Cassio says this Reds’ playing squad is in pre season for the long haul and will not be cutting any corners as the club braces for a massive year ahead.
Cassio says this Reds- playing squad is in it for the long haul and will not be cutting any corners this pre season as it prepares for what shapes as a massive year ahead.
One of the Reds- most experienced campaigners, Cassio is no stranger to the slog of pre season training but he knows from past experiences that the hard work will pay off in spades once the time to play comes around.
The Reds- pocket rocket is entering his sixth pre season with the club after he first arrived in Adelaide ahead of the 2007/08 season, making him the longest serving player currently still at the cub. While six may seem like a lot, the number of pre seasons he has been through as a professional stretches back to 1998 at Brazilian club CR Flamengo.
Over that time he won three Carioca (Rio) Championships, a Copa dos Campeões, a Gaúcho Championship, played in the Copa Mercosur final. Then since coming to Australia, he was part of the Reds- 2007 Pre-Season Cup winning team, is a dual Club Champion, played in the 2008 AFC Champions League Final as well as a Hyundai A-League championship decider.
Being part of these accomplishments could stem from natural talent, but Cassio knows the importance of a solid pre season. Already just one day in, this is an approach that seems to be evident amongst the entire playing group, with the motivation to make up for a disappointing 2011/12 Hyundai A-League season and an upcoming AFC Champions League Quarter Final a driving force.
“You know you have to run a lot but we know in the end that we benefit from it and we know if we do well in the pre season we-ll be in really good shape and be a benefit for the club so that-s why we have to do our best,” Cassio said after his first session back.
“We know we have to do much better than we did and that-s what we-re training for. Now we start and we have to do really well in the A-League and the Champions League.”
“The fans expect a lot better from us and I-m sure we-ll fight for a spot in the finals this year.”
With the majority of the squad recording impressive times during the first day of testing yesterday, the early signs look encouraging for a serious Reds assault in 2012/13.
