Dribbling becomes a sin in Brazil soccer

One of the most abiding moments of the 2002 World Cup was Brazilian winger Denilson taking the ball into the corner and dribbling around in a circle chased by half the Turkey team.
Brazil were leading 1-0 in the semifinal with seconds left and commentators and fans went wild with delight, hailing Denilson's irreverence and cheeky skills as a classic piece of Brazilian play. Yet when Brazilian players are on the wrong end of similar trickery, they fail to see the funny side.

Had Denilson tried a similar trick in his homeland, there is a good chance his antics would have provoked a brawl and it is even possible the game would not have finished. Incredibly, for a country that produced players such as Garrincha and Pele, dribbling is often considered a provocative humiliation of an opponent, a breach of fair play and even an insult to the victim's manhood. Ten days ago, Corinthians players bitterly criticized Palmeiras midfielder Jorge Valdivia for dribbling too much during a derby against them. Valdivia, a Chilean international, inspired Palmeiras to a 3-0 win and afterwards received a thinly-veiled warning from Corinthians coach Emerson Leao. "I'm worried about what might happen to him in the future because he has technique but he exaggerates," said Leao after his team had taken it in turns to kick the Chilean. "I worried that something more serious might happen to him in the future."

Corinthians and Palmeiras share a bitter rivalry -- it can only take a few Oles from the crowd to spark trouble -- and have already provided an extreme example of what can happen. Back in 1999, the sides met to decide the Paulista championship in a two-leg final. With Corinthians enjoying a three-goal aggregate lead and only a few minutes to play, forward Edilson decided it was time for some famed Brazilian trickery and nonchalantly began playing keepy-uppy in midfield.