Brazilians take to the field as tourney looms in Zhuhai

Four football teams from Brazil and Guangzhou are training in Zhuhai as they prepare for the first China-LAC Cup International Football Invitational from Nov 6 to 10, it was announced at a press conference on Nov 5.

The theme song of the event is Hail for the New Era, created by national first-class composer Hu Xudong. The Asia Philharmonic Orchestra will supply the accompaniment. And, the mascot, Ole, is a mixture of the Chinese phoenix and a scarlet macaw from the jungles of South America.

The organizers have arranged for four additional bus routes and prolonged bus service times during the event.

Press conference of CLAC 2017

The reserve teams Santos Futebol Clube and Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense will join Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao Football Club and Guangzhou R&F Football Club at the Zhuhai Sports Center in New Xiangzhou. 

Evergrande Taobao was originally from Guangzhou, founded in 1954. Evergrande Group bought out other shareholders and changed the name of the club to its present form in 2010. One of the most successful and influential football clubs in Asia, it has held two titles in the AFC Champions League and seven in the Chinese Football Association Super League (CSL).

Guangzhou R&F Football Club was formerly from Shenyang as one of the initiators of Chinese professional leagues. It won second place in the Chinese Football Association China League in 2011 and third place in the CSL.

Santos Futebol Clube, commonly known as Santos or Peixe, is from Santos, a coastal city of São Paulo. As one of Brazil's most successful clubs, it has lifted the Copa Libertadores trophy twice and won two Worldwide Club Championships.

Spokesman of Santos Futebol Clube

It became the first and only team to reach the milestone of 10,000 goals on Jan 20, 1998. Two thousand of those points were scored by Coutinho, Pepe, and Pelé -- the "Athlete of the Century" -- during the 1950s and 1960s.

Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense, founded on Sep 15, 1903, is based in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. One of 13 major clubs in Brazil, it has clinched two Copa Libertadores and one Intercontinental Cup title.

Ole, mascot of CLAC 2017 [Photos by Zhu Xi / Zhuhai Daily]