Co-founder, Writer - SCROLL DOWN
The FiftyToFourteen Project is a photojournalism project on IG & Twitter collecting moments of inspiration surrounding FIFA World Cup Brazil '14.
THE WORLD IS YOURS || The ability to create something out of nothing is what makes the Seleção different from nearly any other team in the tournament, and it is often born out of a culture that amidst real hardship, finds real opportunity - a Brazilian spirit of positivity. The saying, "For the love of the game," is oft over-used and rendered hollow - but for this little boy - in his homage to the great fenomeno@ronaldolima - it couldn't be more sincere.
IMAGINE || NOFILTER || "Beauty and pride in a community and it’s people achieved by something as simple as a splash of paint proved to be of major importance and just as vital as education and healthcare." - Haas & Hanh || as the world descends upon Brazil, the people of the Santa Marta favela in Rio, alongside dutch painters and activists Haas & Hanh, once written-off as an eyesore, have reimagined themselves as a living, breathing, work of art. In the midst of large-scale social unrest and protests over pervasive government corruption in the lead-up to the World Cup, a community coming together in the face of real hardship to recreate their community as a symbol of resilience, ingenuity, and beauty could not be more timely or profound. Check out more about the painted favelas project here.
LIFT OFF || NO FILTER || words courtesy of Houston Dynamo midfielder WARREN CREAVALLE @malik_lebeau || photography courtesy of @vrmtpro || "The World Cup was always something that was surreal and seemingly far out of reach. Now, I have peers, co-workers, and friends vying for and taking the opportunity for that trip to Brazil with their respective national teams. These are the same peers, co-workers, and friends that I contend with on a daily basis. Though that is nowhere near the end of the dream, it does, however, make the dream seem much less abstract.” - Warren
PELADA || "PICK-UP" || NO FILTER || words by former @chicagofire forward/midfielder and current @goproMass Sports Production Lead @davispaul || "Kids play in the US as a coach tells them, but how would kids play if they just felt the game? What if they played free of authority and judgement? Imagine if kids didn't have to chase a ball around big open fields. What if the game always had to be played on the ground & games didn't need to be scheduled, but simply found. I stumbled upon this complex crammed between Rocinha favela and road, where literally fifty kids were running around. Every group had their own game and their own rules. Goals were irrelevant - teams and structure not needed - they just wanted the ball at their feet and a defender to beat." - Davis
FIELD OF DREAMS || NOFILTER || All hands on deck as@ussoccer takes on Belgium today. As the game goes on today, in what's likely to be a tight match, as we've seen time and time again, Wondo just might be the difference. || "I'm Chris Wondolowski and this is my story. I'm a member of the kawaa nation which is back in Oklahoma. That's through my moms side and my grandpa is still very active with the council, Andy grandma when she was here she was still very involved. It's my heritage. I love it. I love learning about the history and the ancestry that I have. When I was 13 I got to go back to Oklahoma and I received an Indian name. It's a pretty special one being the son of one of the greatest Indian chiefs to lead the tribe. His name was, "Bau Daigh" which means, "Warrior coming over the hill." I have it tattoo'd on me now." - Wondo
VATRENI || THE BLAZERS || NO FILTER || our friends@mixologi check in with us earlier today from the historic city of Pula, Croatia. Matt, Dub, and Brady are not the type to do anything half-speed, clearly, and jumped right in at Old City Bar Pula with the locals before making the hike over to the ancient Pula amphitheater - Croatian for a day - to support the #Hrvatzka agains the highly vaunted #Selecao of Brazil. You gotta appreciate these Bay Area natives and NYC transplants celebrating the culture of the countries they visit on their #MixologiWorldCup tour, as we continue to show the love of the World Cup not just in Brazil, but beyond.
PELOURINHO || THE NIGHT BEFORE || NO FILTER || our friend @kendrasakuda checks in from the central plaza of Pelourinho earlier today, named for the Portuguese Colonial Period "whipping post" - "Pillory" in Portuguese. Founded in 1549, it was the location of the first slave market in the Americas. The city now stands as a monument to all-things Afro-Caribbean, a joyous celebration of a culture born out of real hardship, and now a representation of a new multi-cultural Brazil. There is no better embodiment of this sentiment than the make-up of the #Selecao itself, made up of players of many different skin colors and heritages, now yellow and green instead of black and white, and above all else - Brasilero.
DOCTOR SOCRATES || Easily recognizable for his beard and headband, Sócrates became the symbol of cool for a whole generation of football supporters in the 70's and 80's. Alongside a reputation as a heavy drinker and partier, Socrates became a licensed doctor of medicine during his playing career and went on to write in newspapers and magazines not only about sports, but politics and economics as well. || "Machiavelli claimed that it is better to be feared than loved, but this is a choice the Seleçao doesn't have to make. She is feared and loved. Feared by opponents on the field and loved by anyone who loves football. In Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East, wearing a shirt of the Brazilian team doesn't even indicate that you are Brazilian, just that you love football." - Socrates
OFF DAY || NOFILTER || there may be no games today, in fairness, a nice break to build anticipation for two giant South American clashes tomorrow, but the game in Brazil never stops. Here we catch our friend @2jeniso showing off some skills on the beach near Salvador from her trip with her friends from #baytobrazil14 recently. || Tomorrow can't come soon enough!