Day 4 – Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Game day!
The training grounds were in full use this morning. The
1993/1994 group started their day with fitness and never developed the training
session beyond 8v8 to one goal and a counter line. This groups plays far less full-sided soccer
than the younger teams.
The 1997/1998 group spends much of their time in modified
9v9-11v11 games to goal and the 1995/1996 players do a lot more possession-oriented
games and also rarely play to goal.
These groups finish with fitness.
All groups end with a static stretch with players carrying their own
mats to training for core work.
Our kids trained with one of the U15 coaches. The goalkeepers went with a Fluminense
goalkeeper coach. The attention to
detail and focus on our kids by the goalkeeper coach was tremendous.
The activities were all slight variations to sessions we run
at home. There is no magic to developing
– the more time spent on task the better a player will become. The rule of 10,000 hours exists worldwide!
A dozen Fluminense 1999’s mixed with our guys to finish with
an 8v8 + 6 bumpers to goal in a 30x30 space.
We are getting a more clear idea of the environment and
culture. The idea of residency was
previously lost in translation. The club
keeps approximately 35 players in each age group from the 2001’s to 1995’s with
another 30 in the combined 1993/1994 age groups. From these groups, nearly 100 players (mostly
top players from outside the area) live on campus with full room and board. The hotel we are staying in houses additional
players (some overflow, others on trial).
Most of these players are relocated when groups are brought in (ours
being the first apparently) or when the reserve team stays for a few days prior
to a match. It was the old First Team
pre-match facility, but has been replaced by 5-star hotels nearer the stadium in
today’s culture.
The local players live at home and get themselves to and
from training. Many players starting as
young as the 2001 group received a monthly salary, although they don’t sign
contracts with the club until they turn 16.
Training schedules:
2001 | 3 days/week after school from 3-5pm (currently on
break)
2000 | 3-4 days/week after school from 3-5pm (currently on
break)
1999-1996 | 5 days/week from 9-11:00am (special school in
the afternoon)
1995-1993 | 5-6 days/week from 9-11:30am
The 2001’s were brought back from their vacation to play our
group. The game was played in three
25-minute periods with each player playing in at least one full period. Fluminense lined the reserve field and
brought in a referee to make it more official.
It is an honor to play on this field.
We sincerely appreciate the hospitality the group has shown us.
The parent arrived from the Copa Cabana to watch the game
and had a few minutes with their kid after it ended. They watched the game from behind an enclosed
area with a fence on three sides and wall behind. Brilliant by the way!
The match went as expected with long periods of defending
mixed with short periods of possession and a few chances on goal. The difference in speed of play was readily
apparent. The Brazilian opportunities on
goal developed almost organically while our ability to cross midfield was
forced and ineffective.
In transition, our players’ first inclination is to dribble
into open space or turn first then dribble into open space until their final
touch is a tackle. The Brazilians look
to pass, often connecting multiple passes is a small area until switching the
field where they have a numerical advantage before going to goal with
numbers. Their possession allows a 4-4-2
formation to be played as a 2-4-4 committing as many as 6-7 players to goal. They dribble only to create chances on goal,
rarely taking players on in their defensive half.
Tomorrow – training and then Fluminense v. Cruzeiro at the
Maracana!
