Concordia-Moorhead Women's Soccer  Brazil Trip  Daily Journals

After breakfast we headed to the field for our practice. Bruno (one of the coaches from the BRUSA Academy) led us through the Brazilian warm-up. After the warm-up, we worked on corner kicks and set pieces to prepare for our first game. 

On our way back to the bus once practice was over we stopped in the community center next to the fields and watched a group of young boys play futsol. It was amazing to see such a large group of such talented young players. The pace of play was incredibly quick as they were playing on a gym floor and their touches and teamwork were very impressive. There were a number of boys watching the game and it was a quick look into their culture as their pride and love for the game of soccer was obvious. 

Once we got back to the hotel we found some time to enjoy the sun by the pool before we ate lunch. There are three pools at our hotel. One with a slide, one with a volleyball net and the other indoor. The indoor pool was really warm, the other two quite cold but it was a fun hour. 

We finished the first part of the day by having lunch. It consisted of rice, meat, beans, fruit, vegetables and fish. 

The whole team can't wait to play our first game. It will be very exciting to play against a team from another country - especially one with so much soccer history. 

We were greeted at the field by a group of locals that came to see us play. While they waited, they were playing small games of their own. That is one thing about this country that is different from the US, whenever there is a group of kids together they are usually playing a pick-up game of soccer.

Instead of playing two, 45-minute halves like we do for the college season, we played three, 30-minute periods. 

Before the first period both teams walked to the center of the field, carrying their countries flags to shake hands and say hi. It was exciting to be a part of a game where you were not only representing your school but also your country.

The first two periods were played against a mixture of girls that played on the U17 and U19 Paulista Futbol Club teams. 

We started out slow in the first 30-minute session, with a scoreless game, but we were in control for a majority of the time. 

In the second 30-minute period we picked it up, winning more 50-50 balls, controlling the game and managing to put a goal in the back of the net. 

Miriam (Lombardozzi) crushed a ball headed to her by Jessie (Jessie Rosenthal) past the keeper in the first 15 minutes of the game. 

The last 30-minute session we played the actual Paulista women's professional team. The play was much faster with the Paulista women controlling most of the game. We lost 3-0 but learned a lot by playing against such talented women. 

One difference between American and Brazilian soccer is that Americans are known for being much more aggressive and comfortable with rough play whereas the Brazilians are noted for their skill and precision. 

After the final period we talked with Brazilians for a bit, took pictures and then went back to the hotel for showers and dinner. 

Dinner was similar to lunch, meat, veggies, fruit and rolls were served. 

Following dinner we watched our game film from the three sessions against the Paulista teams. That ended about 9:00 p.m. and we were given the rest of the night to do as we pleased, but most of us are opting for an early night.

Hope all is well back in Moorhead,
Andi Purcell and Jessie Rosenthal 

The weather was absolutely gorgeous!! 

We then took a bus ride to Jundiai.  It took us about an hour and a half.  I tried to stay awake to take in the scenery, but eventually my lack of sleep caught up to me and I fell asleep - so did many of the other girls too (the bus was super duper comfortable, the seats totally reclined and were sooooo cushy).

When we arrived at our hotel, it was so beautiful.  It's not your typical hotel.  The roofs are like the roofs you see in movies. They're like U's only upside down.

They plants here are so cool, they're so green ;). There's a mini soccer field right here, as well as a volleyball court, a climbing wall and a pool with a water slide. There is also another pool with a volleyball net and a tennis court!! 

We got to have our first taste of Brazillian food when we ate breakfast -  yummm, yummm good. After we ate Dan (head coach Dan Weiler) let us take about a two-hour nap!! That was the end of our first morning in Brazil and I am very excited about all the things we will be doing. 

jill joo-mi amanda fancher

The hotel staff was excited to have us and even took OUR picture. 

After lunch, we took a 15-minute bus ride to our practice field. The field is in the middle of a nice residential area. I don't know what type of grass the practice surface was made up of, but it was very much like Bermuda grass, which makes the ball roll so much faster. 

In practice, we worked on keeping possession and getting our legs and bodies moving again. 

The weather was nice and hot. Kelly Ping got the award for having the most sweat on her shirt at the end of practice!

After two-and-half hours we called it quits and got on the bus to go back to the hotel. 

Right now we are showering and getting ready to go eat again. We will finish off our night with a presentation from BRUSA.

Abby

If you have any comments or would like to pass along best wishes to the team as they travel in Brazil, please e-mail the Concordia sports information department at: sid@cord.edu