Flamengo holds tryouts to form the U-18 Women's Soccer team
The process was carried out at the Audax CT and featured many talents; the group was observed by coach Marcos Gaspar
By Mariana Sa - inLast weekend (6th and 7th April), Clube de Regatas do Flamengo held, for the first time, tryouts for the U-04 Women's Football team, which is being formed to compete in the Brazilian Championship in this category and the U-18 Carioca Championship. Following strict documentation and exam requirements, more than 17 girls were present at the Audax Rio Training Center in pursuit of a dream: to wear the Sacred Mantle.
With two selection periods on Saturday, coach Marcos Gaspar, formerly of the Brazilian U-17 and U-20 national teams, relied on assistants to train, observe, and evaluate the candidates. Among the activities, physical and technical exercises were proposed so that all could demonstrate their potential to the best of their ability. Furthermore, on Sunday, the best girls from the previous day had another chance, this time with even more intensity in each stage.
It's worth noting that the entire selection process was supported by Flamengo employees and Vitor Zanelli, Vice President of Youth, who embraced the Mais Querido U-18 team project. Registration was completed online, and to ensure safety, documents and prior exams were required. Girls born between 2001 and 2005 were present.
At the end of the second day of training, Marcos Gaspar reduced the group to 35 athletes, who will remain under constant observation before and during the 2019 season, officially beginning training this Tuesday. After the evaluations were completed, the coach shared what he observed during the two days of tryouts.
"It's a difficult, challenging process. It will be ongoing, especially since we're starting from scratch and it's something new for the club. The initial number of players was a challenge. Unlike when I started in women's soccer, the quality today is much higher, which makes everything more complicated when it comes to minimizing unfairness in the selection process. The starting point has been taken; we've identified and selected many talented players. Now we'll begin training and expect significant progress to build a competitive team for the Brazilian Championship and the Carioca Championship. These are two challenges that are now somewhat smaller, as we already have a starting group. We'll look to improve the group, strengthen our talent, and look for more," she stated.
The Brazilian Women's Under-18 Championship is scheduled to begin on July 8th and continue until September 19th. The State Championship does not yet have a start date.