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Proper Recovery To Be Key Aspect In Cosmos B's Playoff Run

Preparations off the field are just as important as the ones on it
Published Jul 18, 2018
The schedule says New York Cosmos B will meet FC Frederick in a National Premier Soccer League playoff game Wednesday night, but that won't be the only foe the hosts will be battling.
 
Add fatigue, heat, and humidity.
 
Playing its third playoff game in eight days and fourth overall in 11 days, Cosmos B's grit and fitness will be tested in the Northeast Region Semifinal at Hofstra Soccer Stadium in Hempstead, N.Y., at 7:30 p.m.
 
Players and head coach Carlos Mendes said they will be ready, having followed just about every protocol. He gave the team off Sunday to recover before getting back to business for training at the Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale, N.Y.
 
"Sunday was off, let the guys get mentally, physically away, relax, and then two light days," he said on Tuesday. "Everything's got to be short and sharp. It's obviously hot out. It's a game that we feel we need to be ready for."
 
Cosmos B players did their usual stretching, a few drills, and a scrimmage with the heat and humidity soaring.
 
"Just everything we do is shorter," Mendes said. "The drills, even if we normally go three or four minutes, we might go two minutes. Keep everything quicker and on turf, especially, it's even hotter. The guys have been great. They've been working hard. At this point, it's more important to be sharp and keep the rhythm because the fitness level is there and the guys are ready."
 
FC Frederick is coming off a brutal schedule of its own, having participated in its two Mid-Atlantic Conference playoff matches within a 48-hour span Thursday and Saturday.
 
After Saturday's shootout win over the Brooklyn Italians, Cosmos B had three days to recover from its second consecutive extra-time contest and prepare for  Wednesday.
 
Due to the hot weather, Mendes moved practices up to as early as 9:30 a.m. to stay away from the mid-day sun. After reviewing some video Tuesday, Cosmos B's training lasted about 45 minutes.
 
"It was much shorter than usual," Mendes said. "It was to work on a couple of last minute things and get the guys moving and thinking, mentally ready."
 
And it’s not about what transpires on the training field. Players must take care of themselves 24/7 off it. Of course, there are water breaks during practice and the players drink plenty of it whether it is in the locker room, at the daily team lunch, or at home.
 
Actually, the key to recovery and preparation is a mixture of things.
 
"A lot of rest, a lot of sleep, a lot of water, a lot of good recovery," forward Wojciech Wojcik said. "We're fortunate to have good resources here and we're taken care of very well. So, we have to be able to do the right things to be able to put ourselves in situations where we can take advantage of the games. That comes from doing the right things off the field and getting plenty of rest. But when the whistle blows there's no excuses. You might be as tired as you can be, but when you're in between the lines, you have to find a way to win and we've been fortunate enough to do that twice now and we have to keep growing."
 
Veteran right back Jonathan Borrajo noted Cosmos B has provided ice baths and lunch for the players after every training session, with massage therapists for the players who need it.
 
"The club has been really great," he said. "It keeps us very professional, it gets nutrients in us right away."
 
The lunch includes proteins (meat, chicken, fish, pork or hard-boiled eggs), carbs (bread and pasta, rice or potatoes), vegetables (salad and at least one grilled veggie) and a fresh fruit for desert.
 
"You have to make sure you eat enough carbs, especially when it's hot outside because you're working almost twice as hard to get the work done," team captain Danny Szetela said. "You have to make sure you're doing a lot of carbs. Carbs are definitely more important."
 
Added center back Alejandro Penzini: "I look very closely at what I'm eating. That nutrition aspect for me has at least helped me. Not only in the playoff time, in the money time of the season, I always take care of what I'm eating."
 
Proper preparation doesn't end with practice.
 
"I think we have been a bit mindful of taking some extra naps, trying to stay out of the sun, a little bit not going to the beach right now," Borrajo said. "A little bit more relaxing. Just being mindful until hopefully Aug. 4 [the NPSL final]. I don't want to say it’s a sacrifice because this is what we choose, this is the business that we're in. This is what you should want to do."
 
As training broke up Tuesday, Borrajo reminded his teammates to get out of the sun ASAP. He remembered a hotter sun when he played for Miami FC in the North American Soccer League.
 
"It was a big thing in Miami," he said. "That was one of the big things that we've always done. We always did as soon as practice was done, get in because the sun is like playing against another defender. It's important to take care of yourself off the field as much as much as we're working on the field."
 
Beyond water, every player has his favorite drink to replenish body fluids.
 
Szetela used to drink Gatorade, but has switched to coconut water.
 
"Days before games, like today, I drink a lot of water, coconut water, pickle juice, good for the sodium, the electrolytes and that's basically it," he said prior to last week's game against the Elm City Express. "I try to stay away from too much sugar, except for maybe during the game."
 
Penzini prefers a protein drink, while Borrajo and Wojcik like Pedialyte, which is designed to promote rehydration and electrolytes but has less sugar than other drinks.
 
Many players take ice baths after training and games. In fact, Penzini took two on Monday, one right after practice in the morning and another at home at night.
 
"You have to live like a pro, you have to do your recoveries, you have to take ice baths, whatever it takes for you to be ready for the next game," he said. "It's a quick turnaround, three games, back to back, the last two games extra-time games, so eating well, good recoveries, just staying sharp and focused."