“FootÂball is a whole skill to itself. A whole world. A whole uniÂverse to itself. Me love it because you have to be skillÂful to play it! FreeÂdom! FootÂball is freeÂdom.”
Bob MarÂley spoke those lines in 1979, two years before his life was cut short by melanoma, revealÂing his pasÂsion for the world’s game, or what we call “socÂcer” here in AmerÂiÂca. CasuÂal fans might not know this, but MarÂley folÂlowed BrazilÂian footÂball closeÂly, revered Pele, made the sport part of his daiÂly rouÂtine, and when he travÂeled to Rio de Janeiro in 1980, he took part in a now legÂendary match on musiÂcian Chico Buarque’s priÂvate pitch. Team A conÂsistÂed of MarÂley, Junior MarÂvin (memÂber of the WailÂers), Paulo CĂ©sar Caju (memÂber of the Brazil 1970 squad), ToquinÂho (BrazilÂian musiÂcian), Chico BuarÂque and Jacob Miller (lead singer of Inner CirÂcle). Team B feaÂtured Alceu Valença (BrazilÂian musiÂcian), ChicĂŁo (memÂber of Jorge Ben’s band) and four staff memÂbers from Island Records, recalls Russ Slater in Sounds and Colours. The short clip above shows MarÂley scorÂing a goal, despite being well into his batÂtle with melanoma.
In the secÂond clip above, you can watch footage of MarÂley dribÂbling the ball a litÂtle more. At RetroÂnaut, you’ll find umpteen phoÂtos of MarÂley in his footÂball gloÂry.
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RelatÂed ConÂtent:
The MonÂty Python PhiÂlosÂoÂphy FootÂball Match: The Greeks v. the GerÂmans
AmazÂing FlipÂbook AniÂmaÂtion Shows Off the Skills of RonaldÂinÂho
So in what way is this a “big” match then ? Looks like a kick about in the park to me.