Something odd was happening at the Hong Kong Coliseum. More than 10,000 fans, many waving Brazil’s auriverde flag, had shown up expecting to see the fast-paced, high-powered South American squad that had alternately danced around and bulldozed through the competition during their run to the final of the 1992 FIFA Futsal World Championship. Brazil had won the inaugural competition three years earlier, and they looked likely to repeat. The defending champs had eviscerated the competition in Hong Kong, defeating Costa Rica 15-1, The Netherlands 6-1, Argentina 5-1, and mighty Spain 4-1 in the semifinal. Through seven matches, coach Takao’s side, led by eventual tournament most valuable player Jorginho and his all-tournament teammate Manoel, boasted a plus-34 goal differential. The only thing remaining was an inevitable victory in the final.



But when the match started, the Brazilians didn’t attack. They sat back, waiting and reacting to their opponents. It was...