FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Tom Brady has nothing to worry about, but Stephen Gostkowski, the New England Patriots kicker, might.
Brazil's national team didn't look much like quarterbacks when players 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 field house, nailed 50-yarders.
The stress-free atmosphere highlights that fact that the game Wednesday night between Brazil and Mexico is an exhibition. Brazil's next game will be its World Cup qualifying opener, at Colombia on Oct. 16.
"We're going to prepare for this game seriously and we hope to be leaving here with one more victory," said Ronaldinho, the FIFA player of the year in 2004 and 2005.
Top-ranked Brazil, coming off a 4-2 victory against the United States on Sunday, 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, winning 2-0 in the first round of the Copa America in June following a 1-0 victory during the Confederations Cup in 2005. Mexico is 6-1-2 in its past nine meetings with Brazil.
"Playing against Brazil gives us extra motivation," said defender Rafael Marquez, Ronaldinho's Barcelona teammate.
Mexico won't start World Cup qualifying until June, yet Marquez said it's important for the team to jell 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 18-year-old forward Giovani Dos Santos, 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 this year at the Under-20 World Cup.
