Play To The Environment

[Kelleyy]

(Context is association football)
"Estonia played to the environment and won 2-0."

What is "play to the environment"? Is it "played advantage"?

[5jj]

(Context is association football)
"Estonia played to the environment and won 2-0."

What is "play to the environment"? Is it "played advantage"?

I, a native speaker, have no idea what either underlined expression means. I look forward to finding out.

[Kelleyy]

"All his life Sullivan played to the environment which was his heritage and in which he had matured."

[emsr2d2]

I'm none the wiser even with the second example.

[Kelleyy]

More context....

"His chosen walk of life would offer ample demonstration of the values inherent in the urban milieu he came from and, indeed, never left. All his life Sullivan played to the environment which was his heritage and in which he had matured."

[emsr2d2]

More context....

"His chosen walk of life would offer ample demonstration of the values inherent in the urban milieu he came from and, indeed, never left. All his life Sullivan played to the environment which was his heritage and in which he had matured."

Is he a musician?

[Kelleyy]

Typing the entire paragraph....

"He emerged as a complete product of the cult of masculinity, dissatisfied with the limited job opportunities open one of his ethnic background and education and at ease with the comforting and sustaining network of friendships, acquaintances,and admirers he found in the saloon. His chosen walk of life would offer ample demonstration of the values inherent in the urban milieu he came from and, indeed, never left. All his life Sullivan played to the environment which was his heritage and in which he had matured.But in 1880 no on could see if this chosen walk life would produce anything more than facial scars, scrambled brains, and trouble with the law. For the manly art was neither profession nor calling nor career. "

[emsr2d2]

OK, I think we need to know two things:

1) What is his chosen career?
2) What is the environment being talked about?

Perhaps with those two pieces of information we might be able to work it out.

[Kelleyy]

After artificially running up the post count to 10, here is the link of the source

[Kelleyy]

John L. Sullivan and His America - Michael T. Isenberg - Google Books