Traffic test and training switch: France’s Boston rehearsal for the World Cup | OneFootball

France’s Boston dry run for this summer’s World Cup exposed punishing traffic and prompted a switch of training base, but it also reinforced their commitment to a central hotel. According to L'Équipe, the trip functioned as a full rehearsal for life in the city during the tournament.

Thursday’s 2-1 win over Brazil doubled as a real-conditions test. Deschamps said the hardest element was the traffic, with the journey to the stadium taking an hour and a quarter.

France have dropped Babson College in favour of Bentley College for training. The contract is not yet signed, but they will work at Bentley, which is slightly closer, cheaper and whose pitch raises fewer concerns.

The group stage brings only one match in Foxborough, against Norway on 26 June. Deschamps is reluctant to spend two and a half hours on the eve of the second game taking a player to Gilette Stadium for the pre-match press conference.

The FFF will push FIFA to stage that media duty at Bentley College, probably.

With large police escorts, rarely seen with this squad, travel to the airport and across the East Coast will not be a problem during the competition.

Nothing from the short stay dissuaded staff from choosing the Four Seasons in central Boston. Staff also judge that this generation prefers city-centre settings. The hotel will be fully privatised, meals will be overseen by French chef Patrice Martineau, from Troyes, and Deschamps did not seek to copy previous set-ups.

Source: L'Équipe