Professional soccer is at a standstill in preparation for the start of the World Cup on Friday, but fans are gearing up for the games, especially in communities with rich soccer traditions.

In Brooklyn, love of the game is often mixed with pride and nostalgia about the teams in countries the fans left behind.

The mood was muted at Tabern Salvadoreno on 32nd Street and Fourth Avenue in Sunset Park last week, as Hispanic fans played pool and discussed the upcoming World Cup, which takes place in Germany this year. A repeat of a game between Russia and Spain flickered in the background but the most pressing subject was the upcoming matches.

Leo Hernandez, a 28 year-old cell phone salesman from Sunset Park, called soccer "an elegant and phenomenal sport." Originally from Columbia, he was let down when his country did not make it to the World Cup. So he's supporting Brazil, the 2002 champions, popularly seen as the front-runners for this year's crown. "They have the best and most highly paid players in the world," he said in Spanish.

Edgar Pineda also does not have a national team in the competition. His native land, El Salvador, is "very poor in soccer," the 38 year-old carpenter admitted. "It's very difficult." Pineda is supporting Costa Rica, because it's "the only team we have from Central America," he said with a grin.

The Salvadoran team "has worked so hard," echoed Juan Lopez, 46, the co-owner of Tabern Salvadoreno. Because of the civil war, "so many of us had to leave our home country. And so, the soccer suffered." Since 1992, when El Salvador's civil war ended, the country is slowly repairing itself, Lopez said, and one sign of vitality is its soccer team.

Lopez, the owner and director of the Salvadoreno League, which has fielded 24 teams in Red Hook for the last 15 years, said he was born into soccer. He is still moved when he watches the opening ceremonies of "La Mundial" - the World Cup, which is the most popular sporting event in the world.

"One's ambition is to see each World Cup," Lopez said. "Because it's the best teams in the world."

Having no home team to watch, he too is backing Brazil. He is expecting a big crowd to watch the matches on the wide-screen TV in his tavern. All of the games will be shown live in the United States.

Gerardo Onofre has already checked to see if his work schedule conflicts with the times when Mexico, his home team, plays. He will have to miss one match but is pleased he can see at least two others. In Mexico, "during the World Cup, no one works," the 23-year-old car wash attendant said. "Here, we all have to work."

Like the others in the Tabern, he was pragmatic about his team's long run chances. "Look, I go for Mexico 100%," he said. "But I don't think they will go to the finals." Onofre also predicted that Brazil would win again. "Brazil is the only country that knows how to play soccer," he said, prompting a chorus of indignant "Hey!"s from the other bar patrons. Onofre might consider stopping up the street to La Campirana restaurant on 4010 Fifth Avenue, which is also expecting big and enthusiastic crowds for the televised games.

The manager, Candido Munoz, is giving away green T-shirts that say, "Si, Se Puede [Yes, You Can,] Mexico," echoing both the slogan of recent immigration reform demonstrations in the U.S., and the hopes of soccer fans for their teams in every country of the world.