Brazil soccer team holds 1st World Cup practice in Qatar

Doha, Nov 20 (EFE).- After the spectacular welcome its national soccer team enjoyed at the hotel where they are being housed in Qatar, Brazil held its first practice session on Sunday at the Grand Hamad Stadium in Doha.

Twenty-six members of Tite’s team turned out for the session, which delivered no surprises, after a similar session last Wednesday in Turin, Italy, where both midfielder Bruno Guimares and defender Alex Telles suffered injury scares.

In Italy, Rodrygo stepped on Guimaraes’ right foot but, after receiving brief medical attention, the latter returned to the practice and Telles was tackled roughly from behind by Neymar, also needing a bit of medical attention, but he too returned to the pitch to finish out the practice.

Neymar, the five-time World Cup-winning team’s big star, was the last to take the pitch after six other key members of the squad – Casemiro, Vinicius, Rodrygo, Thiago Silva, Eder Militao and Fabinho – had done so earlier.

Goaltenders Alisson, Ederson and Weverton were busy in the nets working with the team’s trainers, with Tite supervising everything from midfield.

Physical exercises, ball handling and attacks from the wings were all on the checklist for the team on Sunday, with the latter being virtually the team’s only weak point. The Brazilian squad is nevertheless one of the most solid to play in Qatar this year and is the big favorite to take the Cup on Dec. 18.

During the session, the Brazilian teammembers were surrounded by their relatives and, on the edges of the training field, a number of fans waited for the arrival of the team’s bus, a regular occurrence everywhere the Brazilian team has traveled, with chants from the fans being heard inside the stadium.

Brazil, the top-ranked team in Group G, is first scheduled to go up against Serbia on Nov. 24.

–/bp