Duda

Book excerpt: Mexico, 1970. The world celebrates its first three time World Cup champion. Gabriel, however, has little to celebrate. Brazil, 2013. Duda, a successful sports marketing executive, is called to a meeting that will change his life. Sofia, his love of many years, and Edson, his friend and star/captain of the Brazilian national team take the news in very distinct ways when Duda calls and proposes something that will change the soccer world forever. FIFA and sponsors are not enthusiastic, but little by little Duda finds allies and his idea takes shape. Meanwhile, Natalija, an attractive and successful independent journalist has moved to Rio to follow a lead on the story of another prize that will be disputed at the World Cup. Everything is on track until Duda travels to Mexico City. Brazil, June 12, 2014. After the inauguration ceremony, Brazils national team takes the pitch and on TV all one can see are thousands of shimmers of light Natalija smiled because she knew that he knew that she knew about soccer. She smiled because he looked at her like in that way, on this beautiful May afternoon, on this beautiful terrace next to the ocean, and she was sharing this moment with a beautiful man who not only knew about soccer, and knew that she knew about soccer, but who was so interested in her that he said nothing about it. She smiled because it had been so long since she had been in the presence of a man she was interested in; she had felt it the moment they met, even though he was exactly the opposite of her type. He drives a Porsche for Christs sake! she had thought playfully.