Demonstrators hold up signs that read in Portuguese "There won't be a Cup. There will be strikes," center, and "We need schools, not stadiums" as they walk in front of the bus carrying members of Brazil's national soccer team as it leaves a hotel for the
Sao Paulo, Brazil:
The Brazil national team's preparations for its home World Cup got underway on Monday amid chants of protests instead of support for the squad.
The 23 players selected by coach Luiz Felipe Scolari reported to the national team as a few hundred demonstrators loudly protested against the money being spent by the local government on the World Cup.
The protesters surrounded the bus carrying the players from their hotel in Rio de Janeiro to the training camp in the mountain city of Teresopolis, about 90 kilometers (55 miles) away.
The demonstrators slowed the bus down as it tried to leave and then got close enough to attach dozens of stickers with slogans against the World Cup on the vehicle, including the windows. They also chanted and held anti-World Cup banners, including one that read: "There will be no World Cup, there will be a strike."
The demonstrators were comprised mostly of professors and education officials demanding better schools and other improvements from the local government.
Last year's Confederations Cup, a World Cup warm-up tournament held in Brazil, was marked by violent protests against the government. More are expected next month during the World Cup, although FIFA and local organizers have pledged to try to prevent the tournament from being affected.
Heavy security is expected at Brazil's training camp in Teresopolis, which was completely renovated for the team's preparations for the World Cup.
Neymar and the rest of the players are expected to undergo medical exams on Monday and Tuesday, with the first practice session scheduled for Wednesday.
"We were all anxiously waiting for this," Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar said.
Brazil will have a total of 17 days to get ready for the June 12 opener against Croatia in Sao Paulo.
The team will practice twice a day for a week before heading to the central city of Goiania, where it will face Panama in a warm-up friendly on June 2. The squad then returns to Teresopolis for a couple of days and after that travels to Sao Paulo, where it will play Serbia on June 6 in its final warm-up match.
Scolari said the first few days in the training camp are crucial to give doctors an idea of the players' physical condition after returning from their clubs. Doctors will have the squad go through a series of exams and prepare a detailed report on each player, allowing Scolari to know exactly what to expect from them.
Among the players reporting to the training camp on Monday are 16 who were members of the Brazilian team that won last year's Confederations Cup. Only six players in this year's squad have past experience in World Cups - Cesar, striker Fred, midfielder Ramires and defenders Thiago Silva, Daniel Alves and Maicon.
Scolari has already said he will be bringing several former world champions to talk to his players during the team's preparations heading into the opener.
After playing Croatia, Brazil faces Mexico on June 17 in Fortaleza and Cameroon on June 23 in Brasilia.
The 23 players selected by coach Luiz Felipe Scolari reported to the national team as a few hundred demonstrators loudly protested against the money being spent by the local government on the World Cup.
The protesters surrounded the bus carrying the players from their hotel in Rio de Janeiro to the training camp in the mountain city of Teresopolis, about 90 kilometers (55 miles) away.
The demonstrators slowed the bus down as it tried to leave and then got close enough to attach dozens of stickers with slogans against the World Cup on the vehicle, including the windows. They also chanted and held anti-World Cup banners, including one that read: "There will be no World Cup, there will be a strike."
The demonstrators were comprised mostly of professors and education officials demanding better schools and other improvements from the local government.
Last year's Confederations Cup, a World Cup warm-up tournament held in Brazil, was marked by violent protests against the government. More are expected next month during the World Cup, although FIFA and local organizers have pledged to try to prevent the tournament from being affected.
Heavy security is expected at Brazil's training camp in Teresopolis, which was completely renovated for the team's preparations for the World Cup.
Neymar and the rest of the players are expected to undergo medical exams on Monday and Tuesday, with the first practice session scheduled for Wednesday.
"We were all anxiously waiting for this," Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar said.
Brazil will have a total of 17 days to get ready for the June 12 opener against Croatia in Sao Paulo.
The team will practice twice a day for a week before heading to the central city of Goiania, where it will face Panama in a warm-up friendly on June 2. The squad then returns to Teresopolis for a couple of days and after that travels to Sao Paulo, where it will play Serbia on June 6 in its final warm-up match.
Scolari said the first few days in the training camp are crucial to give doctors an idea of the players' physical condition after returning from their clubs. Doctors will have the squad go through a series of exams and prepare a detailed report on each player, allowing Scolari to know exactly what to expect from them.
Among the players reporting to the training camp on Monday are 16 who were members of the Brazilian team that won last year's Confederations Cup. Only six players in this year's squad have past experience in World Cups - Cesar, striker Fred, midfielder Ramires and defenders Thiago Silva, Daniel Alves and Maicon.
Scolari has already said he will be bringing several former world champions to talk to his players during the team's preparations heading into the opener.
After playing Croatia, Brazil faces Mexico on June 17 in Fortaleza and Cameroon on June 23 in Brasilia.
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