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Soccer/Football Column: Brazil like the New York Yankees (Baseball) of soccer

By NANCY ARMOUR, AP National Writer1 hour, 37 minutes ago

The samba dancers shimmied and shook with an abandon only they can pull off, the space between them as tiny as the woman's bright bikini. Beside them, drummers laughed and yelled encouragement, sending the steam factor a few degrees higher.

Suddenly, the quiet playground became a sultry Rio street ? and ogling Germans could hardly disguise their envy. On the soccer field and off, the Brazilians have a way about them that everybody appreciates and nobody comes close to duplicating.

And like any megastars, the Brazilians have groupies. An entire nation full, and then some.

Even German fans, who boast a strong World Cup team of their own, wear the yellow and green of Os Canarinhos, the Little Canaries.

"Brazil is the second team of all the people in the world," said midfielder Gilberto Silva, noting that a country naturally cheers its own team first ? and then Brazil. "The different countries, they love the way we play."

And they way they dance. And they way they party.

In Brazil, soccer is jogo bonito, the beautiful game. It is on the beach, in the alleys, on pitches surrounded by moats so fans can't storm the field.

The country has a record five World Cup titles, including two of the last three, and is an overwhelming favorite to make it six when the tournament ends next month in Berlin.

But it's not simply the trophy case stash that distinguishes Brazil. Even their names are distinctive.

There's Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, not to be confused with Robinho or Roberto Carlos. Or even Kaka.

The English may have invented soccer, but the Brazilians have it in their souls.

"It's like a religion," said Vera Hoss, a resident of Rio de Janeiro and leader of one of the tour groups bringing thousands of Brazilians to Germany. "We've got Carnival, the samba. And we have football."

Brazil plays with unrivaled grace and fluidity, its games often unfolding more like works of art than mere sport. Even a simple warm-up drill can be mesmerizing.

Waiting to start practicing Saturday afternoon, Ronaldo and a few others played a casual game of keep away. The rest of the players soon joined in, and they hooted and hollered any time Ronaldinho had the ball, his masterful footwork flustering those who tried to take it away.

There's an undeniable swagger to the Brazilians. Not arrogance, but a confidence that comes with knowing they are the best at what they do. Call it soccer samba.

When they arrived for practice, their walk to the locker room was more of a saunter. Ronaldo was so relaxed he appeared to be heading for the pool instead of the pitch ? and this was after his squabble with Brazil's president about his weight.

"There will always be a lot of hype around the national team everywhere it goes," Ronaldo said. "It has most of the top players in the world today."

Brazil has always had great players, from Pele to Carlos Alberto, Garrincha to Romario. Today, Brazil is so loaded with talent it makes the New York Yankees look like an expansion team.

Ronaldinho has won the last two world player of the year titles, while Ronaldo scored eight goals at the last World Cup. That's one more than the entire U.S. team, though the Americans did play two fewer games.

Kaka is one of the best midfielders in all Europe, while Cafu, Roberto Carlos and Adriano are all-stars. Off the bench, there's Cicinho, Gilberto Silva and Robinho, who's among the early favorites for best young player in the tournament.

Brazil is so strong it could field two teams at the World Cup and they just might meet in the final. The country oozes so much talent, there are five Brazilian-born players playing for other countries, including respected soccer nations Mexico and Portugal.

"Like the United States is for basketball, Brazil is for soccer: a Dream Team," said Antonio Gomes, a Brazilian who came to Germany with about 40 of his friends. "Brazil right now is the star of the championship."

Between 400 and 500 reporters watch every practice, which are broadcast live in Brazil. Though the practice field here is obscured by green mesh, dozens of fans still show up. Some bring stools or chairs to see over the mesh, a few even scale the fence for a better view. Still more wait outside, hoping to catch a glimpse of their favorites when the team bus comes and goes.

The 45,000 tickets for their pre-Germany training camp in Switzerland sold out despite costing $18 each. When Brazil had its open practice in Offenbach, near its training base outside Frankfurt, more than 22,000 people came.

The scene in Cologne is even wilder. The city with the largest Brazilian population in Germany is the fan base for the World Cup. More than 7,000 fans from Brazil are expected, many of whom paid about $9,000 for packages that included airfare, hotel and tickets through the first round.

"I want to watch Ronaldo play, Ronaldinho play. All of them," Sao Paolo resident Juliano Penha said when asked why he spent so much to come so far for such a short time.

Though Brazil's first game isn't until Tuesday night, the Brazilians are already making their presence known. Walk down any street in Cologne and you'll soon come across a group festooned with the team's colors, sporting the flag in every way possible. Tank tops. T-shirts. Bandanas. Purses. Bracelets. Necklaces.

They greet each other with cheers and waves. Even fans from other countries can't help but appreciate their exuberance. Gomes and his friends drew smiles and occasional applause as they walked through downtown Cologne on Sunday morning, a party of 10 strong tooting horns and chanting, "Bra-zil! Bra-zil!"

That's the other beauty about Brazil. Like the Yankees, they have a following that stretches far beyond their borders.

In Cologne, department store mannequins were dressed in Brazil clothes and colors. Brazilian flags waved at nearly every hotel. Billboards feature a man in a Germany jersey wrapping his arms around a man in a Brazil jersey.

In Munich, where Germany opened the World Cup on Friday night, the decorations on one store front were split right down the middle: half for Germany, the other half for Brazil. During that open practice in Offenbach, a German boy darted onto the field to get Ronaldinho's autograph.

Ronaldinho not only cooperated, he sheltered the boy from security guards by hiding him behind his legs.

"We're kind of like the Beatles," said Rodrigo Paiva, Brazil's press officer. "Only we have to score goals."

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Bana Hates the NYYankees ... Bana is a NYMets Fan and totally disagree ? I think they are more like Chicago Bulls with MJordan, More like SF 49ers with Joe Montana or Dallas Cowboys with Emmitt Smith ? Montreal Canadian (Hockey) or Edmonton Oilers with Wayne Gretsky ?.