DAY 12: 9 August 2009

Hello Iowa!

This morning the boys traveled by bus outside of Belo Horizonte to play Club America, our last game of the trip.  Club America’s is a lower division club than Atletico and Cruzeiro in terms of facilities and resources but a quality opponent nonetheless.  Club America assembled a very strong team that included a few 93 birth year players.  We came out on the short end, 7-0. 

We traveled back to the city center to take in Belo Horizonte’s large outdoor market, which occurs each Sunday morning and is a well-known city attraction. The boys made a few last purchases and then met at an open-air pizza restaurant for another good local meal.  The pizza is served by the slice from waiters who travel around the tables offering various types of pizza slices during the meal, with pizza toppings and combinations not typically found at home.  After the meal, we returned to the SESC grounds for the afternoon where the boys swam, played more peteca and relaxed in their rooms.  We traveled to a local mall for our evening meal and any last minute shopping. 

Our official activities ended this evening with a wrap-up group meeting led by Ian Bradley with comments by Ian about various aspects of the trip including the teams’ good overall performance on and off the field, a reminder of the lessons and education that the boys should draw from the trip, and an opportunity for each of the boys to comment on their most memorable moments from the trip.  The meeting was a good ending to an excellent tour.  

Tomorrow morning we pack up and head to the airport by noon. 

– Submitted by Brian Bergstrom

DAY 11: 8 August 2009

Hello Iowa!

With an off day from soccer the day started with a much appreciated chance to sleep! The coaches game/pickup game included Marcelo, his brother, Ian and Pat.  Originally the game was to be played within the SESC complex but due to scheduling issues and the fact that most of the participants were not guests of the complex, the game was moved offsite.

As such, and sadly, we have no photos of said event.  Truly a missed opportunity as Marcelo and his brother scored and we understand Ian and Pat played well in a 4-2 victory. 

The boys enjoyed some time at the pool and a chance to explore and enjoy our complex.

The early afternoon provided a chance for the team to board the bus and head off to support a local charity for disadvantaged children.  We were among over 1000 guests with a live band, food and plenty of socializing.  The boys have consistently been treated to “star status” arriving in a tour bus and being treated as special guests.

A quick trip to the mall allowed us to grab dinner at the food court, which has proven to be a very high quality, secure and appreciated destination.  

We headed back to the SESC complex for a good night’s rest prior to our last game of the tour.

– Submitted by Brian Bergstrom

DAY 10: 7 August 2009

Hello Iowa!

After a free day of culture and leisure, the boys were ready to take on another professional Brazilian club, this time Atletico Futbol Club.  The Atletico Complex sits high on the hill and features a large billboard proclaiming GALO, the team chant (rooster in English).  Having gained much experience and knowledge from the match against Cruzeiro, the team enlisted a much more conservative style of play.  We defended primarily in the defensive half of the field and relied on the counter attack and dead ball set pieces to supply goal scoring opportunities.

The tactics were effective, frustrating the Atletico attack and giving our boys more confidence as the game moved forward.  After Atetico took a 2-0 halftime lead, the Iowa team came back with two goals off set pieces.  The game proceeded with our boys on the offensive until the center referee “missed” an offside call, leading to a late and deciding goal for Atletico.  While the boys universally questioned the dodgy non-call, they came away with renewed confidence in their ability to play against very good international competition.

The day ended with a trip to one of Belo Horizonte’s nicest shopping malls, the Diamond Mall.  The boys visited the Atletico store across the street from the mall and stocked up on various Atletico garb.  Then, the team was free to shop and eat in the mall. We met back at the designated spot and returned home with renewed spirit for the last leg of our tour.

– Submitted by Brian Bergstrom

DAY 9: 6 August 2009

Hello Iowa!

Today was moving day.  After breakfast and a short film about the history and current status of the Cruzerio Club and another opportunity to watch the Cruzerio U20 and U17 team practices, we left the Cruzerio facility and headed back to SESC Venda Nova where we checked in and then boarded a spacious bus to head to Marcelo’s parents’ country home, about a 40 minute ride.

The country home is in a gated community and includes common open air meeting spaces, swimming pools, a fenced grass soccer pitch, and a poteika area.  Poeteka (sp?) is a cross between handball and badminton.  The boys started their visit with a barbeque prepared over an outdoor grill.  After a few soccer games that included chaperones, coaches and other members of the Serrano family, Ian organized a poeteka tournament by putting everyone on a two-person team.  The team of Austin Reutzel and Marcelo’s brother brought home the championship. 

The day included lots of laughs and fun moments in a very relaxing and beautiful environment, all thanks to the hospitality and welcoming talents of the Serrano family. After an evening meal, we hiked back down the long cobblestone drive to meet our personal bus and head back to SESC. 

– Submitted by Brian Bergstrom

DAY 8: 5 August 2009

Hello Iowa!

With a 10:00 am game, there was little time to rest before getting back in the saddle.  The boys played very well and came away with a 2-1 victory.  All smiles from the sidelines, as the opponent while quality was not at the level of the previous day.

The balance of the day included a lunch and rest and relaxation. A tactical walk-through at 3:00 broke up the afternoon prior to an early dinner.

We boarded the bus for the professional game at about 6:30.  We were treated very well, with a direct delivery to our gate.

The game was an experience most of us had not anticipated. Complete with armed military police and dogs guarding the field.  A very secure environment for the players, coaches and officials with a mote surrounding the infield completed the stage.

The Cruzeiro Club has not been winning and the 15-20,000 fans made a very small dent in the 90,000+ arena.  They did however cheer, sing, wave flags, and boo the officials like champions.

The game included 3 red cards (2 for the home squad) and a 0-2 loss for our hosts.  One interesting note; we were told that the various sections had attempted to utilize assigned seats in the past but have since given up on trying to maintain control of the fans.  They do not however sell alcohol at games any longer, as there have historically been some problems with fans getting out of control.

We sat with the Colorado College Soccer team that was arriving for a weeks training session at Cruzeiro. 

After capturing the moment with some closing photos it was off to the bus and back to the international hotel at Cruzerio.  A good day as the boys got back on the winning track and had a tremendous experience within the culture of Brazilian soccer.

- Submitted by Brian Bergstrom

DAY 7: 4 August 2009

Hello Iowa!

Today was a day filled with anticipation.  The boys were well rested and ready to compete against the National Champion Brazilian U16 team Cruzeiro.  Four of the players on the Cruzeiro team compete on Brazil’s National Team, and several of the players expect to sign professional contracts when they turn 16.  But first some culture.

We visited a lakeside area outside of the Cruzeiro Training facility.  Famous Brazilian architect Nehimiah, who is now about 100 years old, designed the Catholic Church on the lake and the adjacent Mineirao Stadium, the second largest stadium in Brazil.    After lunch, we visited the Cruzeiro Store where the kids spent some of your hard earned money on Cruzeiro gear.

At 2 pm, we boarded the bus for the Cruzeiro professional facility.  One of our guides on the bus was Ze Carlos, a decorated former Cruzeiro player, who played in more professional matches than any other Cruzeiro player.  Ze Carlos stuck around to watch the match.  In fact, when we arrived at the gated facility, it appeared that the match was much anticipated by many of the Cruzeiro coaches as well, who followed to spectate.  We were warmed up Brazilian style by own of the Cruzeiro coaches and ready for the opening whistle.

The Iowa boys soon learned how fast and skilled a player must be to play at a national level in Brazil, when, within the first minute of the match, a short square pass in the back was intercepted by the Cruzeiro striker and promptly placed squarely in the corner of the net.  The scoring and level of play would not decrease, as Cruzeiro staked themselves to a 5-0 lead at half and an 8-0 final.  The game marked a valuable and unforgettable learning experience for the Iowa ODP, Region II Champions:  No matter how good you are, there may always be someone better, so keep working to get to that level.  A lesson many of the boys talked about as we walked off of the field.

As we left the playing field, several of the professional Cruzeiro players were exiting their own training session and several of the boys were able to garner autographs or photos.  

In the evening, we went to another mall, this one more like Merle Hay Mall versus the Jordan Creek style we had experienced earlier.  Many of the boys snuck in some Subway, apparently craving some Americanized cuisine.  After our short mall stay, we boarded the bus and returned to Cruzeiro, a more humble, but wiser soccer group.

– Submitted by Brian Bergstrom

DAY 6: 3 August 2009

Hello Iowa!

No soccer today.  After breakfast at the Cruzerio Club, we traveled by bus for two hours out of the city to Ouro Preto, a historical city of about 40,000 people.  The city’s history ties to gold mining and is a very hilly city with narrow cobblestone streets and small shops and homes interspersed among large churches and historical or governmental buildings.  The state in which this City and Belo Horizonte sits is Minas Gerais that refers to rich minerals or something like that.  The boys began with a brief tour of a former gold mine.  The Portuguese used slaves to work the mines, so the slave trade, their plight and their lives were a significant theme for the day.  We visited a church whose construction was financed by gold smuggled out of the mines in the hair of the slaves.  After lunch, we visited another museum, and then the boys had the freedom to explore city centre in groups of threes to shop and take in the sites on their own.  We ate both lunch and dinner at a very nice restaurant situated in the narrow cobblestone streets of the town centre.  Lunch included a birthday cake to celebrate Isaac’s 15^th birthday.

This was another excellent weather day.   Darkness hits by about 6:00 so we saw the city at night as we walked from the restaurant to the bus for the ride back to Cruzerio. 

– Submitted by Brian Bergstrom

DAY FIVE: 2 August 2009

Hello Iowa!

Our day began with a rare opportunity to sleep in (somewhat) — the boys’ only requirement was to have had breakfast by 9:00.  This was followed by a 2-hour block of time that we all packed up our bags in preparation for the move across town to the Cruzerio Club.

Our guides for the next 4 days are in charge of the International Exchange program for Cruzerio.  This club is an impressive organization with an annual budget of $40 million dollars.  The players range in age from a few 14 year olds to mostly 15-18 year olds.  Once selected for the residency program, the approximate 60-member pool is utilized as a feeder program for the professional club.

The club has frequent international exchange clubs, players and an international dormitory dedicated to teams and players from all over the world.

A lunch in the cafeteria was followed by our first game at Cruzerio.  We had a solid fan base of the 3 chaperones, Marcello’s family (quite vocal) and four exchange players that wandered in to check us out.  Two of the exchange players are from the same club in Phoenix, AZ and will be staying and training for the next 2 weeks. Another exchange player is from Florida and the other from Japan.

The opponent was certainly not prepared for the lads from Iowa.  This team was referred to as the “C” team.  The final score was 9-0 in our favor.

The team and traveling party enjoyed a relaxing night with an early dinner at Cruzerio followed by an early lights out.

– Submitted by Brian Bergstrom

DAY FOUR:  1 August 2009

Hello Iowa!

Today was the first day off from soccer for the team, but the day was not short on adventure.   After an early morning breakfast the boys boarded our team bus in route to a popular state park where adventurous types go to fly down a 200 foot zip line into the river below, repel down one hundred foot cliffs, or test their canoeing skills through a scenic pass. 

After arrival at the state park we met our guide, Monserat, a strapping 6 foot  6 inch Brazilian outdoorsmen and volleyballer.  He made sure the boys were well strapped in with their repelling gear and we hiked through a more rural area, ultimately arriving at the steep wooded bluff where the zip line finds it’s start.  Unsure of the danger Brian Bergstrom was nominated to go first.  We quickly learned that the zip line ended with a large splash into the river below.  Thereafter, the boys quickly handed their backpacks up the long line, and without much trepidation each took the plunge.   A short swim in the clear, cool, water, and then we were off to the repelling cliff.

In contrast to the lack of hesitation prior to engaging the zip line, the boys were a bit more cautious and analytical about their decision to repel down an eighty-foot cliff.  But like so many parts of this wonderful experience, their fears were lessened by the very professional and knowledgeable park staff.   Each of the boys made the climb to the peak of the cliff and we are proud to report that each successfully made it to the ground again, without incident.  Perhaps the latest to accept the invitation to repel down this giant rock was one of our fearless leaders Ian Bradley, who finally caved after witnessing multiple fifteen year old players successfully master the course.

After that, it was off to the lake for canoeing.  But first a quick, impromptu stop at a truck selling fresh sweet pineapple out of the truck bed.   The boys enjoyed the pineapple as much as the machete yielding vendor.   By this time, our strapping Brazilian park guide, Monserat, who had been with us all day, was well aware that he was not dealing with seasoned woodsmen.  All hope for proving Iowans prowess for the outdoors was lost prior to the canoeing, when all three of the chaperones found themselves lost in the woods, traveling aimlessly down a horse trail which led nowhere toward the water.  Fortunately, we were rescued by Monserat and Marcello who led us back on path. 

Again, however, we were unable to impress Monserat once inside the canoes.  Two of the boys barely made it away from shore, before upending their canoe, an example quickly followed by their coaches, as Ian and Marcello’s canoe nearly sunk after multiple rollovers.  Once safely on shore, Monserat (in Portuguese) anointed Ian and Marcello with the title “Captains of the Titanic”, a perfect punch line to the end of a quite comical and adventurous day.

Another fantastic Brazilian meal followed at a local restaurant.  The boys have found a new refreshment they will be sure to be asking for at home, Guarana.  We were home and were all safely in our rooms with big smiles on our face. 

– Submitted by Brian Bergstrom