FRAMINGHAM — Eduardo Ribeiro is a lifelong Brazilian soccer fan — he was named after a soccer star who represented the South American country in two World Cups.
“I was a fan before I was born,” the software engineer said during his lunch break Tuesday at Terra Brasilis Restaurant on Union Avenue.
So when his wife told him that a plane carrying a popular Brazilian soccer team had crashed on its way to Colombia for a game, killing 71 people, he thought she wasn’t serious.
Craig F. Walker/globe staff
Ilma Paixao, general manager of Air Brasileira radio station.
“I can’t believe it,” he said, still trying to accept the loss.
On Monday, a British Aerospace 146 short-haul plane operated by a charter airline was transporting the Chapecoense soccer team to a match against a team in Colombia when it crashed into a hillside, leaving only a few survivors.
News of the crash shook soccer fans both around the world and in Framingham, whose deep-rooted Brazilian community had followed the team’s Cinderella rise as it prepared to play Wednesday in the first of a two-game Copa Sudamericana final against Atletico Nacional of Medellin, Colombia.
“Soccer in Brazil, there is just no other sport like it,” said Ribeiro.
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Pedro Santiago, a worker at Tango Pizza on Hollis Street, described the crash as a national tragedy for Brazil. He said he was shocked when he turned on television and saw the news.
“The whole team is gone. It’s like losing the Patriots,” said Santiago. “There’s no words.”
Roberto Gaseta, the owner of Party Flowers in Framingham, roots for a team from his hometown of Sao Paulo. But as the Chapecoense team was set to play its next game against a team from Colombia, he said all Brazilians were supporting the Chapecoense players.
“When they go play another country, we consider that Brazil. That is Brazil playing,” said Gaseta.
Now the Sao Paulo team has asked Brazil’s soccer authorities to allow them to wear the fallen team’s uniforms in tribute during an upcoming game, said Gaseta.
News of the crash dominated the morning broadcast for A Brasileira, as hosts reported on developments and encouraged fans to call in, said Ilma Paixão, general manager of the Framingham radio station. She called the local Brazilian community “almost numb” after the news of the crash.
Framingham has about 6,000 residents who were born in Brazil, according to US Census figures, and many others with family ties to the country. About 60,000 natives of Brazil live in Massachusetts.
On Tuesday afternoon, between 30 and 40 people gathered at the Consulate General of Brazil in Boston for a moment of silence to honor the beloved soccer players.
Glivãnia Maria Deoliveira, who heads the consulate, led a vigil in Portuguese, encouraging a moment of silence and prayer in front of the Brazilian flag. The mourners carried green candles to honor those who have been lost.
“We love soccer. Our kids love soccer. . . . It’s a piece of ourselves in a way that has been taken away by this tragedy,” Deoliveira said after the vigil. “These are members of the Brazilian community, we have a huge community here, and everybody is really in tears today and with a heavy heart.”
Raul Arboleda/AFP/Getty Images
Rescuers gestured near the wreckage of a plane crash that left 76 people dead in Colombia Tuesday. Among the plane’s passengers were members of a Brazilian soccer team headed to a tournament in Medellin.
Paixão, who attended the vigil, said people everywhere are experiencing heartache.
“It is an international tragedy,” Paixão said. “You don’t need to be from the country or cheer for that particular team to think that this is an unforgettable moment.”
The Rev. Volmar Scaravelli, who is from the Chapecoense team’s home city, described their 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.
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.
Solange Moura, owner of the Tropical Cafe on Hollis Street, said the Brazilian soccer world was working to deal with the loss — already, several teams were going to reassign players to help constitute a new lineup to replace the lost team.
But for now, thoughts among fans here and in Brazil was with the families of the players who died, she said.
“It’s going to take some time to recover,” said Moura. “Time is the only remedy.”
