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Brazilian soccer coach David Dos Santos reflects on Rio Olympics from America
Brazilian teen athlete Jorge Alberto Gomes, 14, lights the cauldron at Candelaria Church with the Olympic torch following the opening ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. For Brazilians, the games exist mainly on television according to a Brazilian soccer coach living in the United States. MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images

Brazilian soccer coach David Dos Santos reflects on Rio Olympics from America

The 2016 Rio Olympics officially opened on Friday night with an extravagant opening ceremony — a series of ceremonies, really, highlighting different aspects of Brazilian culture and history. While watching this on television, I was talking to my former club soccer coach David Dos Santos. Dos Santos, 34, coached my club soccer team while I was in high school. He incorporated his Brazilian culture into our practices — subconsciously, as he always exuded proudly what Brazil made him to be. Sometimes, he would yell at us in Portuguese when coaching because he thought it was funny when we tried to figure out what he was saying. He is so loyal to Brazil that our team name was KC Select Brazil. 

He grew up in São Paulo, Brazil, which is a little over five hours away from Rio de Janeiro. He used to vacation in Rio often and still has friends living in Rio, though. Brazil is associated with soccer around the world, but ironically soccer is why Dos Santos left when he was 19 years old to play college soccer in the United States. He visits his home when he can, and loves it very much. 

In the months leading up to these Olympics, much has been made of the poor conditions in Rio — Zika virus, crimes, pollution of the water, security. Growing up in the Sao Paulo state of Brazil, more specifically the city of Palmital, Dos Santos experienced a culture of crime and unrest. In the past, Dos Santos has told me that "Palmital is a small town with a lot of crimes, not a lot of things to do except play soccer." 

His sister, Meire, still lives in São Paulo, but right now she is visiting Dos Santos in Kansas City, Missouri. Colorful scenes splashed on the television from inside Maracanã Stadium illustrating how global warming is threatening Rio. Other times, fireworks go off and spell Rio in the sky. Intentional or not, this difference in optics and tone perfectly reflects what is happening in all of Brazil right now—and is the root of my conversation with my Brazilian friend. 

"She is not even watching," Dos Santos says to me. "She hates." 

Why? 

"Because now it's not time for party. We should spend all this money helping Brazil get better." 

Do you think that's how most Brazilians feel? 

"The TV is not showing outside of the stadium," he points out. 

Outside of Maracanã Stadium is where Dos Santos grew up and what he knows to be true — the real Brazil. And so began our conversation about how he feels watching from afar as his dear Brazil is the world’s largest stage, what he knows about the reported poor conditions and upset locals, his experiences growing up in Brazil, and some misunderstood characteristics of Brazilians. Sometimes he is joyful, with a big smile on his face. Other times, he is somber and intent on explaining his home’s spiraling condition. 

Megan Armstrong: Are the opening ceremonies displaying the culture in Brazil accurately, do you think?

David Dos Santos: Very. I want (to) cry. Everything. The music, the spirit of the people. 

MA: Do you miss it?

DDS: Now, yes. Today, I can see how different we Brazilians are from Americans. 

MA: How are you different?

DDS: We live life. 

MA: You don’t think Americans do?

DDS: I don’t a give f— if your grass is better than mine. 

MA: Like, Brazilians feel like it doesn’t matter the circumstances in life; they’re going to live to the fullest?

DDS: You got it. American’s worry about the grass, the neighbors are competing who has the best grass. That’s stupid. No doubt about that. 

MA: Do you think that translates over to the Olympics? (The U.S.) is going there to win the most medals, and Brazilians are going to compete and have fun?

DDS: We don’t compete for fun. But I would give everything I have with so little. The way Americans are raised in it with all the support that they should win every single medal in every single sport. 

MA: Do you love Neymar as much as most of Brazil does?

DDS: I don’t. I like him because he represents us, but that’s it. 

MA: Do you think that all of this stuff Americans, and people around the world, were worried about going into the Olympics in Rio, like the safety and bad conditions, is accurate or dramatic?

DDS: Dramatic. Not a big deal for me. But, if you’re from Johnson County (a wealthy county in Kansas City, Kansas), then Brazil is very bad. Kids here cannot even cross the street by themselves. Do I think an American is gonna be able to adjust to the Brazilian life? 

MA: What’s it like to watch the world’s stage be in Brazil right now while you’re all the way over here, when you don’t live there anymore?

DDS: I don’t really care, but it’s cool that it’s happening in Brazil. Even though their economy sucks now. 

MA: What were your experiences in Rio like?

DDS: I personally don’t have bad experience in Rio, but I watch TV and know that Rio is very bad. 

MA: How do you know Rio is very bad?

DDS: (He shows me a story by the BBC about the financial crisis in Rio.) No money to pay the police or the firefighters. I bet you didn’t know that, right? 

MA: Sad. What kind of stuff did you do in Rio?

DDS: Beaches. They have a lot. I had fun in Rio. Rio to me was good. But I had money. I’m not a native of Rio. 

MA: São Paulo is much more wealthy?

DDS: Supposedly yes. But today the whole country is in bad shape. 

(As a state, São Paulo is located in the southwest of Brazil. If you were to drive a little over five hours west along the coastline, you would meet Rio. Traditionally, São Paulo has been one of the world’s most populated and cities and Brazil’s financial hub.) 

MA: How much worse is it now than when you lived there?

DDS: One hundred times. 

MA: Are you glad you left and moved to the United States?

DDS: I’m torn. I don’t like to live here. 

MA: Why are you torn?

DDS: The simple way to say is I’m not home. 

MA: Have you talked to your friends who live in Rio right now about how they feel having the Olympics invade their home?

DDS: Life goes on for them. The Olympics is only on TV for most Brazilians.

MA: What do you hope the world can learn about Brazil while watching the Rio Olympics?

DDS: Our culture is beautiful and rich. We are so diverse. We have so much mixture of races. We are fun people, and I believe (in us). But our politicians make Brazil hell for the poor.

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