HOTBED: Brazilian Soccer Schools, Leeds, England A project,
begun in 1998 by an elementary schoolteacher named Simon
Clifford, that has transformed a former soccer backwater into a
veritable factory of talented players. Its main tool: a
Brazilian game called futbol de salao (“soccer in the room”), an
indoor five-a-side version of the sport. The ball is smaller and
heavier—creating more control. The field is tiny—putting a
premium on vision, anticipation, and quick, accurate passes. The
play is lightning-fast—forcing players to anticipate and adapt.
Exactly like the Little Books of the Bronte sisters, futbol de
salao uses deep practice to build skills at high velocity.
Growing A Star Here’s a look at John Farnworth, one of the
English kids who’s used futbol de salao to pick up a few moves
(to say the least). These tricks may not be used much in games
(Farnworth has given up his aspirations to play professional
soccer to become a freestyle performer), but they show the
heights of ball-control that futbol de sal