Spain chooses secluded New Jersey base for World Cup final preparation

La Roja found in Chattanooga, their base camp for the first round in Tennessee, a place where even Lamine Yamal could walk around without being recognized. The Spanish team is not far from having found the same calm to prepare for this final, even if some players, including the Barcelona star, took advantage of their free time to go for a stroll in Manhattan.

Sparse Support at Training

Two dozen brave La Roja supporters tried to catch a glimpse of the team after their Thursday session. "Brave" is the right word: to reach the former New York Red Bull training center in East Hanover, you need an iron will or a lot of time to kill.

• From central Manhattan, public transport apps show a travel time of two and a half hours.
• By car, it takes 50 km and a good hour without traffic.
• The road is beautiful, surrounded by forest for dozens of kilometers and even cliffs at times.

You are in the middle of New Jersey, with not the slightest sign that the World Cup final is taking place just a few kilometers away. Only the presence of police vehicles at the arrival point might make you raise an eyebrow.

Makeshift Media Center

While waiting to access the first 15 minutes of training, journalists must go to a makeshift media center where a few logos of the winged bull club are still present. In one of the rooms, remnants of tactical instructions are printed, revealing the secret of their pressing:

• "Take your positions (compactness)"
• "Close the central axis first"
• "Find the right trigger to press"

Training Session

The Spanish arrive on the pitch and start their warm-up. It is not always easy to hear each other, with all the planes taking off from the nearby Morristown airport. A few dragonflies enter the cameras' field of vision, which film the eternal bulls before being escorted back out after that first 15 minutes.

Activity at the Hotel

There is a bit more activity in front of La Roja's hotel this Friday lunchtime, as the team returns from the morning session. About 200 people have taken positions behind the barriers at the entrance of the MC Hotel in Montclair, trying to catch a glimpse of their heroes.

• A fan shows up in a blue and white jersey shouting, "Messi goal!" He is booed, and a "Hijo de puta!" rings out.
• The newcomer replies that he will come make noise all night in front of the establishment.
• It is all said in a joking tone, and the atmosphere is actually good-natured.

La Roja's bus, redecorated to display the word "final," goes to park elsewhere. The barriers are removed, and onlookers are asked to move along by the New Jersey State Police.

Surrounding Area

The hotel street is unremarkable, except for a very nice Greek seafood restaurant. But as you move away, you understand why a Venezuelan woman living in the area told us in front of the hotel that there were "a lot of rich people here."

Near the remarkable Edgemont Memorial Park, with its small lake and fountains, the houses get bigger and more beautiful. There are trees everywhere, it is shady and pleasant, and the central Presbyterian church is absolutely stunning, at least from the outside.

You arrive at Walnut Station to catch a commuter train back to Manhattan. A "welcome" in French greets you. On platform 2, a sign indicates that the World Cup is that way. Here, it was easy to forget.