Framingham mourns Brazilian soccer players killed in plane crash … – The Boston Globe

The British Aerospace 146 short-haul plane, operated by a charter airline named LaMia, which had left from Santa Cruz, Bolivia, was transporting the Chapecoense soccer team to the Jose Maria Cordova airport in Medellin, Colombia.

A Brasileira radio is devoting its morning broadcast to coverage of the plane crash, she said.

Paixao said the community takes tremendous pride in soccer, and the loss of almost an entire team is too much to take.

“I don’t personally know anyone [from the team], but I have felt as though I have lost members of my family,” she said.

The team from southern Brazil had started its journey in Sao Paulo, and it was scheduled to play Wednesday in the first of a two-game Copa Sudamericana final against Atletico Nacional of Medellin.

Reverend Volmar Scaravelli, who is from the team’s home city, had been following the team’s progress. He described the team’s fan base as a tight-knit community, comparing enthusiasm for the team to that for the Boston Red Sox.

“I woke up this morning. I didn’t believe it,” said Scaravelli.

He said his first thought was for his nephew back in Brazil, a local businessman who built the team’s home soccer field and is close to many members of the team.

Scaravelli worried his nephew might have been on the plane, but he called him and learned he hadn’t traveled with the team this week.

Scaravelli is pastor of St. Tarcisius Parish in Framingham, which ministers to the local Brazilian community. On a regular Sunday, about 1,000 parishioners attend Mass, he said, but this weekend’s services could draw many more as a result of the crash.

“The only thing we can do now is pray for the families,” he said.

At Party Flowers on Concord Street, owner Roberto Gaseta said his customers have been discussing the sad news of the plane crash all morning.

Gaseta is originally from Sao Paulo, and watched his team beat the Chapecoense team Sunday, 1-0. But as the Chapecoense team was set to play an upcoming game against a team from Colombia on Wednesday, he said all Brazilians were supporting the Chapecoense squad.

“When they go play another country, we consider that Brazil. That is Brazil playing,” said Gaseta.

Now with the loss of most of the Chapecoense team, Brazil’s soccer community is paying tribute. Gaseta said his team from Sao Paulo is asking Brazil’s soccer authorities to allow them to wear the fallen team’s uniforms at an upcoming game.

“It was a very good team,” said Gaseta. “And it was very tragic.”