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Obama gets jersey from Brazil's Lula

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-07-10 10:13

US President Barack Obama seemed pleased with the gift he received Thursday from Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, but it was bittersweet nonetheless.

US President Barack Obama holds a soccer jersey given to him by Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (R) before a round table session at the G8 summit in L'Aquila, Italy July 9, 2009. [Agencies]

Silva gave Obama, a big sports fan, an autographed yellow Brazilian soccer jersey at the start of their morning meeting at the G8 summit in Italy.

During their banter, which reporters partly heard through a translator, Silva spoke animatedly of the June 28 soccer match between the US and Brazilian national teams in the Confederations Cup series. The game was a crushing loss for the underdog Americans, who led at the midway point, 2-0, only to lose 3-2.

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Silva repeatedly said, "Yes we can," which was Obama's campaign catchphrase and apparently what the Brazilian president had in mind while his team trailed. Obama smiled gamely; if he felt Silva was rubbing it in a bit, he didn't let on.

"Hey, look at this," Obama said of the jersey, signed by the Brazilian team's players. "Beautiful. All right, wonderful. I like that."

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs later said Obama ended his 30-minute session with Silva by patting the Brazilian's back and vowing: "We will not lose a two-point lead again."