Just a day after the U.S. national team's CONCACAF Gold Cup triumph, Houston Dynamo midfielder Ricardo Clark headed to Venezuela for Copa America. Arriving Monday night, Clark did his best to get into a normal routine.
"The flight was pretty long, 5 or 6 hours, but I did a lot of sleeping and reading to pass the time; more sleeping than reading though," Clark said.
It's been all business since the team's arrival in Venezuela, with all of the squad's time spent eating, training, or sleeping. Therefore, there's no time to take in the sights.
"We had a very quick turnaround," Clark side. "We arrived last night and went straight our rooms. We had breakfast at 8 a.m., and then headed 45 minutes to the training facility," said Clark.
Playing in different environments is always a concern to athletes, especially in international tournaments.
"Training is very intense and the weather is very humid, not so different from Houston, but still takes some getting used to," Clark said, adding that the heat and the intense training made him want to take a nap to recover.
Clark enjoys all that he has seen of Venezuela so far, but says life in Venezuela is different for a soccer player.
"Soccer is the main sport here," he said. "When we drive to practice there are a lot of people lined up in the streets waving at us, and paparazzi are always trying to sneak a picture of you."
Clark's goals for Copa America are simple. He said he wants "to play well, make a lasting impression on the team, and like every other team, do well in the tournament."
