why do these soccer players only have one name?

[arniesarmy]

Of the five guys mentioned in this four-paragraph first story from AP, four only have one game. Like Fred and Oscar the most.


SAO PAULO (AP) — Neymar gave Brazil a winning start to its home World Cup, scoring twice to lead the host nation to a 3-1 come-from-behind victory over Croatia in the opening game on Thursday.
Brazil had a disastrous start when defender Marcelo found his own net while trying to clear a low cross by Ivica Olic in the 11th minute, but Neymar then showed why the nation’s high hopes are all pinned on him.
The 22-year-old forward equalized in the 29th by clearing a defender near midfield before making a run toward the edge of the area and firing a low shot that hit the post before going in.
Brazil was then awarded a disputed penalty in the 71st minute after striker Fred went down inside the area under light contact, and Neymar scored the winner from the spot. Oscar slotted in the third in injury time.

 

[slapshot]

Affectionate familiarity in Brazil is for everyone from the kid next door all the way up to the country's president.

"We don't use the last names," said Lyris Wiedemann, a native of Porto Alegre, Brazil, who is now director of the Portuguese language program at Stanford in the United States. "It reflects a trait in the culture that's more personalised. We care about the person, and the person is not the family name. It's who they are."

It's why no one knows Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite as anything but Kaka. Why one player on Brazil's 2006 team was called, simply, Fred. And why Edson Arantes do Nascimento is just some guy until you realise he's Pele.

"Through the ages, people have been known by their first names or their nicknames," said Alex Bellos, author of "Futebol, the Brazilian Way of Life." "They're seen as slightly charming and Brazilians are quite proud of it. You can see it from the football team."

The use of first names and nicknames stems from Brazil's days as a Portuguese colony. In the Portuguese tradition, Wiedemann said many people have four names: their given name, which is often two to include a saint's name; the mother's last name; and then the father's.

 

[JakeT.]

Stars down there usually go by one name. First, their names are long. Second, it's better for marketing. Some Brazilian MMA fighters are more widely known in the USA by their nicknames than by their real names.

Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior
Marcelo Vieira da Silva Júnior
Oscar dos Santos Emboaba Júnior
Frederico Chaves Guedes

 

[2PLAYSMAX]

Most of the one name guys we hear often are stars in their countries.

Neymar
Rooney
Ronaldo

We aren't too different here in the US with the brand name stars.

Lebron, Peyton, Brady, Kobe...

 

[arniesarmy]

Good point.

Most of the one name guys we hear often are stars in their countries.

Neymar
Rooney
Ronaldo

We aren't too different here in the US with the brand name stars.

Lebron, Peyton, Brady, Kobe...