In every football match, be it a World Cup
final or a Sunday league wooden spoon playoff there is a form sheet of some
sort. Something that helps the fans pick a favorite based on recent form, the
history of the club or star players.
So this summer, we’re asking Strongbow fans
to pick between teams of a different kind: amateur Brit boys vs pro Brazilian girls – who has what it takes to win.
We know the boys team HMNB Portsmouth are
good at their game, as they came out top in our Strongbow Rio Challenge trial day but how would they fare taking on one of the
best female Brazilian teams: Vasco, in their home country? With players who previously competed in World
Cup and Olympic games, the girls certainly had the skill and footballing
finesse but would the power and strength of the boys overrule?
The boys team, made up of the five players
from HMNB Portsmouth and three subs as voted for by social media, all flew out
to Rio in May to face a grueling training schedule ahead of the final
challenge. To give these enthusiastic amateurs a chance against some of
Brazil’s finest, they where put through their paces on the girl’s home sand by
their coaching team, Chris Kamara and Janio Cruz. Their training covered all
areas of the game including a tour of the favelas to understand how some of the
world’s greatest players built up the physiological strength needed to reach
the peak of their game.
Once training was complete, the final challenge showdown took place
when the boys took on the ladies team against the backdrop of Rio’s iconic
skyline. Could the boys live up to their talk? Did these amateurs have what it
takes to beat a pro women’s team? Watch their full story on:
youtube.com/strongbow where you can watch all the content in this St Luke’s led
campaign.
