After identifying two hot young recruits, Robson and Jefferson, Bleiberg says he was overwhelmed by the local hospitality - and the smile on his face here at Rio's famous Maracana Stadium says it all.

Before heading out to Rio, Bleiberg had sent local Brazilian agents specific details of the kind of players he wanted to find and refused to look at any pre-packed DVDs or other player information before the trial game.

Bleiberg wanted to make sure that when he sat down to watch prospective recruits last week, he had a completely open mind. He then watched more matches and training sessions to remove any lingering doubts about the players selected.

Bleiberg says the Brazilians showed plenty of interest in Australia's newest A-League club.

Arriving in Europe, one of Bleiberg's first stops was Stamford Bridge, where he toured Chelsea Football Club's training facilities. He has now moved on to inspect facilities and watch players at other clubs, including Joel Porter's Hartlepool FC.

The Gold Coast club expect to confirm the signing of two, possibly three, youngsters next week.