It was business as usual for the Selecao despite the conditions as the entire squad participated in training at Granja Comary including Rafinha, who eased any injury doubts
On Wednesday, the Tite technician visited the players, who have been through two training sessions.
There wasn’t much to see at the second day of full training for Brazil’s Olympic squad as heavy fog descended on the Granja Comary training complex in Rio de Janeiro.
In the morning, the players underwent training on small pitches with very specific guidelines as coach Rogerio Micale seeks to implement a more contemporary approach to the side’s play.
Each player was allowed just two touches of the ball and the teams had to complete at least ten passes before attempting to shoot at goal.
In addition to helping the squad become more accustomed to retaining possession, the coaching staff are desperate to see a physical improvement from the players, asking them to up the tempo of their general play while working on specific tactical shapes.
Micale also spent time talking individually to Rodrigo Caio, suggesting the Sao Paulo man features heavily in the coach’s plans for Rio.
New senior team coach Tite dropped by in the afternoon, along with technical coordinator Edu Gaspar, for the second training session, but the watching media saw nothing of their work.
That was not because the session was closed the media – Micale has insisted he does not plan to hold any closed sessions – but because the thick fog had by then fallen over the training pitches in Teresopolis.
Later that afternoon Santos full-back Zeca sat in front of the media, discussing among other things his ability to operate on both sides of the defence. He also shed some light on how it was for the team to train in the fog.
"It was a normal session until the fog came. For you it was a closed training session,” he chuckled. “But for us it was productive. The fog lifted and we could see what we were doing again. It proved very productive.”
The 22-year-old also spoke positively about his first meeting with new boss Tite.
“It was the first time I have talked to him. I was very happy to meet him,” Zeca said. “He called me by my name, it was nice to know he knows everyone and is following our work.”
Barcelona’s Rafinha had been an injury concern ahead of this week after pulling out of last month's Copa America with a thigh injury, but he participated in both sessions without problems, though left the second session early to continue his work in the gym.
Atletico Minerio’s Douglas Santos, who had been in league action for his club on Monday, was present for the entirety of both sessions.
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