every day trying to give their children food, safety and a better future. We need to be aware of the amount of money raised for the World Cup because actually all this money should be channeled to public health, education so we can have more equality between the rich and the poor. We can't come back in time, so Brazil should look for the good points of the World Cup, like the respect for others, instead of blaming foreigners for our own problems; actually, they are our brothers and sisters and are not guilty.

Kamila Ruama Roriz Candido

The 2014 World Cup is about to begin and Brazil has good chances of winning the championship, which might bring some changes to the Brazilian people. As a host country and with a competent coach commanding our good soccer players, Brazil may achieve a victory inside the soccer field. But what about outside the field? What kind of consequences may come with the championship taking place in Brazil and which changes could the final result bring about? In fact, no matter the result, Brazil will be the focus of attention all around the world. Such exposure can bring more consequences than the victory could. Actually, news about Brazil has already linked the World Cup to the current sociopolitical situation of the country. Maybe, this level of discussion has never been explored as it has been nowadays. The possibility of showing to the world our lack of decent government representatives could start a necessary political and social reform. Reaping benefits from the event will depend on us. This is the perfect time to explore our fifteen minutes of fame and rethink our role as citizens, not only expecting a good result for our soccer, but also hoping for a better nation. If World Cup is an opportunity for the nation's improvements, Brazil's sixth World Cup title would be just a small part of a greater victory.

MaĂ­ra Fontes Manzan

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling

Yes. I believe that Brazil's soccer team will be the World Cup champion for three reasons: the team has many talented players like Neymar, Fred and Thiago Silva; the coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari, is a very lucky guy; and we are at home - the most important reason. The matches will not be exciting due to the strength of the other teams' defense in reason of their fear. Scores will be minimum for Brazil's team. Nevertheless, at the end, we will sing that song: “we are the champions, my friend…” After that, the Brazilian people are going to celebrate it a lot as usual. Brazil will stop. People will go crazy; they will dance on the streets and will hug each other.

Nevertheless, after this moment, our problems are going to start. The legacy announced by the Federation International of Football - FIFA and the Brazilian Government will not exist because the airports will not be ready, the public transport will be the same as it is today and some of the stadiums will be non-functional in cities where they don't have traditional soccer teams. Moreover, the World Cup will happen in June – July, close to the Brazilian's general elections, which will take place on the first Sunday of October. This fact could be a problem, according to some specialists in politics, because the Brazilian people will correlate the victory in the World Cup to the positive actions of the present Government and thus they will re-elect the president. Summarizing, I think that we're going to celebrate our victory for a few days, but all our problems, unfortunately, will remain the same prior to the World Cup. Well, this is our country. We love parties and having people close to us, but we have many social and political problems, which can be masked, this year, by the trophy awarded to the World Cup champion.

Carlos Campos da Costa Neto

The World Cup 2014 will be hosted in Brazil, which gives us a great opportunity to stand out among other countries. However, to host such big events like the World Cup it is necessary to have great infrastructure, which makes us wonder: is Brazil prepared to do it? What should be done so that the World Cup can be beneficial to the county?

It is estimated that the government will invest more than twenty billion Reals in infrastructure to host the World Cup 2014. Considering direct and indirect resources, the total amount should reach 183 billion Reals. So, on the one hand, all this money seems to be an unnecessary luxury, since we have more urgent demands that need to be addressed by the government such as health care and schools.

On the other hand, this major investment will generate many benefits to the country as it will create jobs, increase the tourist flow, modernize urban areas and ensure more investments.

In my opinion, Brazil is not prepared for such an event. For the World Cup to be successful and benefit the Brazilian people, it is not only necessary to invest in quality transportation, the renewal of the highways that connect the host cities and the increase of airport capacity. What is also important is to control the violence by increasing safety procedures in our cities as well as building more houses so that people would have a place to live. So, by doing it, we would be aiming at the World Cup with real benefits and profit to the country.

Marcos Allysson de Figueiredo Silva

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling

Since 2002, the world has not seen us win. It has been more than a decade! But now we are confident and we have the chance to take the trophy with us. The Brazilian team has great players and this time they are going to play at home. They may feel comfortable playing at home and doing something they love in their country. If we win, we will have the eyes of the world on us for a long time. They will show us in their newspapers, magazines and outdoors.

They will talk about us and we will evolve culturally and socially. They will make comment about the games and they will see the underestimated Brazilian team win. Now it is our turn and we will win the championship. We need to remember who we are and how well we play soccer. We will use it in our favor to show our culture to the world and to tell it that the Brazilian people do not give up so easily.

Ludmila de Oliveira Martins

I really think Brazil will win the World Cup Soccer 2014. Although the strong Spain is the current champion, the Brazilian team has shown great progress and excellent performance, including beating Spain in the final of the 2013 Confederations Cup. The main result of the victory for Brazil, besides the cup, would be the confirmation of the Brazilian talent in football. But winning the World Cup at home would also show that we can do at home what we have said and shown about ourselves out there, because we never won a World Cup at home, until today, and maybe it becomes a possible dream and reality also in politics and education. If all this occurs, Brazil will be a true champion and a worldwide example.

Rogério Marques de Souza

It is always important to believe. Faith creates hope in us. And hope gives us the possibility to dream and the strength to fight. So, I believe Brazil will be the new champion of the next World Cup. Sport, soccer in this case, teaches us how important are the union and the strategy and take the opportunity to make a difference in our lives. And if it comes true, Brazil winning the championship, despite the problems that unfortunately surround our people, it will be an incentive and an inspiration to our people to keep fight for better days.

Acir de Oliveira Junior

Brazil has been the champion of the World Cup for five times. We won the 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002 championships, but it's been 12 years since we brought the title home. This year I'm hopeful. I expect to live what my parents told me. They said the championship is a moment in which there's no prejudice; a moment when we sing the same song, dance together and everyone becomes hopeful. I just remember those years in which we were not the winners - 2006 and 2010. Nevertheless, I recall that those big parties were also amazing: the preparation, all the streets being decorated and the contests for the prettiest house or neighborhood. Families and friends together, everybody was cheerful. I think we have expected this year since 2010 - the year of the glory. This year we'll be champions at home and finally we'll be able to sing to the world “we are the champions my friends...because we are the champions of the world”.

Yanca Santos Costa

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling

Welcome to the World Cup 2014! The most exciting event that has become even more important, since it was decided that it would happen here in Brazil. That's awesome, isn't it? Brazil has been world champion for five times, and the only thing that comes in our mind now is “What is it going to be like if Brazil really wins the championship?''Brazil hasn't won the World Cup since 2002 and now the only desire that we, Brazilians, could have is to win one more time this world title, since no other nation has collected so many as we have. So, 2014 has just started and one of the most commented subjects is the World Cup. Everyone wants to know if we are going to win the championship. In one of Diego Maradona's interviews, he said “No doubt Brazil is my favorite! The players are well prepared for the game and for sure it is my favorite to win the World Cup.''If we win the championship, it will be so good for us not only because of the title and but also because different countries and nations are going to look at Brazil with good eyes. On the other hand, the ex-player Raí was interviewed and if we stop for a moment and think a little bit more, it is true what he says in his interview: “Brazil today lives a totally different reality in which people started to look at the things with distinct eyes. The fact is that soccer is not so important as it used to be in the past.''Diego Maradona and Raí are not the only ones who have this idea about Brazil, and we all want this title as well. The point is that, since it was decided that Brazil would host the World Cup, we Brazilians didn't really agree with that, since the government had to fix and modernize the stadiums. However, we all know that Brazil is not that ready to host an event like that. What about public education, transportation, etc Well, the government has spent a lot of money trying to fix things which were supposed to be ready since the beginning. However, if the opposite happens, people will be so angry because we have spent lots of money just to lose it. Now we only have the option to watch the games which are going to happen on June 12th to July 13th and see how it goes.

Erivelton Pereira Soares My Expectations First of all, I don't think that Brazil is going to win the World Cup 2014. Our team is good and prepared, but it has little motivation. People in Brazil just went through a gap of some misconceived ideas related to the Championship, which made the population really mad and, as a consequence, left the Brazilian team a little demotivated to play. But, even with this "mad mood" from part of the population , there are chances of Brazil winning the Cup. Our country is known as the "Country of Soccer", at least, among its population, so we won't allow other countries to claim victory without trying really hard to win. And, if we really win this Championship, it's probable that most of the population will turn that "mad mood" into "party mood" and will celebrate the victory for months to come.

Caio Marques Fernandes I have a lot of good memories from the last championship that Brazil won the FIFA World Cup. It was 2002 and I was 11 years old. I remember that all my school homework was about the championship.

At that time, one of the best memories I have was our home preparation for the games. All streets were painted green and yellow, the colors of Brazil's national flag. Inside the houses, every family got together to watch the soccer matches and all over Brazil people were feeling part of a big family.

Cheering together. Crying together. I hope this World Cup may be as wonderful and unforgettable as the championship in 2002 was. I'm sure it will be.

Antônio Alysson Rodrigues Martins

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling There are people that are against the World Cup and those who are for it. They present good arguments saying that big events like the World Cup or the Olympic Games are opportunities for malicious politicians, administrators and rulers to achieve a " clear path " to take financial advantage .Although the World Cup is a great event,it is not what the country needs right now . This nation does not need stadiums , but education, health, safety , housing and food .With the money spent, the country could have solved most urgent deficiencies in areas such as public health, education and safety. Nowadays, the world is getting worse day by day because of drug, people and weapons trafficking, robbery, kidnappings. During the World Cup, care should be redoubled because trafficking in general will increase. Even with these problems, it is important for the country to seek the best way to make the World Cup 2014 to be beneficial to both the Brazilian economy and society. The ideal situation is to benefit the most from the advantages that the World Cup can provide us in an attempt to make the benefits outweigh the problems. The additional benefits that the Brazilian society may have are more job opportunities, more safety, but this will only occur during the games. One of the biggest advantages to the country was that the stadiums were completed in time for the World Cup. However, after the end of the championship, public mobility and airports will remain the same for the population. Yes, I think Brazil has a chance to win the World Cup because the team's coach has been changed, and since we lost the 2010 World Cup Brazil, we've been taking the 2014 competition more seriously. Despite all the difficulties the we have faced to stabilize the country, all players have been training seriously and we are all in hope that will be able to win and enjoy the benefits that a World Cup brings.

Luíza Villarouca Bento

Brazil, the ball is rolling The Brazilian soccer team is in the finals of the World Cup tournament organized by FIFA. Our country had a lot of difficult matches. This is a really important World Cup, which will attract lots of tourists, who will spend money and make people richer. At first this tournament didn't please a lot.

Some people demonstrated against it, but in the end nothing really important happened. Back to the matches, the winner will receive the World Cup trophy. This match is going to be considered a classic of the world soccer: Brazil and Argentina, an epic battle. If Argentina wins, Brazilian fans will go crazy. If Brazil wins, it will be the opposite. But it is not important, the fact is both need to win. The game starts and the fans get crazy; everyone starts to call their favorite players: Neymar and Messi.

They are the best of the tournament and are loved everywhere they go; they play in the same team.

But today they are rivals.

The match is 0 – 0 and we have just 3 minutes to the break. The judge blows the whistle and the first half was gone; Lionel Messi got hurt and was substituted. Now it's the decision; we have 45 minutes to score a goal and we can't lose it. The game starts and in 8 minutes Rodrigo Palacio from Argentina scores first. Now we need to score 2 or it will be a shootout. After 22 minutes Hulk from Brazil scores the second. The game is 1-1 and we don't have much time. The decision - there are only 4 minutes and we need to score more goals, but the game stopped. David Luiz is arguing with Hugo Campagnaro. Ok They stoppped. 2 minutes to the end and… I can't believe that! Neymar scored a goal and the game is over. .Anywhere you look, you can see happy people, it's a party!

Brazil is the champion and now all the money we spent on stadiums was for a good cause, so I can say: Brasil is the winner of the FIFA World Cup 2014!

Gabriel Baliza Rocha

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling Brazil has one of the best soccer teams in the world, has been a champion for five times and is seeking his sixth title. Brazil, which is known worldwide as the country of joy, will have another reason for this: the World Cup in our own country. However, there is not only joy, there are also negative aspects.

Among the advantages of the Cup being here in Brazil, one is that Brazil will be seen all over the world. The World Cup always brings several tourists from other countries and hundreds of journalists and media professionals, so Brazil will be the main country where people around the world will visit in 2014.

Another advantage that we can report, according to studies, is that it has been created about 700 thousand new jobs, permanent and temporary, related to the event. Furthermore, there is a great expectation that Brazilian unemployment rate will decrease and its economy will grow. And one more advantage is the expectation that more than 600 thousand tourists will visit Brazil, knowing our culture and, certainly, spending money on hotels, food, games, etc.

The Brazil World Cup will also bring disadvantages to Brazil. The most serious one is that the money which had been invested on stadiums, hotels and restaurants, should have been used to improve infrastructure, living conditions and safety. In addition, about 3,000 people were removed from their homes to allow the construction of public buildings for the World Cup. The World Cup is one of the most important sport events and it will bring benefits to Brazil. But, considering the infrastructure problems and current living conditions, the money could have been used to improve life of the Brazilian citizens. Moreover, many of the benefits brought by the World Cup will be temporary and will last for a short time.

Thiago de Menezes Andrade Brazil will be the winner of the World Cup! We have the best players and the biggest, happiest and most enthusiastic supporting crowd. Moreover, hosting the World Cup will bring a lot of luck to our country! Together we will celebrate the victory, take the streets in green and yellow, with one voice, one emotion: Brazil, six times champion!

Patricia dos Santos

I do not remember much about the World Cup 2002 (after all I was two years old), but my father told me that the FIFA World Cup 2002 showed the new face of soccer. For the first and till now only time two countries shared the role of hosting the World Cup: Japan and South Korea. It was also the first time that the World came out of Europe - America circuit.

Bit expected and everything got that Brazilian national 2002 campaign was flawless: seven games, seven wins.

Ronaldo was the phenomenon. Recovered from serious knee injuries, the attacker reached his maximum consecration to be champion, top scorer and player of the national team winning the World Cup. He scored eight goals, two of them in the final against Germany, and another in the semifinals against Turkey.

Brazil equaled the German record attend three consecutive finals. While Brazilians played the finals in 1994, 1998 and 2002 and won two of them, the Germans played in 1982, 1986 and 1990, and only won the latter.

Brenda Cassiano de Souza

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling What's behind the party The FIFA World Cup is the biggest sporting event in the world. Since 1930 it has been making fans across the globe, showing not only the best that soccer has to offer, but also giving good economic returns to the host country. And naturally, Brazil, the greatest World Cup champion of all time, celebrates this great event next month.

The last World Cup was four years ago, in 2010. I remember it very well, because it was a major milestone in world history. It was the year that a World Cup was celebrated for the first time in the African continent. In times of ideological change, with women and black people being presidents of countries that a few years ago were considered racists and prejudiceds and gay marriages are allowed, the World Cup, which has always been considered an elitist event, to be celebrated in the continent of extreme of majority black people was a big win against racism worldwide.

I remember that the South Africa team, the host country, was eliminated in the first round and that Spain won your first world title. I felt sad for South Africa failing to go further in the competition, but they didn't have a good history in the sport, so the result was fair. And the Spanish team came more prepared than all other teams. It is clear that social factors influenced: African countries don't have such good teams, because money is needed for good teams to be formed, with schools and basic assistance for players. And money is precisely what is missing for them. But then I'm glad, because the major objective was complete: the inclusion of all people in the sport.

But this year, the cup will be at home and unlike 1950, when a World Cup was celebrated for the first time, I think Brazil has more chances to win. It's been a long time since we last won (since 2002) and the sixth title has been much expected by all. Brazil is the country that has the most world titles (five) and is the only one who participated in all editions of the event, which proves our excellence in the sport.

But we can't forget what is behind all this. Many say that will not have cup, that the protests that occurred in 2013, which I also attended, will return in full force to obtain justice for this country which needs it. Every day we see thousands of people in hospitals, dying of starvation, because a corrupt government doesn't care for the population. We see crumbling schools, with students that don't have the minimum basic education and who are the future of our country, but at the same time millions are spent on overpriced stadiums. The people can't take it anymore, this is unacceptable.

I will not watch any games in stadiums, because the tickets are expensive. It really is an event for the rich, but I hope that Brazil wins and the money that was invested in stadiums and infrastructure for the cup has some return for the population that needs assistance urgently.

Kiepher Kennedy Pinto de Oliveira

In my opinion, if Brazil wins the world soccer championship, there will be so many parties that it will seem like another carnival. Millions of people will scream and celebrate the victory on the streets.

We'll be again the world's best in soccer! Brazilians will no longer be called "losers", but conquerors!

We will prove that when we fight bravely for what we want, we achieve the victory. It was like that in the past and it will be like that in the future. But I'm afraid that people would forget about our big and real problems as the bad quality of education, security and big fails of the public transport in the country. As soon as the "anesthesia" is gone, people will realize that the problems are still there and Brazil will be again a reason for worries and not for celebrations.

Heitor Vasconcelos Bazilio Pereira

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling “The ball is going to roll in Brazil”, when I heard this sentence I started to think, why Brazil? Because Brazil is the soccer country, and we are the happiest people in the world, we are a welcoming people, because we are the soccer legend.

It is not easy to host a World Cup, for we have to build stadiums, improve the ways of transportation in the city, improve the airports to support the demand for people of all parts of the world, improve security, and a lot of other things. Brazil is not a perfect country, and it is too far away to be one, but we can do this, and we will do this.

Society did not like that very much, and Brazil became a stage for protests against it. Brazil is a country where politicians steal money for themselves, and it hampers the process of making the budget rise much more.

If the World Cup doesn't happen, Brazil will keep being the same one that has always been. Also, I can say that the Word Cup was Brazil's angel, because, if it doesn't happen, the government won't do anything to improve the country. We are doing that so that the other countries see that Brazil is the best place to do everything that we want to do. In my city, Brasilia, we can see everywhere the changes that are happening for the Cup, from changes in airports to the constructions of bridges, and this is good, not just for the city, but for all the country.

Thus, we will have the best World Cup ever, no one will do better than us, and we will win the hex championship.

Felipe Sathler Cuciol

The dream of a nation The year of the World Cup has finally arrived.

Even with delays of the stadiums' construction and a general perspective of improper preparation from Brazil, the host country, its inhabitants couldn't be more excited. “Who will win the championship?” - The question that everyone wants to know. Playing at home enhances the Brazilian team's chances to get the title. If it actually happens, the nation will be dragged by an unstoppable happiness. Our proud feelings we lost many years ago will return much stronger. But there's also fear of having the Cup in our hands. The social problems, which led to the historic uprisings in June 2013, would be easily forgotten with so much to celebrate. Aren't we, the population, being conducted to one more “Panem et circences”? Is the government taking advantage of an international competition? Is winning worth all the risks? These are the real questions that anyone seems eager to answer.

João Pedro da Rocha Bessa

I was born in 2001. The last time Brazil won the World Cup I was just a baby, so I don't know what it is like for Brazil to be a champion. I really don't like soccer, but I always support Brazil during the World Cup matches. I think it would be cool if Brazil wins the next World Cup, for everybody will be happy. Soccer is very popular for Brazilians, and I want Brazil to win, not just because it's my country. If we lose, the protesters will do many violent demonstrations, since the government spent a lot of money on the stadiums and not on schools or hospitals.

Therefore, I really want Brazil to win the World Cup 2014 because I want to see a happy and peaceful Brazil.

Maria Clara Cunha Miranda

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling

Winning the 2014 World Cup will be fantastic. Everybody will be happy and celebrate because it will be the sixth time that Brazil is the winner. If our country wins, we will have many beautiful parties, festivals and celebrations. There will also be music everywhere. Watching the matches on TV will be accessible to everyone because the games will be broadcasted on every TV channels, so I can watch all the games at my house and cheer for Brazil.

Wallace Ben Teng Lin Wu

World Cup and Unit The mobilization of the country to receive the World Cup is inevitable. However, it is happening in a bad way. The structure put together to host the event will not benefit the whole population, but contractors, executives and politicians. With the choice of Brazil as the host for the World Cup, there have been promises of economic, structural and social developments.

Renovation of roads, hospitals and airports, in addition to the construction of the stadiums, would be the solution to the improvement in the quality of life of the population, because many people would be employed, the quality of public transportation would increase, and the urban infrastructure would be better. But because of corruption and poor planning, this amazing opportunity for the growth of our country is going to be wasted.

Many families were forced to leave their homes so that the space would be used in structures of the event, and the major problem is that not all of those people have been reallocated. Delays in the projects has made emergency budgetting necessary, which facilitates the overpricing of these projects, allowing the diversion of funds, therefore increasing the chances of irregularities in projects design.

The event inevitably unites the population. On one hand, there are those who are against the absurd spending in stadiums, and who criticize the amount of money that is being spent to host the event, but a big part of them also believe in Brazilian football, and are cheering for Brazil. Some renovations and most of the stadiums are finished, and in the end, politicians, contractors, hoteliers, and entrepreneurs expect to be celebrating one more victory of Brazil. Oh, and the population expects that too, except for those people who lost their houses, I guess.

Alice Vieira Lima Cavalcante

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling

Thinking through Soccer Here Comes the Cup1 “I can do no less than show respect for those who sit on a bleacher (…) waiting for eleven gentlemen (…) demonstrate to others eleven that, with the feet, it's possible do much more than with the head.”

Gabriel García Márquez (1927 – 2014)2 Being the world's most popular sport, soccer can really make economic, social and political changes in societies and people around it. Moreover, no other country in the world has an identity so attached with soccer as Brazil has. Nevertheless, some are still used to saying that our nation should settle for an undervalued culture, accepting the fact that we have won five world cups, but no Nobel Prize; that we should not dream impossible dreams as economic and social equality. However, it was believing in change through the power of soccer that the Brazilian player Sócrates (1954-2011) – who in the middle of a military dictatorship organized a democratic system in Corinthians, where everyone, from the substitute until the director, had the right to vote on every team decision, and who also fought for direct presidential elections in Brazil,3 – once cried out, “Give my goals to a better country”.But, in the context of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, how could soccer actually improve our nation, making it more prosperous, and turning it, as sought Socrates, into a “better country”?

First, according to a study by the global consultancy firm Ernst & Young with Getúlio Vargas Foundation, the World Cup may inject R$ 142 billion into the Brazilian economy between 2010 and 2014. From these, about R$ 22 billion will be invested in improvements and expansions of ports and airports, infrastructure renovation of hotels, urban mobility works, and communications systems modernization; meanwhile, on stadiums, the favorite target of criticisms, R$ 8 billion will be spent. By the way, the construction of stadiums did not imply budget cuts on healthcare and education, which in 2014 surpasses the financing of the World Cup more than one hundred times.Therefore, besides the entire infrastructure that will remain in the country after the World Cup, creating hundreds of thousands jobs, increasing the consumer spending, and attracting many others investments, we will have also new stadiums, with more accessibility, comfort, and safety to Brazilian soccer fans, avoiding tragedies such as those that took place in São Januário (RJ) and Fonte Nova (BA).

Furthermore, the difference that the World Cup can bring for us is not only economic or commercial, but also social. Such as the Greek philosopher whose name was also Socrates (469 BC – 299 BC) observed, “Wealth does not bring goodness, but goodness brings wealth and every other blessing, both to individual and to the state". It was with this in mind that, exactly twenty years ago, Mandela (1918-2013) saw on the Rugby World Cup the last chance to unify a people on the brink of a civil war in a post-apartheid South Africa – and he made it, showing that a peaceful and brotherly community through sport is possible. In the same way, the World Cup will be also a unique opportunity for us to send to the world a strong message against prejudice, mainly after the infamous case involving the soccer player Daniel Alves. And nothing more appropriate than soccer to do it, as the Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano stated, “Soccer offers one of the few more or less democratic spaces, where black skin people can compete on equal footing”.The anthropologist Gilberto Freyre observed that Brazilians played soccer as "if it was a dance"; indeed, it was precisely through the rhythm of soccer and popular music that marginalized people, mostly Afro-descendant, could fight segregation, and still do it. Of course that some issues, like population removal and obscure laws,are still pending, but it

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling

was precisely these and other impacts of the World Cup that triggered a democratic nationwide debate, and from now on the rulers know that the Brazilian people are no more apathetic to their misconduct; on the contrary, now there is on the streets a call for government accountability.

Therefore, as we have seen, the World Cup is already making a huge difference for our country, causing a positive impact on economy growth, and making people more aware of social issues and, without doubt, of their own rights, demanding now, and very fairly, public services on “FIFA's standards”. In addition, holding this event successfully will confirm Brazil's claim as a rising power, the world's seventh-largest economy, in a vibrant democracy that has taken millions out of poverty.

And, lastly, if we can not lift the cup in July, may we keep in mind the wise words stated by Sócrates, not the Greek philosopher this time, but the Brazilian doctor, who said, “Beauty comes first. Victory is secondary. What matters is joy”.1Unfortunately, Dr. Sócrates is not here anymore to watch the 2014 World Cup, but his legacy will, once his pursuit for democracy through soccer contributed to making possible a debate that allows us to know what is actually happening. As Galeano recalled during a visit to Brasília on April 13, 2014, “Sócrates, with Corinthians' Democracy during the '80s, participated in the greatest revolution that has ever occurred in soccer: the seizure of power”. A better country definitively can arise after the games' euphoria, showing that we can be as good as anyone. And this will be our victory, a real one.

The author currently works at the Ministry of Education's Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) and studies English under the direction of teacher Aline Milagres Dyna at Casa Thomas Jefferson (CTJ). The content of this article does not necessary reflect the views of CAPES or CTJ. Responsibility for the information and views here expressed lies entirely with the author.

Notes 1. Inspired in The Beatles' song Here Comes the Sun, released in 1969.

2. Juan Diego Ramírez C., “La Gran contradicción de Gabriel García Márquez con el futbol”, Señal Deportes, April 18, 2014.

3. “Documentário conta história de Democracia Corinthiana”, BBC Brasil, November 26, 2012.

4. Leandro Stein, “Sócrates, 60 anos: a rica herança deixada pelo Doutor”, Trivela, February 19, 2014.

5. “Brasil Sustentável: Impactos Socioeconômicos da Copa do Mundo de 2014”, Ernst & Young and Getúlio Vargas Foundation, 2010.

6. “Tire suas dúvidas sobre os investimentos do país para a Copa”, Site do Governo Federal Brasileiro sobre a Copa do Mundo da FIFA 2014, April 11, 2014.

7. “Recursos para saúde e educação superam os da Copa em cem vezes”, Comunicação Social da Presidência da República, April 24, 2014. “Copa 2014 – O que o Brasil já ganhou com a Copa?”, Ministério do Esporte e Ministério do Turismo, 2014. Gilberto Carvalho, “Gastos com a Copa não prejudicam investimentos em saúde e educação, Notícias Uol, May 5, 2014.

8. In the final match of the Brazilian Championship between Vasco da Gama and São Caetano (12/30/2000), about 150 people were injured after a section of fencing collapsed at São Januário stadium (Rio de Janeiro-RJ). Likewise, in 11/25/2007, at Fonte Nova soccer stadium (Salvador-BA), eight people were killed and dozens injured after a fall from the highest bleachers that suddenly gave way.

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling

9. Miller, Paul Allen. 2010. Plato's Apology of Socrates: A Commentary. University of Oklahoma Press, p. 172.

10. See Invictus, a 2009 biographical sports drama film directed by Clint Eastwoodand starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon, about the events in South Africa before and during the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which was hosted in that country just after the dismantling of apartheid.

11. On April 27, during a match, someone threw a banana at him. The response of Alves to the racist taunt was picking the banana up and eating it, which immediately spreaded a worldwide social media campaign. Brazil's President Rousseff after said that “we're going to make of the Cup in Brazil a large global flag of the fight against racial prejudice”, Blog do Planalto, April 30, 2014.

12. Galeano, Eduardo, 2004. Futebol ao Sol e à Sombra, Coleção L&PM Pocket, p. 58.

13. Michael Reid, “More than a Game”, Intelligent Life Magazine, March 2014.

14. Ana Luiza Albuquerque, “Copa Popular mostra “lado B” do Mundial: remoções e violações dos direitos humanos”, Jornal do Brasil, April 27, 2014.

15. Leandro Franklin Gorsdorf, “A Lei Geral dos interesses particulares”, Le Monde Diplomatique Brasil, November 1, 2011.

16. “Socrates”, The Economist, December 10, 2011.

17. Ubiratan Brasil, “Eduardo Galeno, um popstar na Bienal de Brasília”, O Estado de S.Paulo, April 14, 2014.

Alex Soares de Araujo

The World Cup in Brazil Well known as the “country of soccer”, Brazil will host the next World Cup under criticism, skepticism, but also thrill. It is notorious that having been selected to host the Cup did not have a very good reaction in society. Most people think the investment is not worth it and that there are more disadvantages than advantages.

Even if many people complain about the fact that this mega-event is going to happen in Brazil, there are those in favor who argue that it enables the country to develop its economy and also improves the infrastructure, which will last for the locals. More jobs are available for the population and investments in technology, transportation and security are being made.

The unfavorable ones state that the budget spent is not worth it, considering the social priorities, vulnerability to epidemics, and rise of crime.

Brazil has already won several titles, like the most delayed World Cup ever; lack of punctuality, impatience to stand in line, and so forth. However, based on the Confederation Cup experience last year, it is to be mentioned that some citizens are no longer so proud of being five-time champions.

They would rather be good at education, health, and welfare.

Undoubtedly, the whole world will be focused on our nation, and probably demonstrations will take place to show everybody that Brazilians can be much more than soccer, samba and carnival. One way or another, the events promise to be an otherwise amazing spectacle.

Brenda de Paula Teixeira

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling

Thomas Jefferson once recommended: “whenever you do something, act as if the whole world were watching”. The statement made by the third President of the United States may perfectly apply to Brazil's reality, especially regarding the issue of hosting the World Cup. Despite the fact that this task presents several risks and requires effective management, it might bring important benefits to the economic and social segments. Furthermore, this is an important timing to show the world a powerful example of the potential of intercultural dialogue, a fact that corroborates Jefferson's statement.

During the preparation for hosting the World Cup, the Brazilian community witnessed the emergence of numerous consequences, which, if examined through the lenses of naivete, would seem to be related only to the games themselves. Not surprisingly, the issue is not that straightforward, since economy has an interconnected nature, generating a long chain of economic consequences.

Beyond stadiums, other outcomes may result from economic investments, like expansion of the hotel compound and transportation infrastructure. Even the spending made by visitors, such as in purchase of goods and services, can cause the “domino effect” in the Brazilian economy.

Last but not least, it is evident that the social and cultural effects of the World Cup are manifold. This country is the result of a complex process of cultural mixture, whose people reject radical views that tend towards xenophobia, a scenery that can generate a positive image to the world. Besides this delicate issue, the demand for human resources, required by the hundreds of thousands of job opportunities, will not be limited to the days of the tournament. In terms of legacy, it may be associated with the training of personnel in, for instance, information technology and foreign languages, providing gains in education and social inclusion.

In a nutshell, whether analyzed from the economic perspective or the social and cultural angle, hosting the World Cup raises concerns, but it also generates opportunities. One thing is clear, though: a successful legacy will depend on knowing how to identify these opportunities and challenges so that the World Cup contributes to the reinforcement of national economic and social growth, and to human enrichment. In this sense, the statement of Nelson Mandela that “sport has the power to change the world” reinforces what Jefferson remarked.

Ana Carolina Couto Pereira Pinto Barbosa

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling

In the year of 2014, Brazil will receive the largest football tournament in the world - the World Cup. It will be the twentieth edition of the event and it is the second time this tournament is played in the country after the FIFA World Cup in 1950. The Cup is an event capable of mobilizing the entire country. It is when all Brazilians are together, rooting for our country, but the championship has its disadvantages as well as advantages.

One of the greatest advantages of receiving an event of this proportion is regarding the economy and the explosion of construction. The event improves hotels, the construction of new stadiums that, consequently, creates jobs and generates income, improvement in airports and in different areas, tourism and investment in transportation. On the other hand, in the construction of stadiums and in a technological event there is a very high investment financed with public money, so the country fails to invest in health, education and safety, and the construction expenditures are higher than planned.

Also, corruption and sex tourism in Brazil becomes the image to the outside world.

In my opinion, the benefits are far greater than the disadvantages, for the event is able to generate employment for millions of Brazilians and it is a way to show the world that our country is not just about carnival, football and sex. The Cup is an opportunity for us to show the world that our country is civilized and that our country is wonderful, and it is among the most beautiful ones in the world.

Yan Mota Freire

The year of 2014 will be remembered in soccer history as the year when Brazil hosted the World Cup. A lot of people see this opportunity as something big and amazing. On the other hand, less than 50% of Brazilian people didn't like this idea and have a lot of reasons for not agreeing with it.

The Brazilian population is divided in two groups: the ones who agree and the ones who disagree with Brazil hosting the World Cup. I have to say that this event has a huge impact in Brazil and in its population. Let's take the stadiums, for instance. All stadiums in Brazil were improved, and it was required from workers to make this improvement. In other words, the World Cup brought jobs for some people. However, the money used in the stadiums' improvement was supposed to be used on public education and health. What I mean is that the government is spending public money in stadiums and, meanwhile, they're watching people dying due to the lack of doctors in hospitals.

In my opinion, the fact that Brazil is hosting the World Cup is neither bad nor good. Brazil is becoming more famous around the world and, for that reason, the country needs to have the structure to welcome a huge number of tourists (better roads, bigger airports, more hotels) and this structure makes the country grow. Of course there are bad things too, like the fact that the government shouldn't use public money to build stadiums. Instead, this money should be used with education and healthcare.

Even though there are plenty of bad things about Brazil hosting the World Cup, I don't think it will be something terrible for the country. Yes, there are some disadvantages, but there are a lot of advantages too, so it wouldn't be a total loss. Just because the World Cup doesn't improve the worst things Brazil has, it doesn't mean that it isn't improving anything.

Vanessa Ă lvares Teixeira

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling There is no doubt that to host the World Cup is an honor to any country. It is an event that brings nations together to celebrate soccer and sport as a whole. In 2014, it is Brazil's turn to host this event and be in the media spotlight. Despite the difficulties in preparing the country to welcome foreign visitors, hosting the World Cup will bring great changes to Brazilian culture, regarding tourism and language.

Different tourism routes in Brazil will become more valued. Usually, when choosing a place in Brazil to spend vocations, foreigners decide to go to Rio de Janeiro, which is the most widespread and commented city in the country. Since the soccer matches will take place in different regions of Brazil, it is a good opportunity to show the world our country's great diversity; to show that Brazil is much more than Rio de Janeiro only.

Another difference that hosting the World Cup will make is that Brazilians will be more interested in learning foreign languages, especially English. The need to communicate with visitors from every corner of the world has brought all kinds of people together in English classes; from taxi drivers to business professionals. This is a consequence of the general concern of not wanting to lose a client due to miscommunication.

In summary, to host such an important event as the World Cup makes a difference in our culture.

Tourism routes in different cities will become more appreciated and, in addition to that, Brazilians are feeling the need to learn foreign languages to communicate with tourists. These aspects can have a great impact not only in the tourist sectors but also in how Brazilians can learn to enjoy their own country and be interested in learning languages.

Marina Cases Soares

Let´s get de ball rolling Since Brazil was announced the host for 2014 FIFA World Cup, soccer fans from all around the world started to plan the trip to the Soccer Land. Because Brazil is known as a happy and sunny Latin country, tourists are excited to land in this paradise. There are also anxious and desperate Brazilian fans waiting for the ball to roll.

After 64 years, Brazil will hold the competition again and the happiness and magic of this event will invade the Brazilian´s soul. However, that was the first impression because Brazil is known as a country with a lack of progress in stadiums.

Considering that this event will be a singular opportunity to expose Brazil outside, the local government and also private investors had to join efforts to prepare the country installations to receive the competitors and tourists.

But the time is running out for the preparations to get ready, and rumors that there will probably be many protests during the event are concerning the organizers and FIFA members. But all this agony will be substituted for the talent and competence of Brazilian workers and, definitely, this cup will be the best World Cup that we ever had.

At the end, after having put so much strain and love on this enterprise, Brazilians will hopefully be able to relax and enjoy the ball finally rolling and many lessons will have been learned, making Brazil more respected than never.

Maria Conceicao Pereira Guarnieri

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling Even though the World Cup is an event that brings up, in a healthy way, a spirit of competition among people and some rivalry among countries, I think that the moment that Brazil is going through is not the best time for the country to host such an important event.

We can think of some nice things that the World Cup is doing for the country. First of all, it is an opportunity to show how diverse the culture of every state is, and with so many tourists coming here, it will help the economy of Brazil. Second, even if it is just for a while, the infrastructure of the cities where the games are going to be held is going to be improved, mainly because the government wants to impress the foreigners. Finally, even if it is negative in some aspects, it can show to the world what the reality of the country is like, especially to those who don´t want to see what is happening here. As a result, some countries might pressure Brazil to do something about it.

And just like everything else, the World Cup also has its drawbacks. For one thing, as 2014 is an electoral year, it may be used to persuade some people to vote for the current politicians .It has also promoted big investments in things that aren´t very important for Brazil at the moment. In addition, there has been some spending on useless things, just like the stadium in Brasilia for example, where there is no active soccer circuit.

Reflecting upon what has been pointed out, we can conclude that the World Cup is a popular event and it is important that it take place. However, maybe it shouldn´t have been hosted by Brazil because the country is not ready to receive an event of this magnitude. Maybe it would have been a better idea to do it in the future, when the country will probably be in a more favorable situation.

Milena Nestor Santos

The World Cup of 2014 This year, there will be another World Cup, which is going to be celebrated in Brazil, the “land of soccer”. Even though it will bring many advantages for the country, a lot of people disagree with the World Cup being held here.

One good thing is that the World Cup will benefit the economy of the country, especially because it will bring tourists from all over the world. In addition, the country will become more acknowledged internationally.

In spite of bringing many advantages, many Brazilians think that Brazil doesn't have the proper infrastructure to host a World Cup. Also, corruption and dishonesty of the government is widely known, as well as the fact that the politicians don't care about the population's needs. Precarious schools, horrible hospitals, poor security and widespread poverty are examples of some of the problems that Brazil has been facing over the years.

Knowing that the country will be crowded and traffic will get worse, will Brazil be able to handle the problems that may come up? Will tourists enjoy this country? There are some questions that nobody knows the answers to. However, after this World Cup, we hope that Brazil will solve all of its problems.

Nathalia Serrano Piffero

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling

Is the World Cup ours?

Joy, euphoria, patriotism took over the Brazilian heart with the announcement of the host of the 2014 World Cup. After 64 years, the biggest party of international football gets back to its house. However, when the dust settled and the country realized what this could mean, not even one vuvuzela was heard on the streets. Seven years have passed since the day of the official FIFA announcement and we are still pondering if the World Cup has brought more advantages or disadvantages for our country.

The idea of choosing emerging countries to be the stage of big international events is to bring development to them. In theory, this type of initiative is a great opportunity to create new jobs and projects to enhance local transportation, security and infrastructure. For some capitals, the idea has really worked. For example, Recife built a whole structure to receive the event, putting the subway station to take tourists from the airport to the arena, that was constructed some kilometers from downtown, which improved local transportation. However, government actions didn't work as well as in Recife for everybody. In other capitals, many of these plans have never gotten out of the paper. A lot of them are unfinished, and the expenses were higher than what was planned. In other words, the states which took the opportunity to develop their cities are now really thankful for the coming of the World Cup. One of the biggest losses we had during the process was our national sovereignty. FIFA imposed a list of 'standards' we need to meet, and some of the topics weren't according to our own list of national standards. The most famous examples were the prohibition of beer inside the stadiums and the “half price” for students in cultural events were big victories to the whole nation; but FIFA ignored these symbols of our sovereignty and obliged us to suspend them during the Cup. To an extremely bureaucratic country, losing important laws which were created to make Brazilians life better is a step back.

Opening arms to the most popular football party has opened a lot of doors for us. We have a beautiful culture, very rich and peculiar, and this is a big opportunity to show our potential to the world.

Furthermore, the coming of millions of tourists in just a month will mean the heating of the domestic market, the movement of capital and a leap to the economy. Sectors directly linked to football and tourism saw the Cup as a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow: it's a perfect chance to invest, grow and gain. June 2014 can become the “Miracle of the XXI Century”. We can't forget that football is a national passion, as carnival. It is part of our culture, our habits and our identity. This sport is part of who we are, and hosting the Football World Cup tastes of a son getting back to his house. Brazil, the homeland of soccer, is open to welcome it back.

We are here, in front of goal, and we are not sure if it was a great or a bad idea to be the host of the event. But the fact is that, even with the negative points of the preparation to the event, the Cup has its big advantages too. What we should do now is unite the whole nation to prove our love for football and for our country. We can enjoy what we gained, and solve what didn't work as we hoped. Because Brazilians are a brave people, we won't give up. Even if we don't win the games, the World Cup is ours again.

Bianca Rocha de Aguiar

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling

Brazilians are really passionate people when talking about soccer. It makes all the sense for our country to host the 2014 World Cup, and I believe that it won't be a bad thing for us at all.

Nevertheless, we know that there will be disadvantages. Corruption has always existed, and now that we are hosting the World Cup, it will continue to be a reality. We can't do much because the government has already made those decisions. They are spending billions of reais to build all the stadiums, but the worst aspect is that some cities are getting a big attention and others aren't getting any benefits. And we can't go back anymore. Brazil has a lot of problems. We already have crowded airports, traffic and violence. Now, with the World Cup, these problems will be intensified. Our airports will get overcrowded because of the number of tourists and people who want to watch the games will need to go from place to place and it will leave our roads full of cars. Consequently, there will be intense traffic jams and those little thieves who steal bags, cellphones and this kind of stuff will probably mug these tourists.

However, there will be some advantages, too! The government is investing a big amount of money in education, trasportation and health care. It's something that Brazilians need and will use a lot. There will be a lot of tourists here. The economy will improve: hotels will profit a lot and so will restaurants and airline companies; there will be more jobs avaliable. As a result, our country will be better known abroad!

In the end, I think hosting the 2014 World Cup in Brazil will be good for us because changes are happening for the better! When it's over, we will still be able to enjoy the benefits that the World Cup will have given us!

Ana Clara Silva Moroishi

The World Cup is a major event, which occurs every four years, and leaves more than good memories to the host country. In 2014, Brazil will have the privilege of hosting a tournament for the second time. The excitement of Brazilians can already be seen on the streets, but it isn't only that: the World Cup will leave many benefits and legacies for Brazil.

The expectation for the championship is enormous. Besides the great national mobilization, the event has provided job opportunities in different fields, like construction and tourism. The government has even offered some programs to prepare workers for the World Cup, like courses of translation and reception of tourists. Therefore, during the World Cup and after the event, Brazilians will have more qualified professionals.

Brazil will also have a better infrastructure and better urban mobility than before the World Cup. New stadiums have been built, many airports remodeled and the Brazilian hotel chains have expanded.

With all these benefits, Brazil can attract other international events, increasing its potential for economic and cultural growth, sports development and tourism.

In summary, even facing difficulties in meeting deadlines and targets set by the International Soccer Federation (FIFA), there is no denying that the tournament will bring great benefits to Brazil. More than great souvenirs and learnings, 2014 World Cup will bring more comfort, more opportunities and hope to Brazilians.

Carine Pereira Mariani

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling

FIFA WORLD CUP 2014 - a critical review In October 2007, FIFA chose Brazil to host the FIFA World Cup 2014 and two years later, the cities where the matches would take place were also selected. Brasilia is one of them and will receive seven matches of the biggest soccer competition in the world.

The realization of these big events is a way to increase not only tourism, but also the economy, to promote development and to include the city and the country in the international map.

Data from the Brazilian Institute of Tourism (Embratur) show that the tourists who visited Brasilia to watch the opening ceremony and the first match of the Confederations Cup 2013 stayed in the city for a period of 10 days in average. The most benefitted sector was the hospitality, which registered almost 75% of occupancy rate. Still, the numbers show that there was a loss of approximately R$ 19 million reals (up to U$ 9 million).

Then the Brazilian citizen asks: what is the purpose of hosting an event if it doesn't bring profits in the short run? What is the goal that Brazil has in receiving such an event? The answer is: to promote the country and the host cities through sports.

Citizens are misinformed to believe that the country will profit from hosting the FIFA World Cup 2014.

Researchers in the field of tourism and events and previous experiences in Germany, France and South Africa are clear in demonstrating that, in the short run, the total profit achieved does not recover the initial investment. Obviously, we expect a return from any investment, especially because Brazil is a developing nation and we still have to deal with problems such as poverty and infrastructure issues. However, it is important that the governments have in mind and inform people of how this process occurs and when we should expect to see real improvements.

South Africa has not achieved its goal and today holds huge and underutilized stadiums. For Brazil not to repeat this sad outcome, it is up to citizens to keep themselves informed about those issues and levy actions and appropriate responses from governments. Then, yes, we can all celebrate and enjoy, without worries, the biggest soccer competition in the world.

Cynthia Boabaid Itapary Pinheiro

Despite the expenses and challenges of creating the infrastructure for a World Cup, what difference will hosting a sporting event like this make for our country?

The FIFA World Cup, the biggest international soccer competition around the world, is taking place in Brazil in 2014. Only once every four years does a country have the privilege of hosting this event, and now it is our responsibility to show more than what we are capable of in the soccer field. Despite the fact that we did not create the sport, we are widely known to have great athletes and a tradition when it comes to soccer teams and players. More than people who love soccer, we are people who are receptive to others and enthusiastic to show our culture. Hosting the World Cup will make people from all countries see us differently, which results in our own changing of viewpoint.

The FIFA World Cup always has the power to bring people from different nations together to enjoy a show that offers an opportunity to set their divergences aside. In every edition, one country is in the spotlight and to hold this position means to open the doors to many cultures which share the love for soccer. During this time, it is impossible to count the amount of cultural and social encounters made.

Our people has been preparing itself for years to play the role of a host impeccably, but what they are not prepared for is to get in touch with such intensely different ways of living. The consequence of

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receiving a worldwide event is so rich that it sometimes changes the way we envision globalization.

Enhancing what we want to do for the world and how to do better in the future is only one lesson to be learned from people who have been more successful in having less inequality than we have.

Before experiencing immersion in any other culture, we tend to gather knowledge about it first, about its history and its social patterns, but in a smaller scale than when living abroad. Hosting the World Cup brings the opportunity for foreigners to really know our country, instead of just some household names; and even more than this, it gives us a chance to be one nation working towards one common interest: giving them an unforgettable time. Understanding how people deal with their lives in other places becomes more valuable when we start to figure out that we can do what is necessary to improve our country if we coordinate our efforts. The precious heritage that the FIFA 2014 World Cup will bring to us is to awake our Brazilian spirit and to make us notice that what divides our nation is the common notion of not cooperating with each other.

In conclusion, the World Cup is the event of the year in which we will be able to entertain the world with our best, and, at the same time, we will be able to learn a lot from those people, too. Our experiences and cultural knowledge never fade away, since what matters is to improve ourselves, and this is the case of all we can learn through hosting this event. We will learn through getting to know different people better and having them in coexisting peace. In addition to that, the other aspect of the event is to have the foreigners looking at us differently, and with all the hard work, we can certainly guarantee that we will see ourselves differently, too. Finally, the best part is that even if we do not win the FIFA World Cup, probably our people still can benefit greatly.

Gabriel Bonifácio Sousa e Silva

The FIFA World Cup is a difficult event to host. However, the expensive investment can bring many advantages to Brazil; we can create a good vision of our country. Furthermore, the investments to receive tourists will contribute to the development of the country.

For instance, public transportation is going to improve and employment opportunities are going to increase. In addition to that, there are projects that are going to change the structure of some buildings for better, like the airports, hotels and stadiums.

Those investments are going to help Brazil to project a good image for the world. Moreover, if the Brazilian population maintains the organization and the cleaning in all those places, they are going to delight the tourists and bring them back to the next event here, the Olympic Games.

Therefore, if you´re just looking at the bad side of receiving an event like this in your country, you won´t be able to enjoy the good parts. An event like this is going to be a great opportunity for development, and if this event turns out to be a huge success, the Brazilian culture will finally be seen the way it deserves to, a respectable and responsible country.

Gabriel Henrique Gonçalves Silveira

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Brazil's World Cup will certainly cause several transformations to the country, and will undoubtedly affect the society. It's going to be responsible for economic activities, tourism and some other benefits to the nation. However, life quality and public services will be directly affected by the event, which will unfortunately cause many negative consequences.

At first, one change that is going to happen in Brazil is the construction of a better tourism structure, with improvement in the quality of hotels, restaurants and other services for visitors. The country will eventually get some money from the event, which can help the nation to emerge, generate jobs and invest in public services. Brazil's international relationships will certainly be affected, especially because of tourism. Despite this, the Cup happens because of the investment of an enormous quantity of money that is not used in important improvements in social projects, such as security and health access to people.

One negative point of the Cup is that medical services, education, public transportation and several other essential services are harmed because of the event. It happens because the money that is used in these services goes to the construction of stadiums and structures for the Cup. The society, especially the poor people, is harmed by it, not having access to good services. A disadvantage for many people is that the money used in the event comes from the taxes they pay for products, which could be used in more beneficial projects for them. The country's image may be marred by the injustice and social dissatisfaction indirectly caused by the Cup, which is now a popular theme in many countries.

It's noticeable that the World Cup will ultimately change the nation in both a helpful and a harmful way.

The main point is that many people will not benefit from it, which is a delay to the unequal Brazilian society. Many consequences of the awaited event, such as a possible popular dissatisfaction about public services inefficiency during the Cup, will be quickly noticed.

Danilo Marinho Fernandes

The 2014 World Cup in Brazil Brazil is the soccer country and has five World Cups in the history. Although many people think that because of this our country is the best place to make an event like that, I believe Brazil is not prepared to be the host of one World Cup. This event will invite many tourists to visit Brazil and see the games, and this people will use our services like hotels, restaurants and consume a lot of products. This fact will improve our economy.

Another positive point is the better infrastructure that it will bring. A new transportation system will be diveloped, more hospitals will need to be build, investments on security, and many other things. All of this could increase the quality of life.

However, there are many disadvantages. The stadiums had a high cost and it revolted the population. So I think that many social demonstrations will happen and it could disturb the image of Brazil. In my opinion, a World Cup is an important event, but only in rich and organized countries.

Brazil is a rich country, but not organized , and this disorganization will be a serious problem.

Finally, I recommend many people from all over the world come and see this extraordinary event.

However, they must not expect an awesome and paceful place, because Brazil is not prepared to receive a lot of people like it should.

JoĂŁo Felipe Mendes Roriz

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Brazil celebrated with joy when it won the challenge of hosting an event like the World Cup. The joy perhaps is because of the optimism, characteristic of our people, or because of the belief that this event would bring only benefits to our country. Well, we are a few days from starting the World Cup and I'm thinking why I, a Brazilian who loves our country, don´t feel vibration and joy on the eve of this event which so many Brazilians are waiting with excitement?!

I see people saying that we must hope that everything will come out well and our team will have a good performance, because the whole world will be watching us! However, although respecting this opinion, I cheer for something else – I hope that the Brazilians be conscious! Conscious that this event does not bring decent toilets for public schools , basic education and less ignorance to our people, adequate public safety, a decent public health care system, support to a legion of crack addicts on the streets, adequate public transportation for citizens who pay the most expensive taxes of the world, among others.

I hope that there is consciousness that ' Panis et Circus ' is no longer accepted in our time and in a democratic country, I hope for more respect and consideration for Brazilians. Worrying about our image abroad should be secondary, first assuring the dignity of countless citizens, every day, every month and every year.

I hope that everything will come out safely and that Brazil will fulfil the responsibility to guarantee a good event for the tourists and brazilians, but without agreeing with this lack of transparency done to welcome such an event, because behind this there is a needy country of basic services.

What the 2014 World Cup will bring is the awakening of our Brazilian spirit and to make we notice that what divides our nation is the common notion of not cooperating with each other.

In conclusion, the World Cup is the event of the year in which we will be able to entertain the world with our best, and, at the same time, we will be able to learn a lot from those people, too. Our experiences and cultural knowledge never fade away, since what matters is to improve ourselves, and this is the case of all we can learn through hosting this event. We will learn through getting to know different people better and to have them in coexisting peace. In addition to that, the other side of the event is to have the foreigners looking at us differently, and with all the hard work, we can certainly guarantee that we will see ourselves differently too. Finally, the best part is that even if we do not win the FIFA World Cup, probably our people still can greatly benefit from it.

Karen Bernardes de Paiva

The legacy of World Cup in Brazil It is not long until Brazil shows the whole world that we are not only the country of soccer. The nation of Pelé, Garrincha, Zico, Ronaldo and Romário will have the opportunity to show we are much more than this: we are also the country of joy, happiness, hospitality and, besides all, the seventh world economy.

Lots of people complain about the expenses to host the World Cup in Brazil, but what they don´t remember (or don´t know) is about the legacy that the event will leave for many and many generations. Since Brazil was announced the host of the 2014 World Cup, about seven years ago, governments, businessmen and workers have been preparing to host the event.

Firstly, more than R$ 28 billions were invested in many construction works, like airports, ports, stadiums, roads, urban mobility and infrastructure for the tourism. In addiction, the world championship will add R$ 183 billions to the Brazilian GDP (Gross Domestic Product) in the next five years – almost seven times more than we spent in the preparation of the event.

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Furthermore, in the last seven years more than three and a half millions of jobs were created because of the World Cup. Only the construction of six stadiums has created more than 24 thousand jobs.

Tourism is one of the areas that have benefited the most with the event. Last year, for example, the Confederations Cup injected R$ 740 millions just in the tourism sector.

But the legacy of the World Cup is not only countable or touchable. The most important legacy can not be touched: the millions and millions of Brazilian professionals that have trained and improved their jobs and languages skills. The self-esteem of Brazilians has increased and this is the powerful impetus that was missing to transform our country for the next generations.

Finally, Brazil will not be the country of the future any more. The future has arrived. In June, the world population is going to meet in Brazil. Let´s show our best and wonder the entire world.

Líbia Sales Ximenes Ávila

What to say about the World Cup 2014?

Two billion reais. This is the estimated cost to be spent on the Cup when the country was chosen in 2007. Nine billion reais. This is the total cost spent so far including the works in stadiums and the projects in tourism. Four hundred million reais. This is the extra expense that will be reserved for temporary structures. One billion reais. This is the cost of renovating the Mane Garrincha, the stadium in Brasilia which is not complete yet.

But, seeing our team playing at home is priceless. Love for soccer is priceless. Nelson Mandela once said, "Sport has the power to change the world, it has the power to inspire". It is clear that as a result, the country's GDP will increase and there will be a tourist and economic drive. However, we cannot forget the fact that soccer is emotion; emotion that can be seen in the smiles of children who dream about the possibility of becoming a soccer player. Emotion on the faces of young people afflicted with the match. Emotion in the serene look of the older ones, satisfied with his team victories. Despite the expenses and challenges, the World Cup will bring people together as well as will change lives.

Maria Clara Daldegan Couto

Sports always make a difference in people's lives, especially soccer. With its dozens of millions of passionate supporters and billions in investments, soccer can move mountains and much more in a country when the occasion is the Fifa World Cup. The century old history and strong professional management has transformed this sport into a powerful global entertainment industry. It's a business that sells emotions and feelings in great spectacles, and the biggest is the World Cup. Hosting this event requires huge work because the country will open its doors and will be the centre of the global attention. It means it will be exposed “warts and all”, with its good and bad points, without condescension.

In these circunstances, questions will be asked of the host nation on issues like transportation and urban mobility, criminality, cost and quality of life. On the other hand, it's a great opportunity for the country to show its ability to overcome challenges and ensure a really awesome spectacle. Further, it's a chance to show off the beauty and excitement of Brazil.

Maristela Cristina Girotto

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling

Is the World Cup in a hole?

“Sport has the power to change the world… it has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair” Nelson Mandela.

This is the proposed Thomas Jefferson's inspirational quote to this essay about the theme above.

Let's talk about it!

First of all, what exactly is sport? Sport (or sports) is all forms of usually competitive physical activity which through casual or organized participation, aims to use, maintain or improve physical ability and skills while providing entertainment to participants, and in some cases, spectators, according to Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia. In other words, sport has the power aloud from Nelson Mandela because it maintains or improves physical ability and skills while providing entertainment to participants.

Although I prefer to play sports, I also like to watch sports. My youth has gone away and I'm not a young man anymore. In the past, I played many different types of sports, such as beach soccer, soccer, volleyball, swimming, water polo and tennis. But now I exercise by swimming and walking, because I know that I'm not physically able to do all these impact sports I did years ago.

Sport can also be analyzed in another view, the difference between team sports and individual sports.

Team sports depend on the concentration of each player in the game and also the interaction of these players to reach the goal. In Individual sports there is only the concentration of one player to reach the goal. That's why the goals of a team sport are more rewarding than the goals of an individual sport.

Soccer games have a magic power that attracts the whole world. This needed sense to be a group that the athletes must have in order to win a soccer game, extrapolates to the spectators who embrace the idea and become part of the team, engaged to play the game passionately, suffering as well as the whole team.

In a few more days, we are going to have the Soccer World Cup in Brazil. It's time to discuss the pros and cons. Let's see the advantages and the disadvantages of Brazil's hosting the World Cup. ADVANTAGES Visibility for Brazil in the world – As the World Cup is broadcasted to the whole world and calls the attention of millions of people, it represents a great opportunity for a country to show its characteristics, such as the land, the people, the customs, the music, the rhythms and the typical foods as a way to form a good image of the country to the world population; Tourism increases – As a consequence of the good image formed, the country can expect a huge increase in the tourism for the coming years, which means increasing money incomes for the country in its balance of payment.

Infrastructure increases –There are many improvements that FIFA requires and that the country must perform, such as infrastructure, transportation, streets, airports, ports for passenger ships, beautiful places, museums and monuments, hotels, restaurants and facilities of all sorts. All these improvements will stay as a legacy for the cities where the games will take place Employments increases - As a consequence of the infrastructure improvement, and because of the games, the employment rate naturally increases, for many work posts are open, and the increasing of the mass salaries brings more revenue for the Government.

DISADVANTAGES Aggravation of Brazil's image in the world - Just because of the huge visibility the World Cup brings to the country that hasn't performed the necessary infrastructure FIFA requires we offer the tourist, like I understand is occurring in Brazil, the image of this country in the world, which isn't good nowadays, will become worse.

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Embezzlement of money – Brazil is a country where almost everything is still to be done. Brazil's infrastructure in transportation, such as highways, bridges, ports and airports; infrastructure in education, such as schools and gymnasiums; health infrastructure, such as hospitals and medical clinics; infrastructure in security,such as police stations and police vehicles aren't good enough in quality and quantity to attend the people, as we see every day in broadcastings. In spite of solving those tremendous social problems, the Brazilian Government is bypassing public money to build these huge stadiums. Worse than that, as Brazil doesn't have a good planning program for these World Cup realizations, in the way to accomplish these buildings in time for the World Cup, the Government is compelled to pay much more for the buildings than it would be fair.

Deeply in debt – My expectation is that this World Cup will bring more debts than revenues for the country. As a consequence of the embezzlements of money reported above, Brazil will be deeply in debt for long years, like it occurred in Greece because of the Olympic Games.

Legacy – Brazil had presented itself to host the two greatest events in the world, the World Cup and the Olympic Games. The questions are - What will we do with so many stadiums? Have we planned for those buildings' maintenance? Is this the legacy of the World Cup for our youth to pay for the maintenance of good-for-nothing, superfluous stadiums? Will the Olympic Games go in the same way?

Finally, to show my opinion about this World Cup hosting, I'd like to remember thirty years ago when one of FIFA big shot came to Brazil to offer the hosting of the 1986's World Cup. President Figueiredo, who was always very straight forward, answered in this way: “Don't you see these slums all over the country? Don't you see that these poor people don't have enough to eat? Don't you see that they don't have a house to live or schools to study? Thank you, but I don't have money to pay for stadiums.”

It's World Cup time. Let's get the ball rolling!

Marcos Pagnoncelli

This year we're having the 2014 World Cup and Brazil is the host. It's a very important thing but I don't think that now is the moment to have an event like that.

First of all, we're spending a lot of money on stadiums and all that structure for the Cup, money that we couldn't spend because we need more and better schools and hospitals. Another problem is the atypical year that we're having and it is causing trouble to schools . Brazilian people are very unhappy, and I think the government will have problems with manifestations during the games. This is something that would cause the tourists disappointement and a show bad image for our country.

Of course Brazil will have benefits too. Tourism will increase and help the economy. And a wonderful thing is the whole world knowing more about our culture and that the capital is not Rio de Janeiro or Buenos Aires but Brasília. An advantage for the students is that we will have one month of vacation.

I hope that we can have more advantages that disadvantages and everything goes well. Although I don't think that is the time for that, it's a great opportunity for Brazil to be recognized by the world.

Luiza Tessmann

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling

The positive side of hosting the World Cup Being the host of an event as big as the World Cup can be a tricky thing for Brazil. But the good side is that, leaving aside all the expenses and challenges, it has the potential of causing a positive impact on its society. Besides the obvious creation of new jobs and worldwide dissemination of Brazilian culture due to being an international event, the 2014 World Cup is a chance for Brazil to show the power that sport can have to cause social change.

Sport can bring people together in a way that surpasses all barriers that divide them. It serves as a bridge between different cultures and different types of government, working as a universal language and showing people that they are not so different after all. Sport has the potential to not just be a form of entertainment, but something that will help change lives.

Imagine a mother of two who works all day long, and receives minimum wage. She has no one else to take care of her kids, and they are back from school before she ends her working hours. These kids are left alone with nothing to do and could easily get involved in things that would ruin their lives, like drugs or crime. But imagine that they were inspired by the World Cup, and now practice sports in their free time. That has taught them how to follow rules and has kept them busy and out of trouble. Isn't that better?

So, what difference will hosting a sporting event like this make for our country? It can make all the difference. It can inspire people to turn their lives around. Even though sport can show a lot of bad human traits, like violence and cheating, if used the right way, it has, in its core, important values that should be passed on to people of all ages. It teaches people how to have discipline, work together, and how to be loyal, respecting and trusting others. If practiced in all areas of life, those values will help build character and healthy relationships. And that can help change Brazil in a positive way.

Ana Paula Fornari Benvegnu

The 2014 World Cup will undoubtedly be a big football competition. That's why it's very necessary a great infrastructure, renovated airports and an improvement on transportation. Even though most of Brazilian population has misgivings about the Cup, there are a lot of things that can change the future of the country in a positive way.

Brazil is improving the security of the county. For example, people started to make police operations in slums. With that fact, it's possible to have high hopes and faith that violence will have and end one day. Also, the Marketing economy is having a great change. There is a lot of money coming from the advertisements on the radio, television, internet, etc.

Thinking about a glorious future for the country, the biggest achievement was the start of many projects, like the construction of the bullet train that connects Campinas, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Although it won't be concluded until the start of the World Cup, it will bring a major breakthrough to Brazil's infrastructure. The world will also be inspired to discuss about the fragility of the country's electricity, which brings so many blackout risks.

It's time to think about the future. People need to think that the Cup will bring better opportunities for the country. It's much more than just showing Brazilian culture and vacation spots to the world. It's about making a better tomorrow, today. Peter Drucker, that was a famous writer, said 'The best way to predict the future is to create it.’

Andreia Simões Daher

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Hosting a World Cup is a huge challenge and a great responsibility. Organizing large events can bring to the host country a number of long-lasting benefits. On the other hand, if its organization is not done by means of serious planning, formulated by adequate and effectively supervised professionals, the debt generated can become immeasurable.

By analyzing the positive aspects of hosting a World Cup we can cite the economic gains generated by the arrival of thousands of tourists. Spending on tickets, hotels, meals, tours and local shops are some of the examples. A second aspect would be the investment in infrastructure, mainly with permanent improvement of means of transport. Finally, we should also mention the investment in the sport, which is an excellent tool for social inclusion and which can benefit underprivileged children, taking them off the streets and giving them hope for a prosperous future.

The disadvantages are, however, what most worry the Brazilian people, who have become more skeptical due to the historical trajectory of corruption in the public sphere. The amount of public money diverted in the works of the World Cup in Brazil was certainly very high. Exceptions to the Bidding Law and addenda to contracts made ​for the construction of stadiums and infrastructure works were certainly a huge facilitator to embezzlement. The poor planning of projects and their massive failures also generated an immeasurable waste of public money. Some of the stadiums built also serve as abandoned monuments in the states of Brazil that will not use them efficiently.

Finally, the main question always comes: Make a World Cup is a priority for a country like Brazil? I believe the answer to this question is far from reaching a consensus, but the reality is that the World Cup is coming. Bringing your luggage as well as problems and imperfections give little hope for the Brazilians.

BĂĄrbara Santos Vieira

A lot of us, Brazilians, agree that hosting the World Cup is not a good idea. Just by watching the news, I can confirm that our country is not ready to hold such a big and important event. Brazil is still an emerging country and all those "World Cup investments" should be diverted to things like health care and education, things that our country really needs at the moment.

Even though the World Cup in Brazil shouldn't happen, I can see that there are some advantages. For example, it will generate many job opportunities. In Brazil, more than 700 thousand jobs have been created, 300.00 of them being permanent ones. In other words, they are jobs that will remain after the Cup ends. Hotels and restaurants will make a lot of money, helping our economy. Tourism is a really important economic activity too, and, last but not least, we can't forget the visibility that our country will gain.

However, I believe that the World Cup in Brazil will bring more bad than good things. We don't know yet if the visibility of Brazil will be good. That visibility can be bad. Every country has problems, but are we ready to show ours to the whole world? Many stadiums will never be used again, so a lot of money collected from taxes will be a waste. And some stadiums are not even ready to hold the games!

Maybe if the government stopped wasting money to mask our problems for the World Cup and invested more in health, for example, many people wouldn't be dying in hospitals. So, as I mentioned above, I'm against the World Cup in Brazil, and I think, ten years from now, our country may be more prepared to host this even, not now.

Bruna de Sousa Duarte

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling The World Cup Is Coming There is less than one month for the world cup to begin in Brazil, so we have a few days to get prepared to get the ball rolling. The stadiums, the airports and the hotels are almost ready. The tourists will start arriving. We will host the biggest soccer competition in the world, for this year, it is in our house.

I think Brazil has great chances of winning the World Cup. If I could give some advice to the coach, Felipão and to the players, to get the ball rolling, I would say that they are the most important thing to achieve this goal.

To win a soccer competition, the coach is indispensable. He has to be a leader. He has an important role: he guides the team and he is the one who knows better than anyone what is best for this team.

And with Felipão coaching the Brazilian team, I think we have big chances to win. He is a very good coach and we can't forget that it was with him that we won the Confederation Cup in 2013 and the World Cup in 2002.

The players are also very important for us to win the World Cup. They are the key to our success in the competition. All players are important for our team but there is one who stands out. This one is Neymar. All the players are the key for Brazil's success but Neymar is the golden key. Our chances to win double with him. He is a fast player and scores a lot of goals. As I think that Cristiano Ronaldo is the golden key in Portugal's team and Lionel Messi is the one in the Argentina's team, in Brazil we have Neymar.

But the most important thing we can do to win the World Cup, and to get the ball rolling is to have faith.

This faith no one can take away from us. All the Brazilian people have faith that our country will win and this is very important. We also have the will to do so and as they say, ”a união faz a força”together we're strong – because in the World Cup, all Brazilians will be united, united in a single dream, a single objective: winning the World Cup, bringing the Cup home and being hexa champion of the world. To end my text, the only thing I have to say is, go Brazil!

Bruna Alessandra Costa Rossi de Sousa

In 2014 Brazil will host the World Cup, which is a major football championship. There are advantages and disadvantages and although Brazil is the country of football, samba and fun, the reality of this developing nation is problematic.

Among all the advantages about the World Cup being in Brazil, we can cite the economic movement, cultural exchange, the great publicity the country will have in the whole world, the many employment opportunities, courses for professional qualification, and especially improvements in infrastructure of the highways, airports and hotels.

The disadvantages are also significant such as the increase of inflation, informal jobs, overspending on overpriced works that should have been employed in education, and health of poor quality. After the World Cup, there will be an increase in unemployment and the energy crisis will intensify, among others.

So you can see that the consequences of the disadvantages will be worse for Brazil. The country will be indebted, with problems in economic, social and political sectors.

Fernanda Pereira Carvalho Amaral Marques

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The FIFA World Cup that will be hosted by Brazil in June, 2014, has caused different opinions from people all over the world. Here in Brazil, some months after the decision to host the event, people went to the streets against that. The reason? They believe that the country's investments shouldn't be shifted to the soccer's most famous competition.

This decision has some positive consequences for the country. It's known that those new investments would accelerate Brazil's economy and benefit different sectors such as tourism, sports and commerce. Airports, transportation and telecommunication would benefit from it too. Workers would be trained by companies to learn new languages, which can give them better curriculums, better jobs and, consequently, higher salaries. It would also be a long-term incentive for practicing sports.

However, hosting the FIFA World Cup brings a lot of disadvantages too. The benefits are restricted to the twelve cities that will host the games. More services would be offered, but most of the jobs that they will create wouldn't be permanent jobs. A lot of people see the World Cup as a way to hide the real problems that the government should face but doesn't. The total cost of infrastructure was overpriced, and the money invested in stadiums should be invested in the precarious and needier sectors in the country, such as hospitals and schools. Also, most of the arenas won't be used later, making those investments possible white elephants.

It can be noticed that the consequences of hosting the World Cup have a far-reaching impact, and it's hard to know which of them would be more harmful in the future, but one thing is right: the infrastructure in the biggest cities have already improved. The hope is that after the excitement caused by the event finishes, the government will turn their gaze to Brazil's needs.

Elisa Bermudez Zaidan

Creating the infrastructure for a World Cup isn't just about spending a lot of money and facing challenges. Clearly, it also attracts a lot of tourists, and, in this way, we can show all the world our culture, and how beautiful and amazing it is.

Organizing a World Cup requires a lot of work and people that can do it as well. It is necessary to hire more and more workers that might not have ever had a job. With all the tourists in Brazil, there will be thousands and thousands of people spending their money here and our country will receive a great amount of money that can be used to improve a lot of things, such as schools and public hospitals.

International sports events offer entertainment to the population, and awake our sportsmanship, which is a good thing, especially for people in Brazil who are sometimes very competitive.

In this World Cup there are a lot of successful players that can be seen as role models for those young and emerging players, encouraging them. As a matter of fact, this big event helps Brazil in a lot of different ways, causing an improvement, making the country better.

Cora Maria Lagioia Freire

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2014 World Cup for Brazil: gain or loss?

This year Brazil is going to host the FIFA World Cup for the second time, being the first in 1950. And with it come different opinions about whether we're ready to host it or not and if there are any benefits for us. People might say that this World Cup is only bringing bad things. Why is that?

It has been sixty four years since we last had a big event here. And now we have the opportunity to show the world that we are a big country, with a lot of good things to offer. Furthermore, there are some FIFA requirements that we have to comply with, such as the infrastructure of the airports, restaurants and hotels that we are going to enjoy even after the World Cup. Not only that, but the job opportunities are going to increase.

However, as we say, “every rose has its thorn”. It's clear that the governmenthas turned a blind eye to what really matters, and it's trying to cover those problems. All this money spent in stadiums could have been used in schools or hospitals. The World Cup is just around the corner, and most of the cities are not ready yet. And, honestly, I think that they will never be ready in time. And, most of all, if we are seen as a disorganized country, our international relationships and future investments might be in danger.

But it's obvious that we can't please everyone. And, despite the fact that we are not completely ready to host such a big event and that our image can be marred in many ways, we have to agree that this World Cup will bring visibility to our country in many aspects. We can show them that Brazil is not only Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo and that our capital is not Buenos Aires. People will finally know who we are, and, trust me, they are going to be surprised.

Carolina Malescha Côrtes

The FIFA World Cup, created in 1930, takes place every four years, and is one of the most important events all around the globe. It is an international football competition in which thirty-two teams compete for the title, all of them assembled in one country. This year, the Cup will be hosted by Brazil, and will generate a series of responsibilities.

Our country is, in fact, the most successful regarding the competition. In possession of five titles, Brazil is the only nation that has participated in every tournament, and an example of cooperation and sportsmanship. But a matter frequently discussed among lovers of sports is, aside from the investments on the necessary infrastructure, would the event trigger any other positive consequences among our society?

The Cup would, I believe, stretch our limits, and by doing so, allow us, Brazilian citizens, to expand our cultures by sharing and retaining information about them. It would also help us build a concrete and strong relationship between the competitors, and most likely, improve our influence and image abroad.

Finally, it can be concluded that Brazil would certainly be affected, mostly positively, by a World Cup, and that if we are prepared to host such an event, our reputation outside our country and among our own population would definitely be improved.

Gabriela Calliari Alves

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling

The difference that it makes for us The World Cup in Brazil would be perfect if we didn't have problems with our public transportation, health and education.

Nevertheless, I believe the World Cup, even with those problems, is an amazing event for my country.

First, this is a way for tourists from many countries to get to know my country very well. It is a chance for them to know us not only for carnival and football but also for our diversity of cultures. Second, our economy will be benefitted, for, although we had a huge expense when we built stadiums, the touristst are not paying cheap for the hotels and the plane tickets, which is something that will make our economy go up. Third, for a month we will interact with people from everywhere. We will see, talk and learn from those foreigners. We won't have just an idea about a country, as we will know that their countries are not just what we think they are.

As a matter of fact, we should think about the good points of the World Cup: it is a chance to show them who we are. They still have so much to learn about us.

Caroline Alves de Melo

By the time the ball gets rolling next June 12th, scoring will be all that matters for the World Cup's players and fans. Two hundred million Brazilians are going to hold their breaths from the moment the referee whistles and hopefully will keep it that way until winning the trophy. Passion for soccer, however, is not the only feeling among Brazilians when it comes to the Cup. With the same intensity devoted to cheering, the largest Latin-American country has been wondering if it was worth paying the bill and setting the stage for the planet's most popular competition. The pros and cons lists are long and provide solid arguments for both sides.

One of the main concerns is the expenditure of public money to build or refurbish stadiums. After all, Brazil should have other priorities. Anyone who visits a public hospital in the country will realize that.

In BrasĂ­lia, Hospital de Base is known for its excellence in surgeries and emergency cases.

Nevertheless, patients are put in corridors due to the lack of rooms, relatives must bring their own chairs, and bathrooms have no toilet paper.

Another question is whether Brazil can really benefit from the money invested so far. The point is: who can assure that the cash spent on stadiums would be invested in public hospitals or schools if Brazil weren't hosting the tournament? Besides that, the stadiums have created thousands of jobs. After the tournament, the new arenas will remain as a legacy. Tourism will also take off. Due to the World Cup, Brazilian hotels and restaurants have realized they must improve the quality of their services, which means offering English classes to their employees. This is one of the initiatives related to the Cup that will certainly bring long term gains for the country.

It's been 64 years since Brazil hosted a World Cup, in 1950. The country still faces tremendous challenges regarding poverty and inequality. A lot has changed, though. Also, there might be light at the end of the tunnel. The 2014 World Cup enhances our contradictions, but gives us the opportunity to overcome our problems too. On June 12th, even the greatest critics of the attempt to host the Cup might silence for ninety minutes, while watching Neymar's magic steps. Let's cheer and do what it needs to be done inside and outside the stadiums. After all, Brazil deserves it.

Demetrio Pires Weber Candiota da Rosa

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling

This year, Brazil will be hosting one of the most important events associated with sports and patriotism: The World Cup. In my opinion, hosting an event this big won't help our country very much, and these are my arguments why not: security and wrong use of public money.

Brazil isn't ready to provide enough security for both Brazilians and tourists; we are already known worldwide for being one of the most dangerous countries in the world. So how will the government change this so fast? It won't. Security will be provided only in popular areas, while citizens will get mugged or killed by drunk drivers everywhere else.

My second argument is the amount of public money that was raised to build or improve stadiums.

Instead of increasing the number and quality of schools, hospitals and public transportation, the government has been throwing away our taxes to cause a good impression on other people. I feel that it's very despicable to leave us, residents, like this. If we pay an absurd amount of taxes, the least politicians can do is make our public services better.

Finally, my conclusion is very concrete: I don't think the World Cup will get us anywhere. Although it is believable that it will bring more tourists to visit our country and therefore increase our economy, the event will be a failure.

Eline de Oliveira Sandes

THE GOALS OF A WORLD CUP Billions of Reais were spent and we ask: what for? Why should hosting an important sporting event like the World Cup be celebrated by our people while basic necessities of our citizens were not satisfied yet? The enthusiasts of the event boast about the economic gains the World Cup will bring for Brazil, but experts say that the economic benefits won't cover the expenses incurred.

The answers are not simple, because they involve things that we can't count or measure. For example, first of all, one thing that we have already conquered, the consciousness that if we can build stadiums and infrastructure for the event, why can´t we do the same in other areas like health, education and housing? People are more aware of their rights and are fighting for them.

The second difference the event will bring us is the opportunity to get in touch with other people to exchange experiences and show them how cordial Brazilian people are and how beautiful our country is. Our welcoming spirit is leading us to open our houses to receive the foreigners and to be prepared to host them well (taxi drivers, waiters, maids, receptionists and many other workers are learning English, Spanish and other languages so they can help our visitors). This knowledge no one else can take from them.

Finally, the event itself. Few countries in the world are so fond of celebration and soccer as Brazil. Our cheerful people love the Carnival, the Saint's parties in June and many other kinds of celebrations that we have, all over the country, along the year. How many small soccer fields can we see (almost always with a great “pelada”) wherever you go across this country? They show a little bit of our love for this sport, almost a religion. So the World Cup here in Brazil is the perfect opportunity to put together two of the most important Brazilian passions: partying and soccer. Therefore, the main legacy of the World Cup will be the increase of Brazilian people's happiness, especially if we win the Cup. Flávia Simões Ferreira Rodrigues

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling

After 64 years, in 2014, our nation is going to host, for the second time, one of the biggest events in the world: the “FIFA World Cup”. However, with this great achievement, a huge responsibility has emerged, since in just one month the country has to be ready to receive all the delegations and tourists. Therefore, when it comes to the infrastructure, many factors have to be improved in order to attend all the demands and to prepare the “Cup of the Cups”.

A soccer game cannot happen without a good stadium, where the fans will support their teams safely and comfortably and make a real celebration. Thereunto, investments in the security and in modern arenas are important measures to fulfill. But, to ensure that everyone is going to “arrive on time”, upgrades in the mobility are essential, not only in short distance paths (bus and subway), but also in long distance routes (airports).

Besides these improvements, the Cup is going to promote an increase in the population's income, creating more jobs and reducing the unemployment rate. Thus, the Brazilian economy will reach an uncommon development through this period. We will also have a second opportunity to show to the whole world our sympathy, our charisma, our solidarity, and, of course, our capacity!

When FIFA announced, seven years ago, that the 2014 World Cup would happen here, the nation already had in mind the necessity of overcoming many challenges. Despite all the costs and obstacles to complete our mission, we did not give up, because these efforts will promote an unforgettable experience and many benefits to the country, now and in the future. So, let's get the ball rolling!

Francisco Grigore de Amorim Jr

In 2014, The World Cup will be happening in Brazil. The “soccer country" is finally going to receive this huge event. However, there is more than just joy and revelry.

That is not the right moment for Brazil to host the World Cup. Brazil's population is not prepared to host those huge sporting events. Moreover, the country does not have the infrastructure to receive thousands of tourists that are coming for the Cup. Brazil is in need of improved health, transportation, lodging, education and security. However the government does not invest in things that the country really need; instead they are investing billions on building stadiums that will not be used after the Cup. Because of that, people all over the country are planning to make claims for things that will provide the population's welfare, because they are not satisfied with the way the government is spending public money.

It will be good for Brazil to host the 2014 World Cup, at first. However, the consequences will come soon, and the country will have many debts and the population will pay for it.

Gabriela Costa da Cunha Melo

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling THE WORLD CUP In October 2007, Brazil was chosen to host the FIFA World Cup. Since then, many have criticized or celebrated this nomination. Some say that Brazil is not ready to receive an event of this size with the argument that our government should invest in education or health, not entertainment. Others say this is a good cause because besides making more money with tourism, our country will improve its image around the world. However, besides political and economic reasons, what is the true meaning of hosting the largest sporting event in the whole world?

Once Nelson Mandela said “Sport has the power to change the world... it has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little eles does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair.” In my opinion, that is exactly what sport is. It is something inspiring, something that unites, something that makes people believe, even when there is only despair, like Mandela spoke, sport creates hope. This is the beauty of sport. It is something that makes all of us support, disappoint or celebrate. It doesn't matter if you're black or white, a Christian or an atheist, poor or rich. When the ball rolls, we are just one: Brazil. And I think this is the difference that hosting the World Cup makes. In a time of racism, bias and social inequality, soccer will unite us all in this happening.

Therefore, receiving an event like this can make a huge difference, because not only does it give people hope and inspiration, but it also joins us, so when the ball gets rolling, our country will turn into one cause: winning the World Cup, so we can all celebrate together.

Gabriel Augusto Soares Cardoso

In the Country of Soccer, hosting an event like the World Cup is something really important thanks to the culture and the history of Brazil. However, we can not forget that we, as civilians, have more to care about. Our taxes are too high and we have poor people that want food and education, but the State only thinks about the great event which is going to show to the World how “organized” Brazil is.

In the end it's just something more to divert people's attention from the partisan scandals from the State and to show to everyone that Brazil just thinks about soccer.

Hosting the world cup is – on the most part – a bad thing. First of all, a lot of constructions of buildings and streets just exist or happen because of the pressure brought about by FIFA. But lots of them are going to be useless for our country, like most part of the stadiums. Their maintenance costs lots of money that come from the taxes applied on the civilians and most of them are not going to be used for anything. Secondly, the State wants to show to the World a country which has beautiful cities and is “clean” from poverty, social inequality, and drug trafficking. However, it is probably not going to be worth it because Brazil is a country that has a lot of slums and shantytowns in the urban outskirts due to our bad distribution of resources. In addition, the government does not think of a way to end them, investing money to improve the living quality and the education system, but they just think in a way to make foreign people to avoid this social problems. However, the only thing that Brazil is going to be favored in is the tourism and the trade of cultural objects. However, the police have to be very attentive to the drug trafficking risk. The number of drug dealers is going to increase due to the big number of foreign people coming to Brazil. Therefore, the World Cup is going to be very turbulent.

In conclusion, the problem we are going to have in the World Cup is beyond poverty, drug trafficking, or infrastructure. It is about the protests that are going to happen during the event, clamming for living and education quality. Not forgetting that this year we will have an election about our representatives on the government. The greatest problem we are going to have due to the Cup is going to appear on the future, when we realize that the Cup was just a huge fiasco.

Gustavo Zanetti Saud

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling Nelson Mandela once said that “sport can create hope where once there was only despair”. While he was in jail, this man saw South Africa being excluded from the Olympic Games of Munich in 1972. In 1991 the racist regime was over. Three years later he was elected president. During his Government the South African rugby team won the world championship playing at home and, in the end of his life, Mandela could be the main host of FIFA World Cup that took place in South Africa. This man showed to billions of spectators around the world that with bravery and hope was possible to rebuild a country, and step by step, defeat the prejudice. South Africa is the biggest country in Africa, and they still have a lot to do, as does Brazil, but I would think, supported by Mandela's speech that we have enough resources to live in a better place, and, undoubtedly, sports in general could have a big role in that.

Soccer is the Brazilian preference and even people who don't like or understand the game can't avoid screaming the name of a famous player when our team score a goal. The happiness during a match is infectious, a moment to share with family or friends. Even if you refuse to watch to each penalty, is inevitable to hear about it on the radio and then, for sure, a shy smile or a sad expression will be shared with your companion. From the slums to the mansions, every boy or girl has already dreamed of becoming a talented player. Sports ignore frontiers, races, social conditions or any other limits, it unites, not just Brazilians but all the human beings.

I believe that we have a chance to show the world that Brazil is much more than Carnival. I believe that now we can show everyone our value, our bravery, our will to make the difference. We have never lowered our heads and accepted a defeat despite all the difficulties a normal Brazilian goes through. I'd imagine we are not going to start doing that now, in that crucial moment. During the World Cup we are going to protest. Ask for more investment for education, public health, security, and mass transportation than the budget for the soccer stadiums. The population deserves to be treated with dignity by our politicians. Maybe that stir reflects on the polls results in October. I hope so.

While we go over the streets claiming for our rights, our Team will shine on the fields and show the planet why we are the best. If we win, it will be a party, if we don't, it will be too, because it doesn't matter what happens, on this “Tupi-Guarani” lands there is enough joy for a hundred World Cups.

Supporting our players or fighting for a common objective (in a metaphoric way, please, let's be pacific) we are going to be united, and the union is the biggest benefit the World Cup can bring to Brazil.

Isabela Fruet de Freitas

The World Cup like every worldwide event draws attention by the size and importance of the event.

The world turns its eyes to this event, anxiously waiting for a big celebration. It's a time when different nations get together into sporting contests, which raise emotion and passion. Bleachers get full of colors, life and voices. The unison scream reflects the love for one's nation at the game. That is why being the host country is so difficult. However, Brazil has an opportunity to prove that it can host an event such as this one. It isn't only about where the World Cup will take place. It is about a chance to show the world the beauty and diversity of our culture and our people to those that will come here. The World Cup could be an excellent time to teach to the world the differences of our country and try to erase stereotypes created by the media. However, it isn't what is really happening. Instead of showing the problems and limitations of our country, the media creates a commercial image to attract more tourists.

One of the worst problems created by the World Cup was the investments in relevant areas to World Cup only. The government spent a lot of money to accommodate the tourists, but forgot its population. It happens because speculations and curiosities appear around the host country. In every

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling World Cup, thousands of tourists come to see the soccer matches and visit the host country.

Therefore, Brazil government invested in infrastructure and security to encourage more people to come. On the other hand, they didn't prioritize public sectors such as education, health and public transportation, which are precarious. The money goes to private services, which belongs to politicians or close friends of them, contracted to work at the World Cup. They overestimate costs and don't charge taxes and, to hide this corruption, they use media power. With advertising and publicity, the government and companies associated to the World Cup create an image to show the world that everything is ok, but it isn't in reality. This image is only a product, one more way to sell a stereotyped vision of what is happening here. If there wasn't so much opportunism, the World Cup could be a great chance to show our culture and people, instead of showing images that don't match with the reality or reinforce the wrong idea that Brazil is only carnival, parties and soccer. We have so much to teach about our differences, literature, art and folklore. We have a historical past that is still present in lives until today. Showing the world all about us is teaching about a nation full of diversity and even learning about ourselves. However, this chance is being used as an advantage only by those who have power to get what they want.

The entire world will be watching the World Cup with joy and surprise. Brazil has a potential to do one of the best World Cups. Our country is wealthy and has a unique culture that we could show.

However, it isn't what our country needs now. There are a lot of problems that are more important than a World Cup. Trying to hide these problems is not a good solution, because the situation is serious and it can't be ignored any longer. Unfortunately, this World Cup isn't only about sports games; it's also about political games.

Mateus de Freitas Aviani Bellingrodt

The FIFA world cup is going to be a huge international event. People from all around the world are coming to Brazil to watch the world cup, because of that it is important to make a good impression to the tourists. Therefore, the benefits that the world cup is bringing are going to help Brazil in many ways.

An event like the world cup changes the country even before it starts. For instance, Germany hosted the world cup in 2006, the amount of tourists that went there to see were close to 2 million people.

Consequently the eyes of the world were there and that is what is going to happen with Brazil and we need to be prepared.

To begin with, the labor demand is going to increase, people will be able to find jobs in the hotel and catering segments, also the government is making extreme changes in the public transportation, which we will be able to use in the future anytime we want.

In addition to that, the government is offering English courses to those people that are going to be in constant and in direct contact with the foreign public, especially for the Brazilians that work at the airport. Those are only a few of the benefits that the world cup is going to bring to Brazil, after all, this event is going to be the legacy that we are going to leave to our children so we better make it right and worth the effort.

Gabriela Silva Bernardes

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling The Brazilian World Cup It is going to happen one of the greatest sports events this year; the World Cup. One of the biggest events in the world, the World Cup is bringing many foreign people that want to visit Brazil and see the championship.

In our society, it is visible that our country is not completely prepared to receive that kind of event.

Brazil has many infrastructure problems that have not been solved until now and these problems harm and bother the Brazilian people, who suffer every day with the bad transportation, the bad quality of education and the crises in the public healthy system.

Furthermore, the money spent with stadiums could be better used in our situation. That huge amount of money can solve, or at least decrease, our troubles. For instance, the government could use that money to buy more buses, build more schools, hospitals, hire more teachers and medical doctors.

These actions could change our country,reduce poverty and the bad quality of life in many places of our nation.

On the other hand, this event shows the hope and the desire of the Brazilian people to make their home, their cradle a better place. Every single day the Brazilian society wakes up early to work, to fight in a struggle for their dreams, their necessities, for their country.

João Vítor Pereira de Arruda

I am not much of a sports fan. I never watched a soccer game, either on TV or live in a stadium, or enjoyed practicing any sports, specially the team ones. Despite my dislike for sports, a couple of years ago, back in 2007, when Brazil was chosen to hold the World Cup, I felt happy and proud. As I also did, two years later, when Rio became the first city in South America ever elected for the Olympics Games.

These feelings were contagious: we were all proud of our country, which was being given a second chance to become the World Cup champion "at home" and was finally recognized as capable of undertaking such a commitment. But another feeling also aroused: preoccupation ... fear that we wouldn't be able to properly face such a challenge. And that we could be pointed worldwide, as General De Gaulle once said, back in 1962, as un pays sérieux, an unreliable country....

Both this antagonist feelings, proud and fear, are, in my opinion, since then, driving the country to many changes. Changes, as Nelson Mandela once quoted, related to unity among people, to hope among youth. Many street protests against corruption, against the collapse and precariousness of public services and institutions, are an example of these changes.

Therefore, the main difference of hosting a sport event like this is making for Brazil is that people are finally proudly showing their strength, their will and unity to claim for changes our country really needs. Not new gorgeous soccer stadiums, roads or airports, but decent public transportation, hospitals, schools and universities.

Sport has power to change the world? Differently from Mr. Mandela, I do not think so. But I now definitively believe that it has the power to change minds, to change people's attitude towards life.

And that's half the path done.

Jorge Thierry Calasans

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling

Sports have a way of getting people together like little else does. It doesn`t matter how old they are, the language they speak, their ethnicity or their beliefs. When it comes down to it, such a big event like the World Cup connects people.

Although our country is labeled as an emerging economy, we are seen by the rest of the world as a jungle worth only for our pretty women and our great soccer players. Perhaps hosting an event that brings people from all over the world will provide us a better reputation. This is our opportunity to show that, despite having a lot of problems to get here, we are capable of creating a safe environment with adequate infrastructure.

It's a known fact that Brazil spent more than 30 billion reais in investments for this World Cup, but wasn't it worth it? If we had to pay that much, it means that we didn't have what it takes to be a hosting country, but now we do. The investments made on the stadiums, on our roads and airports are going to last and benefit us. If they needed improvement, then they weren't good enough.

A successful World Cup would show, not only foreigners, but Brazilians as well, that we are capable of uniting and accomplishing something great. It will show us the power we always had, but never knew, to claim what is ours by right.

Júlia Barros Reis Alves

The 2014 World Cup in Brazil Brazilians love soccer, so it wasn't a big surprise when we got to host this year's World Cup. The 2014 World Cup will be the second Cup Brazil ever held and, of course, we had to put a lot of effort and money to make this show a success. But is it worth it?

People here in Brazil are really skeptical about it. They say our airports aren't good, that it is going to be a mess, that we are not ready… Aren't we? Every single year Brazil brings a huge amount of tourists for our country for parties like Carnival. And these tourists always get so amused they fall in love with Brazil. “Oh, but they don't see our problems,” some might say. So what? Carnival and the World Cup are parties, celebrations. Some of those people who just say bad things about Brazil don't do a thing to solve its problems. However, the World Cup is an amazing opportunity to show the world the bright side of Brazil, to change this bad image that some foreigners – and even some Brazilians – have about our beautiful country.

I think Brazil is ready to hold a World Cup. No, our country is not perfect. No, cancelling this show wouldn't solve our problems. Waking up and stopping criticizing would actually do something for our nation to solve our problems. If you like the World Cup, watch it, cheer for it, be happy. If you don't, it's okay, you have this right. But remember not to judge something without giving it a chance. Don't let people make your mind, have your own opinion.

Júlia Câmara Cunha

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling The World Cup The biggest soccer competition will happen soon and the stage of this huge event will be our home, the soccer country, Brazil. The World Cup starts in June, the government, the organizers and the population are already getting prepared to welcome tourists and foreigners from different parts of the world, but the question that remains is: is Brazil prepared? Some say yes, but many say that this is going to be the cup of shame, that Brazil isn't ready for something so grand that demands quality.

The country that is close to receive a large number of people is still facing problems, despite its wealth, Brazil doesn't have an adequate infrastructure, the airports are in reform and there are unfinished stadiums. Many criticize the health, the security and the public transport, which are precarious and that harm the ones who depend on these services to live. The forecast is traffic, high prices of food and products, many robberies and manifestations, leaving Brazil concerned about the impression and opinion of the world after the World Cup in our country. Because of that, the government is working to avoid this problems and meet their deadlines, making the event a success.

On the other hand, Brazil is the country of joy, music, connections and friendship. Everyone will be received with great affection and respect, turning the country into a big party and putting the differences aside. The Cup will attract a lot of customers for the Brazilian trade, generating large profits for traders and businessmen. Besides that, Brazil will be known by people from different places of the world and the Brazilian culture will be shown to all.

The main goal is to cheer for our country in this competition that makes the world stop and show that we are a country towards development and victory, a country that stands out and shines. Even with your differences, Brazil doesn't cease to be the perfect place to celebrate the World Cup. Now we have to do our part, be together to encourage our team to conquest the victory once again.

Juliana Lopes Pimentel

Brazil is going to host the 2014 World Cup. It will be a great event because soccer is the most popular sport in Brazil. Traditionally, the country just stops to watch the game when our national team is playing. It's amazing! We watch it together, with our family or friends, wearing green and yellow clothes, the main colors of our national flag. For a long time, since 1950, many Brazilians have dreamed seeing the World Cup happening in Brazil. I think there are some advantages of hosting the World Cup. It's a good moment to foster the improvement of our public transportation system, tourism infrastructure, culture and foreing languages education.

I can see some disadvantages, too. Our country has so many needs in education, health, security and transport services. Even with this reality, the government has spent too much money in building a lot of stadiums.

Despite all budget invested by the government and the private sector in infrastructure, I think we are not prepared to receive all international tourists coming soon. In my opinion, our biggest problem is the absence of security in the big cities. It migth be a problem for the Brazilian image abroad.

All in all, after the exceeding expenses to create the infrastructure for a World Cup, I hope some benefits stay for the Brazilian people. Tourism might be improved, mainly because Brazil has a pleasant climate and there is plenty of beautiful nature. Even though we will have no perfect conditions to make such a very well reception for the tourists, they will love our breathtaking scenaries and the nice Brazilian people.

Karla AngĂŠlica Alves De Paula

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling

In the beginning, the earth was a green rectangle, with no human intervention. And the soccer gods said, “In the sixth World Cup, let us make Brazilians like us and let them have dominion all over the earth, through soccer.” And it was so, and Brazilians saw that it was good.

The mongrel complex, an illness that was first described by Nelson Rodrigues after Brazil's loss in 1950's Cup's final, was therefore subdued by cyclopian doses of fancy, creation and improvisation, in Swedish fields in the 1958 World Cup. However, it seems to peek us from the deep of our people's souls. There is a current expression that shows us the illness's recurrence: "Imagine during the Cup" presents us fear of other's opinion, fear of our total failure.

What followed Brazil's first world title, though, when blond and rusty European squads and the complex that corresponded to them were both beaten, was modernization of our country and the attempt to build the nation from a well-thought project, from an idea of greatness. JK, in those days, said that The Westward March would allow us to achieve the progress stage that we deserved, putting Brazil among the great nations of the world, a dream that may be symbolized by the edification of our capital, in Brazil's huge territory.

Hosting the twentieth World Cup means a double challenge to Brazil: to reveal itself as a modern country, by creating the infrastructure for an event of this magnitude, and to deserve its recognition as the country of soccer, by lifting the trophy at home. Every challenge represents an opportunity. I believe, like Nelson Rodrigues did in 1958's Cup's eve, in Brazilians, and I have, like him, an aggressive and anachronistic patriotism. Our problem: to have faith in ourselves. I have faith in Brazilians and I believe that we should overcome both of challenges, which would be followed by a second swirl of modernity. This, I wish, shall be the World Cup's legacy.

Julio Lima Toledo

The World Cup is one of the biggest events that happen in the world calls the attention of the entire world population to go to their homes and watch the soccer games.

Brazil was chosen by ''FIFA'' (Fédération Internationale de Football) to be the place of the 2014's Cup, without any consideration for brazilian's life situation. Brazil is an underdeveloped country that is growing, but, unfortunately, there are still problems of education, health, security and infraestructure because of corruption and lack of investiments. Brazilians pay more and more taxes but never get the return they deserve. Their money is being used to make this Cup happen, which is only helping to reduce of Brazilians' life quality.

It is like Brasília a city that does not have any soccer tradition, but where a stadium was built. It will become another white elephant after the Cup. A snowball of corruption and lie created by the government is just growing, especially with conformed people's help that are ''ok'' about what is imposed to them.

The youngs nowadays must not be conformed and still let this ball rowl. After all, this is the country where they will leave in the future. This is the nation that they need to take care of.

Luana Silva da Cunha

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling

The World Cup shows us that no matter the differences among countries, the passion of the fans look the same whatever their nationality. However, the country which hosts the World Cup takes a great responsibility organizing an event like this, especially in terms of urban infrastructure and economic capacity to afford the costs. But what can we conclude from a party like this?

The main benefits that events like this can bring to a country are investments in urban transportation, construction or improvement of roads and signs, which are essential for good mobility in cities.

Another important advantage is in relation to economics issues, because the country earns financially in the fields of hospitality and business. Also, we can't forget that some people, mostly workers, can benefit from this event, because this is a great opportunity to learn a little bit about other languages ​and cultures, besides the fact that the number of temporary jobs can significantly increase.

Despite the positives points, there are also negatives ones, which are basically the reduction of public funds, which were used in the construction of stadiums, but should have been addressed to education and public health, once these are in a precarious situation. Another point is the discomfort of locals, translated into long queues at restaurants, shops and other places. But the fact is that after the referee blows the whistle to start the game, what everyone wishes is that your soccer national team wins, especially the one who is promoting the party.

Laís de Carvalho Succo Gonçalves

Our kickoff Tourists arrive. We have the first kickoff. The whole championship happens; in the end, the world has a winner. Tourists go home. And then? Will being the host bring opportunities to Brazil after the World Cup finish? How will the stadiums affect the local population? Will billions of reais in investments be worthy only for the World Cup event?

Ok. I don´t have a crystal ball, predicting the future of the country is not as simple as watching a soccer game and making a bet about the result. However, in a period so close to the event, there is evidence of what the outcome is going to be. Different sectors are in process of development, improving the 12 host cities. Transportation and communication are systems that had innovative projections designed and, for a moment, made the population excited. The idea is still fantastic, but the way this has been done is a disappointment for Brazilians.

Oh, come on! The infrastructure that is still being finished is every day on the news, so let´s talk about people. Yes, they make the real image of the country. Brazilians have many stereotypes, and clearly some of them made us look as the happiest people in the world. The key-point is to know how to deal with these “adjectives”, they could help even in times of making business partners!

Returning to the position of “prophet”, I can infer that the country is going to enhance its tourism industry in an expanded way (cities that are not official FIFA hosts will also have a global visibility).

The services and systems will be in a better “shape” for the local citizens, (not in the ideal form, but you know what I mean, it is a beginning for improvements). There will be more people learning foreign languages in Brazil, companies are training their workers to satisfy international customers. To sum up, hosting a big event as the Cup is good for the country, it is necessary to manage the opportunities to make them last.

Letícia Vieira Lima Cavalcante

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling

When the subject is the World Cup of 2014, everyone has an opinion to share. There are diverse opinions to be discussed when it comes to this, after all, it is a very controversial subject. There is plenty to talk about a major globally famous soccer event that is going to happen in the country that has already won it five times.

The main points of divergence are the benefits and the harms that the World Cup brings to Brazil.

Among the benefits, it is possible to point out a rise in direct and indirect jobs and the improvement of the infrastructure at airports, roads, etc. In addition, the country's economy also gets better.

The main harms are the misuse of public and private resources, corruption, facilitated by the convenience of a large event like this, and also what to do with the stadiums after the World Cup, since many of them were built in places that do not have any tradition hosting soccer games. It can also be added that this country has many more problems to worry about, basic problems that have to be solved. A huge amount of money was wasted and used in wrong ways, so there was a lot of damage to the country. If this had not occurred, the money could have solved many of the worries that afflict the population.

Brazil is not ready for such a thing, but as it is already happening, it serves as a lesson for the people.

It is not possible to worry about entertainment when there are many serious issues that affect the positive development of the nation as a whole. It is necessary to recognize both sides, and see that, unfortunately, the negative side is greater.

Laís Freire Dos Santos

Soccer has always been the most popular sport in history. Thus, the World Cup, since its first edition in 1930, has been the most expected event in the world, especially by the host countries. There are many advantages and disadvantages of hosting a World Cup. The same happens in Brazil, considering that it is going to host “FIFA's World Cup 2014”.

This World Cup is a big chance to leverage Brazil. During it, tourism in Brazil will be improved, since nearly 600 000 foreigners are going to visit the country. According to “Ministério do Turismo”, each person will spend an average of 11 400 reais, which will help the economy grow faster. Furthermore, workforce is meccessary to serve these tourists. This way, the World Cup will increase the number of jobs for Brazil's population. Researches even show that around 320 000 new jobs will be created.

The World Cup will promote improvement in many areas, too. For example, the government has already invested 3 billion reais to improve the airports and guarantee the security of the population.

Considering that the money invested is not properly controlled, corruption is common during this process. As a consequence, more expenses are incurred, especially with the construction of the stadiums- in this situation, the expenses have increased 163% more than it would be necessary at first and 97% of this total consisted of public money. Despite these expenses, Brazil hasn't got the structure needed to host the World Cup. Most airports renovations are still under way and the highways were not rebuilt to attend the tourist's demands. The World Cup will also affect the rate of inflation, mainly in the areas of food, accomodation and air transportation. “Banco Central do Brasil” estimates that the prices are going to increase around 6%. Therefore, Brazil isn't prepared to host the World Cup and will probably be criticized by developed countries because of the lack of structure.

Luana Carolina Pinheiro do Valle

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling

The fact that Brazil is hosting the 2014 World Cup has caused a lot of stir in the media, but mainly, among the Brazilian population. Although many people keep on stating that the World Cup will be a disaster, and that it's unreasonable for the country to host it, there are a lot of positive points.

One of the perks about hosting a sports event like that is that people from all over the world will come to Brazil and we will have the opportunity to show our culture to the world, ending up with the stereotyped Brazil of samba, parties, and “Carnaval”. Besides, the percentage of tourism will grow significantly, leading hopistality sector to profit from the opportunity.

Furthermore, because of the World Cup, the government has been investing on improvements in transport and security. And those investments are not only for the tourist but they will be useful for the Brazilian population after the World Cup. Moreover, hosting this event, has generated a lot of jobs – from bricklayer to engineers and from ice cream sellers to renowned chefs.

However, a lot of people complain, saying that the government is channeling all the money that should be used on health and education, on building stadium and infrastructure for the cup. But the question is: “If there wasn't any world cup, would this money be used properly?”

Therefore, maybe Brazil wasn't 100% prepared to host an event like that, but who is 100% prepared for anything in life? Life is about taking risks and this event will definitely promote people's joy and it might be the incentive that our country needed to develop and end up with poverty. Finally, our country needs to win not only on the stadium, but mainlyfighting against Brazil's issues. So let's get the ball rolling!

Luísa Gabriela de Souza Macedo

Brazil has won the World Cup five times, starting in 1958 and most recently in 2002. And now it is Brazil's turn, the country of soccer, hosting the Cup once more and do differently from 1950.

It comes at a timely moment for Brazil because the country's economy is now more stable and has grown significantly. This event also offers opportunities to make massive new investments and, therefore, accelerate the development of different sectors. The 12 host cities will be benefited due to the improvements in the airports, in transportation systems and telecommunication services.

In addition, this experience will bring new technologies, more knowledge and will expand the consumption markets because it can arouse interest in entrepreneurs around the world.

On the other hand, there are some big disadvantages. For instance, all the promised benefits will be limited to the 12 host cities, and the great amount of money spent in the World Cup would be more efficient if it were invested in hospitals instead.

Another problem is that these arenas could end up as expensive and unused installations, known as white elephants.

Despite the cons of the World Cup, we're full of expectations and in the countdown to this big event.

We hope Brazil wins the new cup.

Luiza Marina Reis Carvalho

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling

The World Cup is the greatest soccer championship of all times. Created in the beginning of the 20th century, it has been performed all over the World. Hosting a huge sporting event like the World Cup brings challenges for the country where it will take place. The next FIFA World Cup is going to happen in Brazil, so the Brazilian government is investing a lot of money in big changes. Some of them may be worthy, but some not.

As a great change, the airports are getting bigger and more modern, which means that people will have more comfort when traveling. If everything goes right during the championship, people will come more to Brazil on vacation because it will have a positive fame abroad. A lot of people will be hired. Consequently, the unemployment rate will plummet, even if it is for a short period of time.

Hosting the World Cup will have some negative impacts too. The educational system will still be weak and poor. Public hospitals won't receive any investments either; as a consequence, more people will die while waiting for assistance. The gap between poverty and affluence will be even bigger.

Therefore, criminal activity will increase.

Many kinds of changes have been made and will be made for the World Cup. Some of them are honorable, but the Brazilian government hasn't made the ones that are a priority. To sum up, the expenses to create such an infrastructure was a total waste.

Luna Helena Ribeiro

The World Cup is one of the biggest sport events in the world which catches the attention of people of all ages. This year, Brazil is hosting the World Cup, but even though there are some advantages, the disadvantages are really considerable.

Many people are happy about Brazil hosting this event because of the advantages. The World Cup will bring people together to watch the games and cheer for their teams, and it will unite the country.

To host a big event requires a lot of work, so there are more job opportunities, especially for the ones who are unemployed. Another advantage is that the world will pay more attention to Brazil and people will know more about our culture.

On the other hand, things aren't that great. Brazil doesn't have enough infrastructures to carry this big event, so the government is spending too much money to build stadiums and some of them won't be useful after the Cup. Our country is going through tough problems right now, and the World Cup will diverge most of people's attention so that they won't be thinking or doing anything about the bad health and education services we have. The schools are having to adept to the short time they have to give all of first semester's content. Besides that, the airports will become even more chaotic than they already are during vacation time, and the prices of the plane tickets will be really high.

The World Cup is really a great event but some countries are not ready to host it, like Brazil. In the end, the disadvantages are bigger than the advantages, so some problems can happen and mar Brazil's image. But, we can't change what is already done, so we all hope everything works well.

Mariana Atala Testoni

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling Going for the biggest goal There are a lot of different kinds of newspapers, magazines, tv programs, internet pages‌ but I am sure you have already noticed that, right now, they all have a similar topic: the upcoming FIFA World Cup. Since the very beginning, sport has been very important to mankind, because it's a topic to talk about, a way to make friends, to improve health, to belong to a team or a group of supporters. And last, but definitely not least, it's a way to explore limits and excel them. So, it's not a surprise that a worldwide sports event is taken so seriously and makes such an impact on everyone. But even if the whole world is affected by it, the "host" country chosen by FIFA is, obviously, the most involved. And in 2014, it is Brazil's turn.

The green and yellow country is well known for its passion for soccer and the happiness and hospitality of its people. So it sounded as the perfect choice for hosting the World Cup on some people's opinion. However, from another point of view, mostly supported by Brazilians themselves, hosting is always something that requires a huge amount of money that should be invested on our nation's educational, health and security systems, which are, to put it politely, bellow average.

Besides, even though so much money was spent, there weren't significant improvements in infrastructure. The money was used almost exclusively on building stadiums. Have we missed the opportunity to improve roads and public transportation? But the whole situation made us think and take action: there have never been so many Brazilians on the streets protesting against corruption and questioning important subjects as the quality of investment and the best ways for our country to move ahead. Everything happened having the World Cup as the background, and who would have ever imagined that the five-time champion of the world would question its own passion? Again, sports proved to be a way of excelling limits, even at a national level. If the expected changes on the outside never came, our conscience has surely changed.

In the end, what's done is done, there's no turning back. The World Cup is going to happen within a month, and it is a beautiful celebration. So, let's have a big party! Let's support our team with joy and keep the union provided by sports alive. Let's get the ball rolling and not forget the lesson learned.

Marina Monzillo de Almeida Costa

The 2014 World Cup will help attract foreign capital, make the country known in the world, intensify cultural exchange, and enable Brazil's population to increase its self-knowledge and sense of society. The event was brought to Brazil by the government in order to promote Brazil's participation in the world's scene, which is important. There were problems creating the infrastructure for the biggest soccer championship in the world, but we have to enjoy the benefitsnow FIFA estimates that over 600,000 people will come to Brazil during this World Cup. That means more than half a million tourists who need to eat, to be hosted, to buy souvenirs, to travel by airplane and to be guided in the city: economic improvement. Also, the whole world will be talking about the Cup and, consequently, about Brazil. It must be said that there are a lot of places in the world where information about a large emerging economy doesn't reach; however, information about the World Cup reaches everyone. The word Brazil will be said billions of times.

At this important moment, the largest country in South America will receive many people from many different parts of the world; therefore, many cultures will meet here, providing a great opportunity for Brazilians to capture the best of each and realize the greatness of humanity, expanding their minds.

Something fundamental is the rise in the number of people who want to learn a second language, since the presence of different tongues is a catalyst in the interest of communication between the peoples. Globalization will be introduced to more and more people.

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling This experience, with good and bad points, has already made Brazilians see the reality in another way. The big protests in 2013 showed that people are paying attention to justice and honesty, fighting against corruption. It seems that the international exposure aided to create not only a critical sense, but a sense of national unity and an impetus for building a better place. All this helps one group of humans to perceive aspects about itself. Being in focus like that will help Brazil to see what it means to be Brazilian.

Mateus Halbe Torres

The World Cup in Brazil Brazil will hold the FIFA World Cup this year, and this will be the second time that our country hosts this event. It will bring positive as well as negative things to us. This is something like a palliative measure, which will be positive for just a short period of time.

First of all, the cities that will hold the soccer games, but only these cities, have received a lot of investments in their infrastructure. The job opportunities have increased, the economy has been boosted and the investments have been kept in these cities. Brazil will be more visible in the global scene due to these benefits.

However, this visibility might be negative for us because we are not prepared to hold this type of event. The airports are not completely ready to operate, just like some stadiums. In my opinion, Brazil had the opportunity to be more respected and more appreciated in the world, however, it has wasted it. Politicians are partly responsible for that, and the corruption that they have promoted will be the cause of our embarrassment before other nations.

In conclusion, the investments will be temporary, just like the effects of the benefits of the World Cup in Brazil. Also, our lack of preparation will blur our image in the world. Holding this event would be very nice to us if we were prepared. Since we are not, the changes made here were just for the sake of appearances.

Paulo Maia da Costa Filho

There is no denying that sports are good for everybody, even for those people with some kind of disability. They are also democratic, for everybody is equal when practicing sports, no matter your race, color or religion.

In fact, some of the greatest athletes in the world came from poor regions, including PelĂŠ, the king of soccer, Michael Jordan, the most famous basketball player of all time, the Williams sisters, the two most famous tennis players, Ronaldo, the phenomenon, and so many other examples.

Among the world's biggest competitions are the World Cup and the Olympic Games, both to be hosted in Brazil in 2014 and 2016. In spite of being related, sports and competitions are different things as well as sport players and competitors. In a competition, the objective is to win. In order to do that, the common sports player gives place to professional athletes and then what was intended to be a great show of sports becomes a kind of global battle game, a dispute among countries where the one with more gold medals gest the glory and writes the country name in history.

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling As paradoxical as it may seem, when hosting high level competitions such as the World Cup and the Olympics, a developing country like Brazil will have the chance to face how far it is from the developed countries. Those events will make clear the need of continuous support to the sport's representative organizations, management capacity, quality of services, ease of access and movement inside Brazil, not to mention the required infrastructure, education and so on. In the end, it may stimulate our policy makers to establish the right priorities that one day might enable Brazil to gain the development gold medal, moving us from a developing country to a first world nation.

Mario Jose das Neves

Nowadays, the World Cup that is taking place in Brazil has been very criticized by Brazilians and foreigners. And with all those expenses and challenges to host this kind of event, a question rises up, “What are the positive impacts of the World Cup in our country?� I would say that this big event has affected us positively by bringing us together to cheer for our national team and help the children of our country to pursue their dreams and be inspired by the players of our team.

First of all, children, in many ways, have an idol or celebrity that inspires them. In fact, rich and middle class children generally are inspired by superheroes or princesses, none of which being real.

However, poor children usually admire soccer players because, in a way, they have realized that to get where you want to be, you need to work hard. It's an excellent inspiration for children to pursue their dreams.

Second, the World Cup is an event that often unites people and nations looking up for only one thing, which is the competition. Although it is an event that includes a lot of rivalry, it unites people from the same or different nations. It's awesome because it teaches us how stronger we can be when we are united and fight to reach the same goal.

In the end, even with the costs and expenses of hosting the World Cup, the impact it will have in the Brazilian life is positive because it will help the children from our country to be inspired by our players and will also unite people, from the same or different nations, to fight for victory.

Pedro Henrique Daldegan Couto

World Cup: it brings us all together The decision of hosting the World Cup here, in Brazil, is a bad one in many economical and political ways, but, still, we can't forget to consider the advantages that an event like that could bring to our country.

The fact that it will unite people from all over the world, will not only be good for tourism, but it will be a great opportunity to get to know other cultures and learn much more about them. In addition, it will be a great way to meet more people and, who knows, make new friends.

Sports are a great way to interact with other people as it brings them all together. It doesn't matter if you're Brazilian, American, British or African, because, in the end, we're all humans, and that's what sport is all about.

As a conclusion, in some way, the World Cup is going to be a good thing for Brazil, because not only are we going to meet new people, but also learn with them and forget our differences even if it is for just a moment.

Raquel Pavanelli Porlan

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling 2014 FIFA World Cup Our country has been awarded the exciting opportunity to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup from June 12 to July 13. Thousands of avid fans will attend events in 12 host cities across the country to support their teams. However, behind the excitement of the event lies a range of logistical and security concerns, which could affect those who travel here.

Hosting the World Cup can bring Brazil some disadvantages such as overpriced services and increased corruption. There was probably no effective planning in the use of the infrastructure set up for the event, which can cause loss to public coffers even after the end of the World Cup. On the other hand, despite being an event that lasts for just over a month, the World Cup can help jumpstart the economy of a country, and the benefits generated are large and durable. Many jobs will be created, especially in the area of civil construction, the service sector will also earn incentives, and the potential for tourism will grow.

However, people need to understand that the World Cup is not only about the construction of stadiums. Some people might even grumble but everyone will be there when time comes, cheering, getting excited and partying, because after all, this is what enchants the world when they think of Brazil, the joy of its people.

Rafael Ferreira de Menezes

What difference will hosting a sporting event like this make for our country?

Nelson Mandela, among his countless virtues, to my view, was the first man to realize and show the world the power he found in sports. There are only a few fortunate people who can see sports as a way to change the world and unite nations. That is why sports conquer so many people and make us all stop our routines to watch a game of hockey, soccer, a track competition, swimming… There's something beautiful and hidden in the way people from all over the world get together to play, or even just cheer. The beating hearts, the glowing eyes, and all the mixed up emotions make sports one of the best ways to keep our society hopeful of a better world.

This year, my country is hosting the World Cup. Some people really don't like it. They say it is a waste of money, it is a foolish thing to do, but I think those people don't see the bright side of it. Staging such a big and important event will bring to Brazil not only publicity for our country but also joy. We will host thousands of foreigners and we will make this year legendary for this event. Brazil has been preparing for it for a long time now and I can only say that it will be amazing when we all sit on the sofa with popcorn to watch and cheer for our country.

So, that's the thing about the 2014 World Cup. The whole nation, the whole world will forget their issues and their prejudices just to sit and watch soccer, and then, nothing else will matter, except the game and the emotions, because sports make people feel that way; feel good and warm. Nelson Mandela understood the impact of it when he first introduced inter-racial teams and made everyone gasp when in 1995 he and South Africa were triumphant.

As a conclusion, there's a quote which says “The five S's of sports training are: stamina, speed, strength, skill, and spirit; but the greatest of these is spirit”, said Ken Doherty and I think he is right.

Sports need spirit, sport is spirit, so when people are playing it or watching it, I think we all become one. Together, we form the greatest spirit of sport. That's why it's an honor to stage the World Cup. It will bring us all joy, hope, love, brightness and, most of all, spirit.

Raíssa Braga da Silva Cardoso

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling World Cup – challenges and gains It's the second time Brazil hosts the Football World Cup from FIFA – Federation of International Football Associations. The first time was in 1950, after World War II. At that time, there weren't so many expectations about the infrastructure for the games. It represented a kind of truce between the countries. In the same way, the technology was incipient, the stadiums were new and everything was nice for the competition. People were thrilled to be hosting the games and the tourists.

In this new World Cup, the environment is quite different. Brazil had to build new stadiums, roads, improve airports and the country made many other investments to host the competition one more time. Nowadays, the FIFA's requirements are bigger. The country took on the challenge of creating the entire infrastructure for the games. Twelve Brazilian cities should prepare themselves. Each one reconstructed stadiums, expanded the airports and invested in technology for the World Cup. In the last three or four years many jobs have been created. It represented an opportunity for many workers, which was good. Companies could offer their services for the government in their projects as well. Millions of Reais have been spent.

That's the main reason many people in Brazil aren't happy with the World Cup. They believe the investments should be made in other areas, like health and education. Brazil doesn't have a good infrastructure for its own population. So that's why some people are angry with the spendings on the World Cup and held demonstrations in some cities like Brasília, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

On the other hand, some of the constructions, some of the investments will be here forever, for people to use. Here in Brasilia, for example, the airport now is bigger and more comfortable. The structure is modern and more pleasant. Before that, it was prepared do receive only thirteen planes.

Now twenty nine aircrafts can land at Brasilia's airport at the same time. The road to go to the airport is new too. Now, it is easier and faster to get there. In the end of W3 South, another construction will help the traffic – It's an overpass that will connect some areas in that neighborhood. And, finally, there is another kind of public transport, named Expresso DF. It's a non-stop big bus that will carry people from other cities, in Distrito Federal, to the Plano Piloto. Everything was requested by FIFA. Brazil and Brasília, in this case, spend much money – there is no doubt. But all this will stay here forever for the Brazilian people to use. That's what we gain with the World Cup. Apart from that, it's an international experience. Maybe we are not prepared for that. Maybe we need other kinds of investments. But now, we have to enjoy what we gained with this major event.

Raquel Porto Alegre dos Santos

The importance of hosting the world cup Hosting a world cup is a matter of great importance to every country and, despite the lack of consensus surrounding the theme, it cannot be denied that its benefits overcome its economic effects.

Some people believe that Brazil's World Cup will bring environmental impacts, misuse of public funds, huge stadiums and magnificent sports centers, both considered expensive but useless structures. Skeptics say that the event will not carry out all the Brazilian expectations involving a cup such as improvement in health, education and transportation systems. They also say that Brazil's cup will not even contribute to employment expansion.

The South Africa´s Human Sciences Council has concluded that, in general, mega events are not the answer to social demands. Renowned Brazilian institutions like Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG) and Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp) have reached the conclusion that also raise doubts about the benefits of Brazil's cup. Such studies seem to support the pessimists' position.

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling On the other hand, optimistis believe that there will be a rise in investments, tourism, employment and infrastructure. Moreover, according to them, there will also be a reduction in usual stereotypes and preconceptions about the country and its inhabitants and, as a result, the World Cup will change Brazil's image abroad.

Despite of all controversy, only time will tell who is right and who is wrong about the economic benefits of Brazil hosting the World Cup, but it seems out of the question for everyone that the event will spread sport interest among young people, which is clearly a very positive non-economic and priceless effect of the event.

Anyway, it is worth quoting Nelson Mandela's words that seems to fit perfectly in this case: “Sport has the power to change the world…it has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does… It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair.". I would dare to say that not even money can do that.

Ney Araujo Nogueira

In 2014, the world cup will be hosted by one of the most famous countries of Latin America: Brazil, also known as the land of soccer. Many Brazilians welcomed the opportunity but they didn't know all the challenges and expenses that the government would have.

Hosting a sporting event like the World Cup is a big responsibility. The country must have an efficient infrastructure to meet the needs of all the foreigners that are coming for this event, so the government has to invest both in security and organization of the whole country. But that has turned out to be more complicated than we thought. For these changes, large amounts of money and big investiments are necessary; therefore, they need the people's money.

In 2013, Brazil was ranked 73rd on the human development index. That means that these billions of dollars spent in stadiums and airports could be used to build schools or hospitals for the poor people.

But the government believes that hosting the world cup will improve the economy of the whole country, and, as a consequence, bring back all the money spent and more, which will foster the country's development.

Finally, the world cup has been a big opportunity to promote the Brazilian culture and natural wealth to draw the attention of foreign tourism, and bring more jobs and opportunities to teenagers who want to work.

That is an event that rocked the entire Brazilian population, and I think it is the most expected moment by the whole world. So with all this hard work we expect that, at least, Brazil wins the world cup.

Rebeca Alves Bezerra

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling Hosting a World Cup is a challenge to every country. It involves many expenses and affects directly the lives of people once changes in traffic are often necessary, as well as constructions and repairs in buildings and airports. But despite all the complications, it's a huge event that brings people all over the globe together and gives a nation the chance to share its culture. This year, Brazilians will have an extra something to celebrate - our country, known for its amazing soccer players, is going to be the honored host of the Cup. Foreigners that will come to see the games will also experience Brazil's unique cultural diversity, with its breathtaking landscapes and its nice, welcoming population. The World Cup can make big differences in the players' and the crowd's lives by awakening their patriotic side and competitive spirit. But it can also bring a positive economic income to the country, as well as helping spread its culture once it drives attention to the host's music, food and way of living.

Sports have the power to touch hearts and change minds. By hosting the 2014 World Cup, Brazil is helping bring awareness to the importance of sports, especially for the youth. Physical activity, teamwork and the idea of winning or losing a competition are extremely important concepts that the young generation ought to have in mind. This sporting event, beloved by the majority of Brazilians, will also unite families and friends, providing them remarkable, life-long memories.

Rebecca Barbosa de Amorim Novais FlorĂŞncio

Hosting a big event such as the Word Cup is a great opportunity for any country. This huge show brings to Brazil investments and improves the quality of our tourist service. The money spent in this tournament will return to the National Treasure in a few years because of the advances brought by the competition.

People from all five continents are coming to Brazil in June to visit the great attractions of this magnificent nation, such as Christ the Redeemer and SĂŁo Paulo Museum of Art (MASP). If they have a good experience here, which will probably happen, more individuals will come in the following years. Many hotels, restaurants and new stores have been built in order to attend the foreigners.

Nationals will enjoy these commercial structures when the World Cup ends. Besides that, the infrastructure of Brazil is being modernized for the twenty first century. The airports are larger, more comfortable and safer than they were before we were chosen to hold this championship. Many new subways lines were built and the transportation has been revolutionized the past years. Lots of stadiums were remodeled and constructed.

Many small businesses will benefit during and after the FIFA World Cup. They are hiring English speakers to attend tourists from abroad. The demand for these professionals made the government and the enterprises create new English schools. This is essential for the economy nowadays because, in the globalized world, Shakespeare's language is extremely important. These bilingual students will bring the Brazilian market to a new level.

Finally, the legacy of the world cup will last for many generations. The know-how acquired by the government and the companies involved in the event are going to help future global and national tournaments and shows, such as the Olympic Games in 2016 and Rock in Rio. The world cup is a blessing to our country.

Vinicius Carloni Cypriano

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling The 2014 World Cup, a global event that demanded huge expenses to create an adequate infrastructure from the Brazilian government, has many positive aspects, like greater visibility for the country and the encouragement of the use foreign languages.

Brazil will become the new focus of international television, showing the world that it is an emerging country, breaking pre-notions and prejudice against our population.

However, there is a lot of dissatisfaction among the population because of the construction work for the Cup. I believe that it will raise the nationalism because Brazilians love soccer. Nationalism can make the population demand change in other sectors of the country, making the life of the citizen better, since the population will be more involved in national issues.

The Cup will demand fluency in foreign languages, English, mainly, because it is the global language.

That will increase the search for language schools or courses all over the country. This will increase the competitive edge in the labor market because it will demand high quality employees to serve the population before, during and after the Cup. It is possible to see that the World Cup has positive aspects because it will make the routine of the citizen easier if the population requires that their necessities be met.

Rebecca Brant

World Cup in Brazil - Let's get the ball rolling!

Sport has the power to raise fraternity among people from distinct nations. Brazil is going to host the 2014 World Cup, which is a great opportunity to show billions of people on the planet how good our hospitality is. To create and improve the infrastructure to host an event like that demands a big effort from our society as a whole, but especially from the federal and local authorities where the games take place.

Undoubtedly, the resulting benefits to those communities appear in improvements in urban mobility, hotel and airport infrastructure, just to name a few. On the other hand, the public investment will be high and the country's finances are not doing well at all. Moreover, our authorities are very concerned about safety and sex tourism, which could have a negative impact on the image of Brazil during the World Cup. Still, this year Brazil will undergo majoritarian elections and I hope the final result of this Cup does not influence the voters' behavior.

Despite all the challenges mentioned above, if Brazil does its homework well in hosting a sports event like this, the doors will be open to the select business of the international mega shows as a result, which would bring great benefit to our economy.

Finally, in my opinion, soccer is a good deal when seen as a sport. Otherwise, it can be a disaster if it's only considered business. Let's get the ball rolling!

Roberto de Azevedo Nogueira

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling

The Power of sports Nelson Mandela said that "sports have the power to change the world" and he was right. Even though it always involves a competition, in which one side rivals the other, sports join people. When spectators follow a game, but in opposite sides, at that moment they're connected. This is to change the world.

In 2014, Brazil will host the Fifa World Cup of soccer, one of the most popular sports on the planet. A lot of constructions have been performed to receive the games and the tourists. Renovated stadiums, airports, highways, public transport, the list of remaking is huge... This is to change the world.

Many required constructions weren't completed. Others have cost more than expected. This time, the population supervised closely, requiring better use of its tax. This is to change the world.

More than a million foreign tourists are expected. During the event, besides the financial benefit, they're bringing other cultures, other points of view, other values. This interchange is beneficial to everybody, and this is to change the world.

Nelson Mandela was a visionary person. He showed us that, yes, sports have the power to change the world.

Roman Dario Cuattrin

It is undeniable that Brazilian people love soccer and are excited about hosting 2014 World Cup. However, in these last 4 years we have been interested in many more things, such as health, education and security. Furthermore, we want all of them FIFA standard!

Over the years Brazil has been called “The country of the future� for having good economy and an immeasurable diversity of natural resources. When Brazil was chosen to host the World Cup, hosting it was seen by the Brazilian people as the chance of showing the world that Brazil is not only a paradise of breathtaking views, but also a big emerging potency. On the other hand, Brazilians are tired of waiting for promises while today's needs are left for the future.

Indeed, the population expected the improvement of airports, highways, hospitals etc. Meanwhile, it did not come out the way it should have. As a matter of fact, the stadiums and constructions cost more than the planned budget. Therefore, as it almost never happens here, the government increased taxes and postponed some of the benefits the population was supposed to get.

Fortunately, good things have also come with the Cup. Many temporary jobs were created and, after the championship, they will be available in areas as the building sector, for example. The government was forced to invest in infrastructure to receive tourists. Foreign capital has also entered the country and all of it brings benefit to Brazilians. Beyond that, the best thing the Cup has brought is the interest of the population in debating the country's future.

Last year, many demonstrations all over Brazil expressed the people's dissatisfaction and showed that the giant was awake. Moments like those only happened a few times in our history. Nowadays, we face the challenge of making our country a better place - not only for tourists to visit in events like the World Cup - but also for our own people. To keep developing and creating opportunities to improve the quality of life of Brazilians is the biggest challenge.

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling

One time a philosopher called John Locke said that the government should rule for the well-being of its people. Hopefully, Brazilians are now feeling this power of democracy by making the future today.

We are the country of the future and the present, the country where many people from everywhere in the world formed only one big nation in size and diversity of culture. The country that Gonçalves Dias (Brazilian poet) once said there are palm trees where “Sabiá”, Brazilian bird, sings like nowhere in the world.

All in all, luckily, the Cup has brought more than the happiness of hosting it in the country of soccer, which we love. It has brought hope of good changes that the country of many other things has to face.

Rômulo Hannig Gonçalves da Silva

INTERVIEWING WAYNE ROONEY FIRST PLACE WINNER Hello, my name is Sandra and today I am going to interview Wayne Rooney who is a soccer player. He will also be participating in the World Cup this year and here are some of the question I asked him: 1. What is your name?

“My name is Wayne Rooney. '' 2. What is your nationality?

“Well, I am from England. So, I am British. '’ 3. When did you start to play soccer?

“So, I started to play soccer in 2002. '' 4. Are you married or single?

“I'm married. The name of my wife is Coleen. '' 5. How many children do you have?

“Well, I have two children. Kai Wayne Rooney and Klay Anthony Rooney. '' 6. What other soccer teams did you play for?

“I played for Manchester United and Everton. '' 7. Which soccer team do you play for at the moment?

“Well, nowadays I play for Manchester United. '' 8. When were you born?

“I was born on October 24th. '’

Sandra Gomes da Silva

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling INTERVIEWING SECOND PLACE WINNER Today I'm interviewing one of the best football playesr in the world, Lionel Messi. He's playing for Argentina in the World Soccer Cup, his country of birth.

Question 1: So, welcome Messi. It is a pleasure to talk to you. To start, your fans want to know many things about you, ok? When and where were you born?

Answer: Thank you. I was born in Rosário, in 1987. Rosário is a city and in the province of Santa Fe, in Argentina. There I spent my childhood.

Question 2: When did you start playing soccer?

Answer: Well, I started my carrier when I was 7 years old, in 1994, when I was player of Newell's Old Boys of Argentina, this is my favorite team. Already 20 years ago.

Question 3: This is a long time. So your first team was Newell's Old Boys of Argentina?

Answer: Yes, it was. This is the same team for which Maradona played at the end of his career.

Question 4: Maradona was a very good player. But Messi, what soccer team do you play for at the moment?

Answer: Currently I play for Barcelona and the Argentine National team. I've been the captain since the second half of 2011.

Question 5: And where do you live?

Answer: I live in Castelldefels, in the metropolitan area of Barcelona, close to the beach.

Question 6: Are you married?

Answer: Yes, I am. My wife's name is Antonella, and I have known her since my childhood, in Rosário.

Question 7: Do you have children? How many?

Answer: Yes, I do. I have one son. His name is Thiago.

Question 8: To finish, how much do you weigh and how tall are you?

Answer: I'm 1.69m tall and I weight 67 kg.

Daniela: Thank you for your interview. Good luck in the World Cup Messi: Thank you!

Daniela Amorim Meira

THE BEAVER DAM - Let’s Get The Ball Rolling INTERVIEWING THIRD PLACE WINNER 1. What is your name?

A. My name is Frank James Lampard Junior.

2. Where are you from?

A- I am from London, England.

3. What is the capital of your country?

A- The capital of my country is London.

4-Where were you born?

A- I was born in London.

5- When were you born?

A- I was born on June 20, 1978.

6- Where do you live?

A- I live in London.

7- Which soccer team are you playing for at the moment?

A- I am playing for Chelsea at the moment.

8- What other soccer teams have you played for?

A- I have played for West Ham United end Swansea City.

9-Are you married or single?

A- I have a girlfriend, but I am not married.

10-How many children do you have?

A- I have two children. They are two girls, Isla and Luna.

11-How long have you played soccer?

A- I have played soccer for 20 years.

12-Whem did you start playing soccer?

A- I started playing soccer when I was 15 years old.

13-What was your first soccer team?

A- My first soccer team was West Ham. 14-Have you ever worked abroad?

A- No, I have not.

15-How many kilos do you weigh?

A-I weigh 89.0 Kg. 16-How tall are you?

A- I am 1, 84 meters tall.

Pedro Zeus Lustosa de Souza