When FC Dallas signed World Cup-winning midfielder Denilson last month, no current FCD player was happier with the addition than 19-year-old striker Ricardinho, a fellow Brazilian. And since the savvy veteran has joined the Hoops, he and his countryman are often seen joking around after practice, making it clear that a close friendship is developing between the two South Americans.
After training on Wednesday, Denilson scooped up a big bundle of ice and was about to throw it at Ricardinho when the young Brazilian ducked out of the way. And when Denilson was being interviewed by reporters, Ricardinho was listening intently. The same went on when he was answering questions for the media with Denilson in tow.
FCD head coach Steve Morrow has definitely noticed the burgeoning friendship between his two Brazilians.
"I thought they were brothers, were they not?" Morrow joked. "They're getting on very well both on and off the field. It's natural when a new player comes into the team and his fellow countrymen tend to rally around him a little bit.
"It's good for Ricardinho because he's a young guy and Denilson is an experienced player. We want Denilson to pass on his experience to players like him and other young guys on the team as well. I think they can all benefit from his experience and knowledge."
While Ricardinho has been with the club off and on since the start of the season, following a preseason match against partner team Clube Atletico Paranaense, he was just added to the roster in late July. Denilson made his MLS debut on Sept. 1.
But it hasn't taken long for Denilson to begin to mentor his young teammate and friend.
"He's a young player still," he said. "He's a player who with time will become a good player. You can tell that he has a lot of qualities and feels comfortable playing with both feet. The experience that he's going to gain by playing in the United States will serve him well in his future."
When FCD signed Denilson, Ricardinho admits that his new teammate was someone he grew up idolizing in Brazil.
"Yes, I did know of him in 1998 and in 2002," he said. "We all got to see the skills that he had. He was young when he was able to take his football to Europe. The similarity is that now I have the opportunity to take my football overseas as well."
For the 19-year-old striker, playing with Denilson is a dream come true, a response that elicited clapping from the World Cup winner.
"I never imagined it would happen but I did dream of playing with him," Ricardinho said. "I was always a fan of spectacular players like Denilson, Ronaldo and guys like that. My family was also a very big fan of Denilson and of watching him play. It's obviously a great opportunity for me to be a teammate of his here at FC Dallas."
It's also something Denilson has quickly latched on to.
"I see him as a friend," he said. "There are things that I have lived by being in different locker rooms that I can share with him. I can share my positive experiences with him and also help him to not make the same mistakes that I did."
Ricardinho agreed. "We're always together," he said. "As you see us now joking around, that's how we are off the field as well. We play video games and go to eat whether it's at my house or his house. I am happy everyday to be a member of FC Dallas and being teammates with Denilson is part of that."
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
