Yesterday was a really significant day for Brazil’s captain, Benjamin. Although he could not celebrate it the way he has dreamt to, due to Uruguay’s snatching the Copa Latina in the decisive game in Rio Quente, the Brazilian number ten reached a historic figure, when earning his 300th cap for the Canarinha.
Good Luck did not want to join Benjamin’s party, though. After having scored two new goals to add to his terrific records, Benjamin was the one to take the penalty for Brazil in the shootout after the final draw. He missed it, and the trophy flew to Uruguay. But, time will heal this little wound, and the player’s record will remain forever. Very little are those who can say they have worn his country’s outfit for such a long time. Indeed, only Júnior Negão, another Brazilian legend, crossed this frontier, with 318 caps.
Precisely, it was Uruguay the first opponent in Benjamin’s international career. It was in 1996, during the II World Championship in Copacabana, and the result was a little different, 4-2 for Brazil. ‘O Baixinho’ scored twice that day, too.
Recalling his first steps on the sand in the verdeamarela outfit, Benjamin assures that “Playing for Brazil is a real honour, and I feel really privileged. I will never forget my first match, but all the games are special to me”. There’s only one secret for such a long high-performance career: motivation. “Every match is a new story, and my motivation is always the same. My disposition and focus today are the same than the ones I felt in 1996. I still feel like a young boy, but with the advantage of being more experienced…”
And you know what’s the best of it all? Benjamin still has a long way to go, and he still has many things to make us enjoy with!
