Former Brazil captain Socrates dies at 57
SAO PAULO (AP) - Former Brazil great Socrates, the clever playmaker who captained the country at soccer's 1982 World Cup, died Sunday. He was 57.
Known for his elegant style on the field and his deep involvement with Brazilian politics, Socrates died of septic shock resulting from an intestinal infection, according to a statement by the Albert Einstein hospital. He had been rushed to the hospital on Saturday - the third time in four months - and had been in critical condition in an intensive care unit, breathing with the help of a ventilator. The hospital said Socrates died at 4:30 a.m. Brazilian time (0630 GMT).
Socrates was twice hospitalized and placed in intensive care in the last few months, most recently in September. Both times he was admitted for a hemorrhage caused by high pressure in the vein that carries blood from the digestive system to the liver. Socrates acknowledged being a heavy drinker, even when he starred as a player in the 1980s, but said he stopped drinking earlier this year after his stints in the hospital.
Dozens of Brazilian footballers expressed their sadness on Twitter moments after Socrates' death was announced. "Sad start to the day,'' retired Brazil striker Ronaldo wrote. "Rest in peace Dr. Socrates.'' Former Brazil and Barcelona playmaker Rivaldo added on his Twitter page: "Sad to wake up and find out that Socrates has died.'' Reaction came from those outside of football, too, including three-time French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten and three-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves. "Great guy,'' Castroneves tweeted. "A Brazilian who will be greatly missed.''
The Brazilian football federation said the final round of the Brazilian league on Sunday will be played in Socrates' honor. All matches will be preceded by a minute of silence. Corinthians, the team that featured Socrates at the height of his career, needs a draw against rival Palmeiras to win the title. Corinthians' main fan group said it will honor its former star throughout the day. Fiorentina, another of Socrates' former clubs, said it would hold a minute of silence and wear black armbands in his honor for Sunday's Italian league match with Roma.
"He was a very dynamic player with a sublime foot but most of all great intelligence,'' said former Italy forward Paolo Rossi, who scored a memorable hat trick against Brazil and Socrates at the 1982 World Cup. "Along with Zico and Falcao he was the symbol of that Brazil squad.
"Socrates seemed like a player from another era,'' added Rossi, according to the ANSA news agency. "You couldn't place him in any category - on the pitch and even more so off it. Everyone knew about his degree in medicine and he had a lot of cultural and social interests as well. He was unique from every point of view.'' Indeed, Socrates stood out on and off the field. He became a doctor after retiring from football and later became a popular TV commentator and columnist, always with unique and controversial opinions. He never denied his fondness for drinking, from the time he was a player until his final days.
Socrates wrote a series of columns for The Associated Press during the 2011 Copa America in Argentina, expressing his views on all aspects of the tournament, including economic and political issues in Latin America. "It's not just about the game itself,'' Socrates said before the competition began. "Before anything, (football) is a psychological battle, the human aspect plays a significant role.''
Since his playing days, Socrates never kept his political ideas to himself and often wrote about the subject in his columns. Known as Dr. Socrates because of his practice of medicine, he was the main commentator on a weekly TV sports program and was constantly in demand from local media for interviews on varied subjects.
While with Corinthians, Socrates spearheaded a movement called the Corinthians Democracy, in which players protested against the long periods of confinement required by the club before matches. It quickly became a broader protest that coincided with Brazil's fight to overturn a military regime in the 1980s.
Socrates, whose full name is Socrates Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza Vieira de Oliveira, starred for Corinthians in the early 1980s, but he also played for Flamengo and Santos, as well as Fiorentina in Italy. The tall full-bearded playmaker captained Brazil in the 1982 World Cup in Spain and was a member of the squad in 1986 in Mexico. The 1982 Brazil team became widely known as the best not to win a World Cup. With players like Zico and Falcao, it fell to Italy 3-2 in the second round despite needing only a draw to advance to the semifinals.
Socrates was included in FIFA's list of the best 125 living soccer players in the world, a list compiled by countryman Pele. Socrates played 63 matches with the national team, scoring 25 goals. He was known for his great vision on the field. Always clever with the ball at his feet, his trademark move was the back-heel pass, and he set up and scored many goals with it throughout his career.
Socrates briefly coached and played for Garforth Town in England in 2004.
Socrates' younger brother Rai was another great Brazilian midfielder, and he helped Brazil win the 1994 World Cup in the United States.
He is survived by his wife and six children.
for consistent playing time. Altidore has really been improving since heading over there.
ii) Draft eligible players to whom an MLS contract was offered but who failed to sign with the League prior to the Draft.The weighted lottery takes into consideration each team’s performance over its last 30 regular season games and the most recent postseason. The team with the worst record over its last 30 regular season games (dating back to previous season if necessary and taking playoff performance into account) will have the greatest probability of winning the lottery. Teams are not required to participate in a lottery. Players are assigned via the lottery system in order to prevent a player from potentially influencing his destination club with a strategic holdout.
