A LITTLE BEACH, A LITTLE FUTSAL
Tuesday. 8 August
BARCELONA, Spain _ Who invited the jellyfish?
A morning training session on the Castelldefells beach, on the southern side of the city, was spoiled by the massive and numerous jellyfish _ well, aquatic training wasn't part of the package anyway.
The Jerseyans were puzzled why no one else was in the water, despite the Mediterranean's bath-like 75-degree water. They soon found out. Paul Ehrenworth, Drew Magee, Casey Doyle and even Jorge got stung, and the site of jellyfish 1 1/2-to-2 feet in diameter forced everybody back onto the sand.
Showers and antiseptic from Jorge's ever trusty medical bag treated the stings, and 3-v-3 beach soccer games had to suffice.
The afternoon's session was indoors, futsal -- or futbol sala as the call it in Spain -- on the floor of FC Barcelona's stadium for its youth 5-a-side teams.
(FC Barcelona's youth futbol sala court)
This place may look familiar, especially if you found Nike's World Cup ad campaign entertaining. It's the same court that was used for the commercial featuring Ronaldinho playing futsal -- the one that used a 12-year-old Ronaldinho-looking boy interspersed with the actual two-time FIFA World Player of the Year.
It was a real treat for Jorge, who coached a team to second place at the the U.S. Futsal Championships in Anaheim, California, in July.
(Jorge really enjoying the moment)
On Monday, the Jerseyans saw the stadium and stood on the sideline (but not the grass) where another Nike commercial was shot, the one featuring Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo at FC Barcelona's reserve side stadium.
This time they did more than stand around the edges.
(Around the center circle)
Of course the day isn't complete anymore without the tribe walking through the streets of Barcelona to training in uniform, trying to convince the locals that they are members of FC Barcelona's youth program. The fact that they can't speak much Spanish doesn't deter them, or even keep them from trying to corrupt their chronicler/escort into their deception.
The gang revels when people in cars honk their horns, shout "Barca, Barca" or take their photographs. They even get mad when their reporter/chaperone honestly informs curious passersby that the team is from the United States. The passersby seem more impressed; the team only upset that someone has blown their cover.
