Fluminense | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Day Two – Sunday, July 28, 2013
The group arrived in Rio de Janeiro just after 8am local
time. We were moved through customs in a matter of minutes and made our way to
the Fluminense training facility.
One of the benefits of the Pope giving mass on the Copa
Cabana was over a million people were on the beach and not on the roads. Unfortunately, it made for a mess for our
parents who are staying at a hotel literally across the street from where mass
was held.
The club is largely shutdown on Sundays, but was very
accommodating for us. We are staying at
the old First Division hotel that now serves to host players who are invited to
the club for a trial. If a player makes
the youth program he is transferred to their youth facility, which is very
similar to our U-17 residency program in Bradenton, FL).
The facilities (lodging, meals, training, equipment) are
fantastic. Players are bunked two in a
room with a television in each room and shared restroom facilities on the
floor.
The players and coaches were checked in and the parents
boarded the bus toward the Hotel Debret . After a “short” meeting the players
and coaches boarded the club bus to the Fluminense youth facility just a couple
blocks away and ate lunch with the Fluminense players who hadn’t gone home for
the day.
After a nap back at the hotel, we returned to the youth
facility for training. The club has
provided each player with a training uniform to wear for the day to be turned
in, washed and returned the following day.
The session comprised of a dynamic technical warm-up,
Barcelona three-team possession game and 8v8 play. Frankly, for several kids it was simply a way
to keep them awake.
After dinner at the facility, the boys were bussed back to
the hotel and given free time in the swimming pool or playing cards, table
tennis, snooker, foosball or watching TV.
Lights out at 10pm.
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