RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – The sounds of car horns, plastic trumpets and
fireworks filled the air Sunday as Brazil celebrated an unprecedented
fifth World Cup title.
Samba drums set thousands of beach goers dancing in their bathing suits
and yellow Brazil jerseys before a giant-screen TV set up on Rio de
Janeiro's Copacabana beach.
It hardly matter that the sun bleached the screen, making it hard to
follow the game.
Tears streaked the faces of teen-agers who painted their faces in
Brazil's national colors of green and yellow, and strangers hugged each
other amid cries of "Brazil! Brazil!" and "Five-time champion!"
"I'm so happy, it was difficult for the first half, but now I'm going to
party all week. I hope they declare tomorrow a holiday," said
15-year-old Monica Maia, while her family was busy jumping up and down
waving Brazilian flags.
Many churches opened late Sunday in honor of the game and many bars
stayed open all night, continuing service as the afternoon approached.
"My daughter is dating a German and even he was rooting for Brazil,"
said Maria Valeria Barbosa Barcelos as she bounced her 4-year-old
granddaughter, wearing a No. 9 Ronaldo shirt, up and down in her arms.
After a difficult qualifying run, Brazilians had been slow to get in the
World Cup spirit, but now they were making up for lost time.
The victory silenced even the staunchest of critics who had complained
about Brazil's game and strategy.
"Brazil won because of its individual talent, not because it has a
cohesive team," 51-year-old lawyer Jorge Ganem said. "But remember, this
is a young team, they still have two or three more Cups in them."
