Day 2 of our expedition has arrived. The three teams, energetic and without jet lag, took a walk before having breakfast.
To prepare for the 20th Japan-Brazil Friendship Cup training and opening ceremony, we moved to the ZICO Center. The three teams started their training at 9:00 AM on the artificial turf within the facility. For about an hour and a half, they stretched, reviewed tactics, and played mini-games, working up a good sweat. Afterward, they participated in the opening ceremony.
At the opening ceremony, Zico-san gave an address, noting that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the Japan-Brazil Friendship Cup, making it a milestone tournament. He mentioned that many teams from Brazil and Japan have participated in the past, and through this international competition, approximately 50 players have gone on to become professionals. He passionately conveyed that every participating player has a chance to turn professional, but to do so, they must fight desperately. The players listened intently. During the tournament, about 11 matches will be broadcast, and updates can be seen on Facebook and other platforms.
Afterward, IDs were distributed to all participating players and staff.
Finally, Zico-san mentioned that former players have taken home the trophies displayed there, and he encouraged everyone to do their best starting tomorrow with the aim of taking all of them home.
After lunch, we went to watch a professional match. It was a valuable experience to witness a fulfilling game with a different atmosphere from Japan, including the stadium's ambiance and the passionate support from the fans.
We returned to the hotel for dinner, and each of the three teams held a meeting.
Tomorrow's match schedule:
9:00 AM
Norte Team vs. São Carlos
10:45 AM
Kashima Team vs. Bangu
4:00 PM
Tsukuba Team vs. Santos
