Dan Gaspar

Dan Gaspar will be blogging for sportsnet.ca during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa while serving as goalkeeper coach for Team Portugal.

The team plays a game of soccer-volleyball during a training session.

COVILHA, PORTUGAL -- The World Cup is quickly approaching. For the Portuguese national team, we are finished our preparation on home soil and will be leaving for South Africa later on Saturday.

As many of you know, we defeated Cameroon 3-1 in a preparation match earlier this week. The result was beneficial on many levels. Cameroon is very similar to Ivory Coast, who we play first at the World Cup, so the result was very positive.

The country was waiting for a good result and we delivered by scoring three goals and winning in front of the home fans. Unfortunately, we conceded one and that prevented goalkeeper Eduardo from surpassing the national team record for number of minutes without allowing a goal. The team had kept seven straight clean sheets before Tuesday.

While the performance against Cameroon was more dynamic than the previous 0-0 result against Cape Verde, I believe it was unfair to judge the team based on that draw. The team had only seven players -- three of them goalkeepers -- available to train together from Day 1. It wasn't until two days before the Cape Verde match that we had all our players arrive in camp. The game against Cameroon was more reflective of having the entire group training together. Prior to that, new players were coming into camp every day. Now we have the players very close to being all at the same fitness level.

Since the full squad arrived, we hold two training sessions per day (75-90 minutes each) for three or four consecutive days before going to just one session per day. We then have one day off every six days.

When the players arrive at the training pitch, they begin to play technical games on their own. For example, a player passes the ball to a teammate and calls out a number. The receiving player must juggle the ball that amount of times before passing it to another teammate and calling out a number for him. If the player fails to reach the number, his teammates surround him and each one gives him a little smack. They also play keep-away in a very small area, typically 4-on-2 or 5-on-2. It's in these games that you see how special and creative the players can be with the ball as they all try to out-do each other with tricks.

The morning sessions focus on technical work, possession and attacking schemes with a fitness component. The afternoon sessions are generally tactical in nature, including restarts such as free kick scenarios, both defensive and attacking. During the free kick drills, I enjoy watching the brilliance of players like Deco, Bruno Alves, Simao, Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani and Duda. Each one has his unique ritual for free kicks, but all of them are amazing with accuracy, power and movement of the ball. All of the players are trying to adjust to the new Adidas World Cup ball. They discuss the differences between the balls used at their clubs versus this new one. The World Cup ball definitely reacts differently, but it is what it is and they realize they need to learn to love it.

Liedson, Nani and Miguel Veloso rest up some aching muscles.

We finish our training sessions with a match before taking penalty kicks and recording the results. Some players have a weight program and they will either go to the gym before or after training. Ronaldo, in particular, hits the gym daily. Afterwards, there are pool activities, bath contrasts with whirl and ice pools as well as massages for regeneration. In the pool, the players will stretch as well as perform some basic movements that involve running and footwork.

Back at the hotel, there are game rooms for players and staff that include dart boards, ping-pong, table soccer, a pool table and video games. Interestingly, the best players on the field tend to be the best players in the game room as well -- they are VERY competitive. We also have some great laughs during bingo games.

We took one day to specifically focus on team bonding. The Portuguese Air Force came in and did a paintball course which was absolutely fantastic. The players were all dressed up in army gear and face paint. An army-type course was created at the field we train at and the group was divided into two teams captained by Ronaldo and Simao. Every time a team obtained a target, they received an envelope that included a puzzle piece. At the end of the game, it spelled out an inspirational phrase.

It was a tremendous atmosphere and a very important bonding moment. It stressed putting the team above individuality, reminding the players that they will face obstacles but can overcome them together. The primary focus was to cover each other's backs and know that your teammate will be there for you at all times and under all circumstances.

We then had Joao Garcia share his inspirational story with the team. Joao is one of 10 people in the world to have climbed all 14 mountains above 8,000 feet. In his first attempt to climb Mount Everest, his climbing partner fell to his death and Joao lost parts of his nose and fingers to frostbite. He talked to the players about the three most important things to obtaining success -- passion, honesty and hard work.

The players also got in a little relaxation that day with some time at a spa and had a few laughs with a stand-up comic performing for them.

The president of Portugal will meet the team later on Saturday before we head off to South Africa. When we arrive, there will be more focus on tactical information and preparing the players more specifically for Ivory Coast.

Since I’ve been in South Africa before to work with their national team, my next blog will share some of my previous experiences there including a meeting with Nelson Mandela and my introduction to witchcraft.

Dan Gaspar is the head coach of the University of Hartford men's soccer team and founder of the Star Goalkeeper Academy. Watch for Gaspar's blogs throughout the World Cup as he provides a perspective of what it's like to be on the pitch and in the clubhouse as part of the coaching staff with Team Portugal in South Africa.