How to distract yourself before your World Cup debut? Brazilian players found a recipe to relieve pressure and spend their free time in the United States: ping pong championships, videogames and one formula 1 simulator.
The athletes of the Brazilian team found in this routine a way to soften the weight of a great responsibilitythat of a country with more than 200 million inhabitants that dreams of a sixth world titlethe first since 2002.
The players coached by Carlo Ancelotti are entertained by a series of activities at the exclusive The Ridge Hotel in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, where they plan to stay for the majority of what they expect to be an extended stay in North America.
The first stop on the complicated path towards the coveted sixth will be this Saturday (13), in East Rutherford, New Jersey, against Morocco by Achraf Hakimi, semi-finalist in Qatar 2022 and current African champion.
“When we return to the hotel and finish lunch, some go straight to the video game, others to the trick. We even have an F1 simulator inside. And there is also a ping-pong championship going on”, declared striker Raphinha in a press conference on Wednesday (10).
Shielding the youngest
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) set up a leisure room for playerswhere there is a F1 simulator, other video games and one geek (foosball), among several other entertainment options, a source from the entity told AFP.
“When they play truco, there’s that shouting,” said the player with a laugh.
The midfielder Casemiroone of the captains, is one of the best in Counter-Strikea shooter and strategy game, he added.
Some more experienced athletes even go as far as do physiotherapy sessions in their free time, concentrating in the afternoon and evening after training in the morning.
“Each one has a slightly different routine,” added Raphinha, one of Ancelotti’s main offensive assets.
Players can use their cell phones and access social networks, although the accounts of many of them are managed by press officers.
“The more experienced people try to make them [os mais jovens] use less social media. Even so as not to create expectations or be frustrated by what is said. We try to shield what comes from outside”, explained the Barcelona star.
Restricted visits
By order of the Italian coach, who will make his debut as a coach in a World Cup, the players cannot receive visits from family and friends during the concentrationexcept on days off. After the debut game, this moment is expected to be the day after the match.
Athletes can leave the hotel, but must return at the time defined by the technical committee.
The dynamic is very similar to that experienced by the team that won Brazil its fourth title in the USA in 1994, former player Zinho told AFP.
“We didn’t have internet, we didn’t have a cell phone, so it was just fun, games, ping-pong, card games, watching movies. There were other types of options, it was better”, said the now sports commentator.
Located on a plateau surrounded by trees, the Ridge Hotel is a luxury lodging of 6,400 square meters and 173 rooms. It is reserved entirely for the Brazilian team, which decorated some sectors with motivational images and the colors green, yellow and blue.
“The hotel offers privacy and all the comfort for a peaceful preparation. We will have everything necessary to do a good job at the World Cup”, said Ancelotti in January, after choosing this accommodation.
The entrance to The Ridge Hotel is surrounded by police, with vehicles in the nearby areas.
