Nearly-man of Brazil has eyes on more Paris glory
Monday, May 4, 1998
Raimundo Souza Vieira de Oliveira has five weeks left to prove that he can, in the closing stages of his career, step out from beneath the long shadow of his elder brother.
All Brazil hopes he can and Rai - as he is known - believes he will. Evidence was available from the way he shrugged off jet leg to inspire Paris Saint-German to a 2-1 victory over league leaders Lens in the French cup final on Saturday. Elder brother Socrates was a hero of the 1980s. He was voted South American Footballer of the Year, he captained the national team and, by qualifying as a doctor, he earned a new respect for footballers in South America.
Younger brother Rai has never enjoyed the same adulation. He was twice a world and South American club champion with Sao Paulo but never communicated with the fans in the same way as his brother.
Supporters' doubts reached a crescendo in the 1994 World Cup when Rai lost form and was dropped in favour of the workhorse Mazinho midway through Brazil's cup-winning campaign.
Rai returned to France, where he has played for PSG since 1992, resigned to his fate as the nearly man of Brazilian football. Then, this spring, after two years as an outcast, he was recalled to the Brazilian ranks because of Juninho's broken leg.
'This is my last chance,' he said. Unfortunately, his chance coincided with Brazil's worst performance in six years, their 1-0 home defeat last Wednesday by Argentina. But Rai flew back to France for the cup final determined to prove the value of local knowledge.
On Saturday, in front of an 80,000 crowd in thepthe Stade de France where Brazil will open the World Cup against Scotland on June 10, Rai set out to prove his point by scoring the opening goal after 25 minutes and going on to lead PSG to their fifth cup and third in six years.
Rai leaves Paris this summer to return to Brazil. As he said on Saturday night, looking back at the Stade de France: 'This is a great place to play football. I hope I get the chance to come back in June. I think there's another cup waiting for me.'
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