Brazil, Mexico ready for friendly, but serious match
By Ken MaguireAssociated PressAdvertisement
Tom Brady has nothing to worry about, but Stephen Gostkowski, the New England Patriots kicker, might.
Brazil's national team members didn't look much like quarterbacks when they playfully lined up as American football players on Gillette Stadium's wet practice field Tuesday, but they booted soccer balls through the uprights from 35 yards out with ease.
Their Mexican counterparts, inside the Gillette Stadium fieldhouse, nailed 50-yarders.
The stress-free atmosphere highlights that fact that Wednesday night's Brazil-Mexico match is friendly. But players on both sides said they're also here to win.
"We're going to prepare for this game seriously and we hope to be leaving here with one more victory," said Ronaldinho, FIFA player of the year in 2004 and 2005 who led Brazil to a 4-2 victory over the United States on Sunday.
Brazil is in the midst of a streak of 28 consecutive road international games that won't end until Oct. 20, its first home qualifier for the 2010 World Cup. Ronaldinho, who plays for Barcelona, wasn't complaining. Close to 60,000 tickets have been sold for Wednesday.
"It's a great privilege to play here in the States," he said. "It's very exciting to play out here in front of such a large crowd."
Mexico hasn't lost to Brazil in three years, beating them 2-0 in the first round of the Copa America in June, after a 1-0 victory during the Confederations Cup in 2005.
"Playing against Brazil gives us extra motivation," said defender Rafael Marquez, a Barcelona teammate of Ronaldinho.
Marquez was called in along with defenders Israel Castro, Edgar Mejia and Fausto Pinto and midfielder Fernando Arce after Mexico defeated Panama 1-0 Sunday in an exhibition match that was abandoned after the first half because of heavy rain in Puebla, Mexico.
Marquez said it's important for the team to jell right now.
"For us it's a new team, young players," he said. "This is more or less going to be the base of the team as we start preparing for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers."
Among the young players is forward Giovani Dos Santos, 18, who earned his first selection for a Mexican national team roster when he was chosen by coach Hugo Sanchez for the games against Panama and Brazil.
Dos Santos, son of Brazilian native and former Mexican league veteran Zizinho, was a key member of the Mexican team that won the Under-17 World Cup in 2005 and earned the Bronze Ball at this year's Under-20 World Cup.
"Its always important to play teams like this, like Brazil, with all their stars," said Dos Santos, who also plays for Barcelona.
Dos Santos said Ronaldinho is among his idols and that it is "a great honor" to possibly play against him.
Brazil, a five-time World Cup champion and the world's top-ranked team, is making its first appearance in Foxborough, and just its second in New England.
Kaka, who could be voted FIFA player of the year this year, is with the team but Brazil coach Dunga said he hasn't decided who will play Wednesday night. The team practiced for about an hour, the last half of which in a spirited scrimmage on a shortened field.
"Everybody can play," he said, but noted that he'll check players' conditions Wednesday before making final decisions. Some players were tired after playing in the heat Sunday in Chicago, he said.
Dunga also said he'll check the condition of the field, which is grass installed atop synthetic grass, before deciding who will play. It rained for most of Tuesday.
With last-minute ticket sales, the game could set a soccer attendance record at Gillette Stadium. The current record is 61,316, set at the 2002 MLS Cup, when the Los Angeles Galaxy beat the New England Revolution 1-0 in overtime. The stadium seats about 68,756.
Brazil's only other New England appearance was in a 2-0 victory over the United States on June 6, 1993, in New Haven, Conn. Mexico last played in Foxborough in 1997, a 2-2 draw with the United States in a World Cup qualifier.
