Exxxstory 3: True – Baduzinho, boot on your foot that you will get rich!

On Avenida da Carolina Machado 516 there was no lack of fun, piques (tá – cola – carrion – flag (what most resembles soccer – others); spinning top; balloon, rope (normal and fire), dodgeball, marble (some rascals used the goose hand). Triangle – búrica (marraio feridor sou rei, olhinho, jug, bolão; pipa – raia – cafifa [those who have not released a kite do not know what is good, nor have the courage (poor and without money to buy a kite and line, put yours up high when there is a big tail, two 10 of the big and wax up to the hand, dancing-dancing, showing off,  cord, pecking near yours…) some lowered and waited for the big one to leave, the future winners and world champions stayed in the air trying to pay attention to the big guy who was coming nearby, half a line to see if he had room to dig/peck and drag (pass the squeegee, pass the line underneath, bragging to bend the poor guy’s line and cut it,   fine wax of ground glass on the tram line and even the train, wood glue – it has to be loose), the strategy comes into play, not for fear of the strongest, using a ruse: let the handsome guy on the other side of the train line measure the line, let it be seen that he had more and more to spare, when he then climbed high to get strength,  He dibbled and went to attack, to put another victory on the account, but he did not count on the trickery of the opponent, who unloaded the reel with great care so as not to notice, until he had more line, his kite almost disappeared because it was small, the big one could no longer brake, take off, danced… Shark, little pipinha made a quick turn over, pegava cabresto e rabiola grande, he would embolher, secure himself in the stroke, the two tangled kites would reach his hand, and fast as a right winger, agile and with the reflex of a goalkeeper, he still pulled from the loose line of the loser]. Life lessons. Brother, it takes courage!

And the ball! The fascination that the sphere, an extension of the circle like the Sun and the Moon, in the case of soccer the pelota, the balloon, the ball, with its magical aura, exerts on the human being, who, from the first generations, even at the earliest ages, has fun playing for pleasure. With a ball, man is never alone, and controlling it, or even kicking it, is a challenge to imagination and creativity. Inclusive game, most practiced in the world, everyone can play, even the blind and the stilts, 4 positions (goalkeeper, defender, midfielder, striker) 11 positions/functions to adapt height, physical qualities and especially technique. So many actions a day, almost all day, every day of the year, that all the fundamentals of technique improved, practicing/repeating, inventing or copying the oldest and most technical of all positions.

When one was invited to play for a club, there the coach only polished the fundamentals and technique, started the group tactics, let dribbles and taught the principles of the profession.

In this universe there were many exxxstories, such as that of Seo Alves, a former Flamengo player, resident of the village and baker of all the surroundings. He lived in house 19, married to Dona Ondina, parents of Nélio (a good player, one of the most fanatical Fla fans that Baduzinho knew). When he stopped his tricycle in front of house 11 he said, lifting the hem of his pants on his left leg, showing a scar of about 15 centimeters, saying: this scar was made by his Grandfather Badu in a Fla x Vasco game, that butcher… and laughed, Badu was a butcher even before he was a player, a brute defender. And there Seo Alves went to sell his bread.

One day came the information of a Tournament in Bangu, Field Soccer, barefoot. They set up a team, a name they already had, Lusitano, they had players to form several teams if they joined the 3 nearby villages.

On the day scheduled for it, they went there by train: Bangu. 20 fields, almost bald, soccer from early until dusk, games in all of them, many in the form of tournaments (won-on, lost-out, until the final). Some charged fees for refereeing, marking the fields, awards and other things, Baduzinho had never seen that at the age of 12, 20 fields x 22 players (plus 12 reserves, 6 from each team). About 724 players in action at the same time, all day). Not to mention coaches, fans and scouts. The real reason for the growth of Brazilian football in the world, nowhere did so many play so much and so well at that time. The poor of the suburbs began to replace those of the elite who brought the Violent Breton Sport to the country. In 50 runners-up at home, in 58, Brazil World Champion, in 62 Bi, and everyone felt like those who were part of the conquest, lifting the Jules Rimet Cup, like the 16 champions, which was the extract, the subnitrate of the entire Universe of Players, of the various 20 fields like those in Rio, perhaps in Brazil, plus the sets of fewer fields, or isolated fields, the street football, the peladeiros.

Baduzinho’s tournament has begun, a young team being the youngest of all, on the right wing. Regular opponent of quality and higher average age. Lusitano won moving on to the second round. Better team, tougher game, left back didn’t find the fast right tip. They won. The few Lusa fans and some who liked them playing started to follow the surprise team. The third match came, the opposing team was tough, a heavy full-back, Baduzinho laid his hair down, the team won and went to the semifinals. Each phase a better opponent, used to playing games in a row and deciding. Lusitano went too far, absolute surprise, played above what was expected, it was important to play, compete, have fun, we played a lot, great life experience. They stayed in that barrier, the semis, but happily gathered after the game for a hug. They were about to return to the LAND OF SAMBA, our Madureira, by train, when a gentleman approached the team, more specifically Baduzinho and predicted:

Baduzinho (you already knew the name) asks your Father to put boots on your feet and you will win a lot of money!

Little Badu never forgot such a great and undeserved compliment. But he became a goalkeeper who eventually also played on the line!

P.S. – Many years later, Baduzinho, already a Football Coach in São José do Rio Preto, was invited by a Padre-de-Santo known to the Assistant at the time and Great Coach Detto Pereira to go to his house. He thanked him for the visit, praised his work, and especially the Interviews where he valued History and Important Facts, bringing positive words to all who listened.

In the end, he was incisive: You will never be rich, it is written that you came to help, to do good, to work in countries with large numbers of deaths due to conflicts, to help improve and bring people closer to Peace.

The Fans in Bangu didn’t know about this!

P.S. 2 – In Portuguese, s sounds like s, but in Rio de Janeiro it sounds like a long sh (like in cheese)

By Jucele

Julio Leal

February 11th, 2026