Goaaaal

Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Ronaldinho, Kaka, Robinho, and Cafu are just six of the international all-stars that make up the Brazilian national team which have won five world cups and are favored to win number six (if they can get through the powerhouse U.S. team) in Germany this summer. Riquelme, Messi, Cambiasso, Sorian, Crespo and Zanetti are just a few of the Argentine superstars that are ranked fourth in the futbol world, and are considered a threat to win there third world cup this summer in Germany. But how did this all happen? Many historians and social scientists claim that the “modernization” of Latin America in the 19th century, by mainly the British, hurt Latin American society, and is one of the many reasons that Latin American economies are not significantly stronger today. Regardless, the most important cultural attribute to Latin America arrived directly out of European modernization. According to Dr. Richard Walter, Latin Americans were introduced to futbol while British mechanics and engineers built the railroads that zigzag from natural resources to ports throughout Latin America. When railroad workers took breaks they frequently attempted to teach the native workers the sport, and the Latin Americans caught on quite quickly. Ironically, the Brazilians and the Argentines have foiled British hopes of advancing in the World Cup four times.