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Brazil's 'samba' style suits Fraser <DIV class=KonaBody A9lQd="true">
By GORDON WILLIAMS, Contributor
Reggae Boy Sean Fraser in his Miami FC uniform. - file
While most Reggae Boyz crave to land professional jobs in Europe, national midfielder Sean Fraser has taken a liking to South America, fitting in comfortably as only the second Jamaican contracted to play in football hotbed Brazil.
Fraser, currently on loan from his United States team Miami FC, played roughly 80 minutes in his first competitive game for Boavista Sport Club in the Rio de Janeiro's Campeonato Carioca state league last Wednesday. Yet long before he took the field for that drawn game, the 23-year-old former two-time World Youth Championship player for Jamaica (U-17 and 20) already knew he had found his niche.
"It's been the best time of my football life," he said the day after the game.
Fraser scored three goals in three practice games since arriving in Rio around mid-December. He has seen the famous carnival city from a helicopter, made promotional videos, appeared on television and in newspapers, danced samba and is picking up the country's dominant Portu-guese language.
Fan appreciation <SMALL>
Best of all, he has been embraced by the city's football-mad people. His number seven club jersey has sold in bunches and the fans' appreciation has overwhelmed him. Prior to last Wednesday's game, Fraser said final minute attention in the dressing room delayed his entrance to the field. When he finally hit the pitch, what happened next shook him to the core.
"They (the fans) started to chant 'Fraser, Fraser', then 'Bob Marley', then 'Jamaica, Jamaica'," he said of the roughly 11,000 home crowd. "I broke down in tears ... I just started to cry as I was warming up. I didn't expect that reception ... I couldn't believe it."
The Brazilians were not so sure what they were receiving either when Fraser first came to the club after a successful first season with Miami FC, where he lined up alongside former Brazilian World Cup stars Romario and Zinho and scored four goals while playing primarily in an attacking midfield role. While Fraser had played in the two World Youth Championships and represented Jamaica in its failed bid last year to retain the Digicel Caribbean Cup, he was still an unknown in a country that has produced some of the planet's greatest players. In addition, Allan 'Skill' Cole had been the only Jamaican to play professionally in Brazil, a country so abundant in football talent it is often said that it could field a second or third-string national team and still beat the best in the world. But Fraser has not disappointed so far.
"Sean is a good player," said Boavista coach Gaucho last week. "He is fitting in."
Fraser would not mind settling in Brazil for a while. He is thoroughly impressed with the talent he has seen, as well as the training methods and a whole culture that is geared to promote football. He also relishes the chance t
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left width=15 height=2></TD><TD vAlign=top align=left height=2></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Brazil's 'samba' style suits Fraser <DIV class=KonaBody A9lQd="true">
By GORDON WILLIAMS, Contributor
Reggae Boy Sean Fraser in his Miami FC uniform. - file
While most Reggae Boyz crave to land professional jobs in Europe, national midfielder Sean Fraser has taken a liking to South America, fitting in comfortably as only the second Jamaican contracted to play in football hotbed Brazil.
Fraser, currently on loan from his United States team Miami FC, played roughly 80 minutes in his first competitive game for Boavista Sport Club in the Rio de Janeiro's Campeonato Carioca state league last Wednesday. Yet long before he took the field for that drawn game, the 23-year-old former two-time World Youth Championship player for Jamaica (U-17 and 20) already knew he had found his niche.
"It's been the best time of my football life," he said the day after the game.
Fraser scored three goals in three practice games since arriving in Rio around mid-December. He has seen the famous carnival city from a helicopter, made promotional videos, appeared on television and in newspapers, danced samba and is picking up the country's dominant Portu-guese language.
Fan appreciation <SMALL>
Best of all, he has been embraced by the city's football-mad people. His number seven club jersey has sold in bunches and the fans' appreciation has overwhelmed him. Prior to last Wednesday's game, Fraser said final minute attention in the dressing room delayed his entrance to the field. When he finally hit the pitch, what happened next shook him to the core.
"They (the fans) started to chant 'Fraser, Fraser', then 'Bob Marley', then 'Jamaica, Jamaica'," he said of the roughly 11,000 home crowd. "I broke down in tears ... I just started to cry as I was warming up. I didn't expect that reception ... I couldn't believe it."
The Brazilians were not so sure what they were receiving either when Fraser first came to the club after a successful first season with Miami FC, where he lined up alongside former Brazilian World Cup stars Romario and Zinho and scored four goals while playing primarily in an attacking midfield role. While Fraser had played in the two World Youth Championships and represented Jamaica in its failed bid last year to retain the Digicel Caribbean Cup, he was still an unknown in a country that has produced some of the planet's greatest players. In addition, Allan 'Skill' Cole had been the only Jamaican to play professionally in Brazil, a country so abundant in football talent it is often said that it could field a second or third-string national team and still beat the best in the world. But Fraser has not disappointed so far.
"Sean is a good player," said Boavista coach Gaucho last week. "He is fitting in."
Fraser would not mind settling in Brazil for a while. He is thoroughly impressed with the talent he has seen, as well as the training methods and a whole culture that is geared to promote football. He also relishes the chance t
- T.k.
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