From: MARCOS GOMES CATAO cataojm @yahoo,com
Just two clarifications/corrections on two itmes mentioned on above subject
Nasci Caldeira said the graves listed by the War Graves Commission could not be
of Portuguese or Brazilians because Portugal wasneutral and Brazil did not join
the war. The latter is not totally correct. Brazil did join the war in favour
of the Allies, notwithstanding sympathy for the German in the Presidency.
Infact, the Brazilian brigade took part in the Montecassino engagement, which
is commemorated every year in the country. In fact, the colourful Brazilian
unforms even drew jocular (sardonic?) comments from Winston churchill.
Someone else mentioned Goans and Brazilians have natural ties because both were
Portuguese colonies and football was introduced by them in both the countries.
This is not quite accurate. Football (soccer) was not introduced in Brazil by
the Portuguese but by the British. The British played a big role in the
development of the railway in Brazil and so, the British expariate engineers
and administrators started playing the game there and finally got the locals
interested. If I remember right they were instrumental in starting the SPFC
(Sao Paulo Football Clube) and later SFC( Santos Football Club) both of which
still remain premier teams in the Senior League, SPFC having thrice won the
World Club Championship played every year in Tokyo. If I am not too mistaken,
some years back SPFC paid a visit to Bombay and defeated an India XI by 6x1
