SWARTHMORE, Pa.—The Garnet Men's Soccer team departs for a pre-season training trip to Barcelona this coming week. The team takes this trip periodically to experience the culture, play and train in a challenging soccer environment, and develop the core values of the Garnet Soccer program. Previous trips have been to the Czech Republic, Greece, Argentina, Brazil and England.
This upcoming visit to Catalonia will include sightseeing tours of places like La Sagrada Familia, Montserrat, the historic town of Girona, and FC Barcelona's famous Camp Nou, among others, and the Garnet will also have opportunities to do community service projects. The team will play friendly matches with Catalan fútbol clubs, visit a professional training session and attend a professional match.
Check back on the website, the team's
Facebook page,
Twitter and
Instagram to follow along with the team on their trip.
Previously on Garnet Soccer Summary from Spain, we saw the Garnet men's soccer team engaged in training, sightseeing, friendly matches, and even some time a la playa. As the tour shifted into higher gear, Swarthmore enjoyed even more of the sights, sounds, tastes, and futbol of the Catalan capitol.
Saturday, August 12th included a tour of the training facilities of La Liga club Espanyol. This club is well known as a fantastic developmental academy for some of Spain's best young players, but also as the poor, cross-town cousin to FC Barcelona, which dominates the futbol landscape of Catalonia. The RCDE Espanyol Training Center boasts two full-size natural grass pitches, as well as an oversized artificial grass facility used primarily to train the younger teams.
Following lunch at the facility -- another meal of meat and potatoes, a staple of our diet during the tour -- the group had some downtime at the hotel before heading off to our 4th and final friendly match in Spain. Club Esport Llerona, a lower-tier regional team in Catalonia, had a very clean and new facility in a small village about 45 minutes outside the city. The field itself, artificial grass like all the others we played and trained on, was very narrow (only 60 yards wide) and enclosed by tall fencing on one side and an elevated bleacher viewing area on the other. One end of the pitch -- also enclosed by a tall fence -- bordered the street, while the other was framed by the CE Llerona club facility. This facility included changing rooms, a restaurant, offices, basketball/handball/futsal court, and a neat outdoor patio for eating and/or viewing the match.
After the standard walk-out and introductions, team photos, and an exchange of team memorabilia between the captains, the match kicked off just after 7:00 p.m. Swarthmore wasted little time threatening the hosts with forays down the left and right sides of the field. Despite the Garnet dominating early, it took nearly 20 minutes for the visitors to find the back of the net. A well-placed free kick from senior Dayo Origunwa came across the box from right to left, and sophomore Trevor Homstad met it on the back side of the penalty area. Homstad's one-touch ball across the face of the goal looked like it might have gone in, but fellow sophomore Zach Viscusi was there to make sure.
Just seven minutes later, sophomore Kyle Richmond-Crosset was on hand to tap in from close range on another set piece, and Swarthmore took a 2:0 lead into the half. Several changes and over fifty minutes later, sophomore Aidan Stoddard danced across the top of Llerona's penalty area, neatly eluding several defenders...until the last one clipped him for a penalty. Stoddard stepped up to the ball, but handed it over to recent graduate Billy Evers to allow the old man to take the kick. Evers' kick wasn't perfect, but it was adequate, and put the Garnet ahead 3:0.
In the waning moments of the match, junior Saadiq Garba got through on a breakaway, and calmly slotted the ball past the charging Llerona goalkeeper. And to add salt to the wound, Stoddard hit a 40-yard blast in the final minute of the match, finishing off the hosts and sending Swarthmore to a commanding 5:0 victory to complete the competitive portion of the tour.
More meat and potatoes followed the match, this time at a paddle tennis club near Llerona, accompanied by the coaching staff of our opponents. It was another late night -- we had by now gotten used to the late nights of Barcelona -- and on to the biggest day of the tour.
Sunday, August 13 began with a light and relaxing training session back at the CF Damm facility a short busride from our hotel. After a shower and lunch, we walked to the Metro stop to head into the city for a visit to La Sagrada Familia, the famous unfinished basilica designed by Antoni Gaudi. It was a steamy afternoon, so ice cream, shade trees, and sunblock were in order. La Sagrada Familia is an incredible creation. It is the masterpiece of Gaudi's life work, and is unlike anything we have seen before. Despite the crowds, our tour of La Sagrada Familia was informative and awe-inspiring.
But the real treat was yet to come. The highlight of the trip, without question, was the final event of the nearly two-week long visit to Barcelona. After all, we are a soccer team. By great luck, the Spanish Super Copa, featuring last season's Copa del Rey winners (FC Barcelona) versus last season's La Liga Champions (Real Madrid), kicked off on Sunday night at 10:00. What a way to finish our tour!
We managed to get tickets to sit in the upper echelons of the beautiful Camp Nou, FC Barcelona's 99,000+ seat stadium. We had toured the stadium earlier in our trip, but match day was a completely different experience. Throngs of people in the streets, up and down the walkways, at the kiosks, and in the food and drink lines inside the stadium.
Although the match is the official kick off to the new season, and it was El Clasico -- the biggest rivalry in Spanish futbol, and certainly one of the biggest in world soccer -- the stadium was not quite sold out. Perhaps 80,000 people were there - still the largest crowd most of us had been part of -- many of them tourists like us. The excitement of the day and the anticipation of this event was more than enough to keep us energized through the 10:00 p.m. kickoff of the match. Flags, scarves, multiple varieties of FCB jerseys adorned the crowd, and songs and chants rang out throughout the opening moments.
The first half of the match was played cautiously, both teams getting a sense of the others' strengths and potential weaknesses at this early stage of the season. The Blaugrana (Catalan for "Blue and Red," the FC Barcelona colors) controlled much of the opening stanza, but failed to break through as the teams went into the break scoreless. It was an entertaining half, if for no other reason than the setting, the crowd, and the quality of the participants.
The second half was another story altogether. While the spectacle of the Camp Nou still remained, the match took a turn to a whole new level when an innocuous Real Madrid cross from the right side was deflected into his own net by Barcelona's centerback Pique. Now trailing 0:1, the hosts stepped up the pressure and penned Real back for several minutes. Sensing a need to change the situation, Zinadine Zidane, the visitors' manager, brought on his talisman, world-renowned attacking genius Cristiano Ronaldo. To the sound of hissing, booing and whistling throughout the stadium, Ronaldo came on and immediately impacted the match. A vigorous back-and-forth followed, with both sides threatening, but Barcelona struck back first, equalizing through a penalty by Lionel Messi.
But Ronaldo would not be held long, as he put Los Blancos (Real Madrid's nickname) back on top with a fabulous curling shot for which we had a perfect angle to view. Never humble, Ronaldo celebrated by mocking Messi in his own home, stripping off his jersey and holding his name aloft for the crowd to adore (or scorn...) Of course, he was booked for the violation of decorum.
Ronaldo was constantly a threat down either side or up the middle of the pitch. And suddenly craziness happened. Two minutes after Real went back on top, a brilliant ball up the middle split the Barcelona defense and sent Ronaldo through on goal. After a gentle brush from the Barca defender, Ronaldo went to ground for what most in the stadium and on TV worldwide thought would surely be a penalty. However, the referee adjudged Ronaldo to have simulated, and booked him again, resulting in his sending off. Ronaldo lost his composure, shoving the referee from behind, which ultimately earned him a five-match ban. But the damage had been done, and despite holding a man advantage, time ran out on the host side, and a late goal by Real's Asencio sealed a 3:1 win for Los Blancos.
Although the home team lost, which calmed the crowd considerably, the atmosphere, excitement, and enthusiasm for the new season was palpable, and the evening was a genuine thrill for all of us. Capping off what was a fantastic two weeks with such an event was the cherry on top for the group, weary though we were.
After an early breakfast at the hotel the next morning, we piled into our charter bus and headed for the aeropuerto, bidding adios to our new favorite city.
Much more - including photos, video, and more stories and comments can be found on our social media accounts and the website - and we will continue to keep you all posted on our activities throughout the fall season.
Thanks for all your love and support, and we hope to see you at a match soon!
Mucho gusto!
Eric y El Garnet
AUG. 11, 2017
It is 2:15 am Barcelona time, and the 27 players and several staff step off the team bus in front of the hotel to head up to the rooms. Exhausted, filled with some of the tastiest food they've had so far, and ready for a nice, long sleep, the Garnet had just finished one of the most exhilarating days of the journey.
The Hotel Alimara is a nine-floor high rise in the Vall D'Hebron neighborhood in the north side of the city. The elevators are small, slow and inconsistent, but usually get the job done. Fortunately, when the team arrived in the early hours of the morning, all three elevator cars were at ground level, enabling speedy transport to the rooms after the long day.
Eighteen hours earlier, in the lobby restaurant area of the hotel, the day began with a reasonable breakfast including croissants, juice, fruit, a selection of cereals and yogurts, and the popular espresso machine. One of the more eagerly anticipated excursions of the trip was yesterday's visit to Montserrat and its famous monastery and basilica. After a 50 minute bus ride from the hotel, the team clamored off the bus and began to enjoy the sights.
Montserrat is know for three things: cultural and religious significance, military prominence in Catalonia's history, and unbelievable views. As the southermost tier of the Pyrenees mountains, Montserrat has an overview of the entire Llobregat River valley. This valley was originally a strategic entry to the Mediterranean for most of Europe. Thus, Napolean and other conquerors poured armies and massive wealth into capturing the area north of Barcelona. When the Garnet Soccer team stepped off the bus into the parking lot of Montserrat, the overlook areas and scenic views drew the visitors like a magnet. (Photos and scenes from the visit are available on the team's Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram accounts, as well as the website).
Many previous visitors to the site had insisted that "you must go to the top!" So the whole team took a guided tour of the Basilica, then a ride up the sheer rock cliffs in the funicular rail cars to an incredible viewing area - the highest point in the southern Pyrenees. Fortunately, the weather was perfect. Clear blue skies, crisp summer temperatures in the low 70's, and a nice breeze made the hike and photo shoot opportunities ideal.
The return to Barcelona around the opposite side of the mountain was much more comforting (for those on the tour who do not enjoy heights - not naming names or anything), and another 50 minutes later, the team embarked back at the Alimara to gather soccer kit and prepare for the third match of the tour.
A ride back to the northeast - on the coast near Girona, which the team had visited several days earlier - brought the Garnet to the town pitch in Aro. A more agricultural, rural area than previous venues, Aro had a local club called Aro CE (Cultural Esportiva). Although Swarthmore were instructed ahead of time to wear white, Aro showed up in white as well. Several conversations between the coaches and officials later produced as solution, and the hosts changed to their yellow jerseys.
Threatening skies circled round the stadium throughout the warmups, and the darkness made it difficult to see clearly as the teams prepared. The grim-faced hosts of Aro CE also posed a menacing challenge to the foreigners as the opposing sides lined up for introductions. When the floodlights clicked on just before kickoff, the match commenced in front of 30 or so interested fans.
Just under five minutes in, the visitors got on the board when a brilliant free kick from senior
Tommy Sheehan found sophomore
Trevor Homstad at the back post. Homstad slotted a clever ball across to senior
Michael Nafziger, who easily tapped in from four yards.
This was the first goal from the run of play for the Garnet, as well as the first time Swarthmore had led a match the entire tour. It was a massive lift for the team's morale, and immediately signaled that this would be a competitive and exciting match.
A solid ebb and flow to the game ensued, managed by the third consecutive strong officiating performance the team had seen. As Aro began to control possession, Swarthmore settled into a solid defensive shape, denying penetration, clearing crosses, and repeatedly repelling the hosts advances.
But midway through the first half, Aro earned a free kick 28 yards from the Swarthmore goal. Previously, a couple of similar kicks had been floated to the back post for headed chances. However, junior goalkeeper
Michael Thut - who had made several excellent interceptions to this point - sensed that the Aro attacker was going to drive a ball near post. So he hinted in that direction. The Aro attacker outsmarted Thut, driving the ball to the back right corner of the net for the equalizer. A rainstorm soon arrived, further spicing up the proceedings.
The half ended even, ad both teams retired out of the downpour to the dressing rooms.
Swarthmore started brightly again in the second half, controlling more possession and putting pressure on the hosts. But it was Aro who threatened most seriously, when a free kick required a brilliant save from sophomore goalkeeper
Oliver Steinglass. Again later in the half, Steinglass came out large and denied the Aro attack a very serious scoring opportunity. Sheehan threatened right, Richmond-Crosset, Evers and Laniyan threatened left, but Aro thwarted those chances for the Garnet.
After full time, it remained one-all, a fitting and fair result for both sides.
But that was not the end! After showers and changing into street clothes, Swarthmore's weary warriors were treated to a fantastic meal at a local Girona-area restaurant, where the beef and vegetables were locally-sourced and the service was even more so.
In the wee hours of yesterday morning, the tables were finally cleared and the Garnet slipped back onto the bus. Driver Carlos - an accomplished forward in his younger days - made a smooth trip back to the Alimara, and the team climbed into the elevators to end the day.
The final stretch of the tour - including our community service project, the fourth match, a visit to La Liga's Espanyol training facility, a visit to La Sagrada Familia, and the most eagerly awaited moment of the tour - began today. More on this incredible experience soon!
AUG 9, 2017
Days #7 & #8 are now behind us, and we have had a tremendous experience so far here in Catalonia. A bus tour of Barcelona city, a visit to El Camp Nou, and our second friendly match are behind us now, but with so much more to come!
Yesterday's visit to the Camp Nou, home to FC Barcelona, was an incredible, inspiring moment for us. If you have never been, it should absolutely be on your list. It costs 28 Euros to take the tour, and over 12 million people do so each year. That alone is enough to pay for Lionel Messi's wages....before a single jersey, scarf, or souvenir has been sold.
(The best part is, we will be back there on Sunday for the Clasico!)
Yesterday afternoon we traveled back up the Costa Brava and then turned inland toward a small town called Llagostera. There we posted up at a tiny but neat club stadium, home to UE Llagostera, a second regional division club in Catalonia. We played their U19 side, coached by Jordi Navarro. We were a nice tune-up for them, as they are slated to play FC Barcelona's U19 squad tomorrow.
Inside seven minutes, the speedy and technically sharp hosts got on the board. Not much later, Llagostera punished the Garnet for a mistake, and it was already 2:0. Not exactly the start we had hoped for in this match.
However, Swarthmore's
Kyle Richmond-Crosset brought the Garnet back within a goal when he drove a free kick from midfield into the goal area. Llagostera's goalkeeper misjudged the ball in the wind and it glanced off his hands and into the net. Richmond-Crosset's reaction was a mixture of confusion and apology.
Later in the half, the Catalans again showed their quality, completely flat-footing the visitors to go up 3:1 before the whistle. Swarthmore were not out of the match, but our backs were certainly up against it.
Early in the second half, sophomore forward Danny Lee sprinted into the Llagostera penalty area to pressure the goalkeeper on a chance. As he did so, a defender from the home side tripped Lee up, and the referee did not hesitate to blow for the penalty. Captain for the day
Ryan Ward stepped up confidently and buried the spot kick to put Llagostera on their back foot and start the half off brightly. At 2:3, the Garnet fancied our chances at pulling level.
As the match wore on, however, Llagostera's quickness, technical proficiency, and experience paid off, and they were able to keep Swarthmore at bay to protect the lead. Another hard-fought match in the books, and the Garnet are still winless in Barcelona.
That said, it was an excellent learning experience for the team, and a great step forward in our pre-season preparation.
Following a tour of the famous monastery at Montserrat Thursday, we travel to play CE ARO for our 3rd friendly match.
More news and photos are available on our website, and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@SwatMensSoccer,
#GarnetInBarcelona). Follow us, like us, and share the story!
Hasta la proxima vez...
AUG. 5, 2017
Tonight was the unofficial kickoff to the 2017 Garnet Soccer Season. We traveled from our hotel in Santa Susanna 30 minutes west toward Barcelona for the first match of the pre-season tour.
CE Llavaneres was the opposition, a second-tier Catalan team who were also at the beginning of their pre-season. The articifial grass pitch, set back off the side road at the base of a hill, required a full watering prior to the match to tamp down the dust and cool off the surface. Unfortunately, one of the irrigation heads was jammed and sprayed all over the Garnet coaching staff in the players' entrance before we took the pitch for warm-ups. Hilarious, but wet.
In what was a completely uncertain environment, the Garnet held their own for the bulk of the first half, including two gilt-edged chances from senior captain-for-the-day
Michael Nafziger. The first was a header off a corner kick that he put just over the bar, the second a mini-breakaway which required a fantastic save from the Llavaneres goalkeeper to keep the visitors off the board. But despite having the better chances in the first half, the match remained scoreless at the half.
Second half saw many changes, and things were a bit rickety. But the Garnet continued to defend admirably, with sophomore goalkeeper
Oliver Steinglass tipping a great free kick over the bar, and making a tremendous in-close save with his shins to keep the match even.
But a corner kick midway through the half brought the breakthrough the hosts craved. After the initial clearance, a shot from outside the area deflected off a Swarthmore defender and wrong-footed Steinglass and gloss into the net. A tough break after a valiant effort for the foreigners.
The home team did well to hold the ball and keep the Garnet at bay the rest fo the way. Although Swarthmore created a couple more chances, the visitors were unable to find the equalizer, and Llavaneres held on for the 1:0 victory.
Overall, a commendable showing for our first match against Spanish opposition. The technical nature of the match was impressive, as every Llavaneres player seemed comfortable on the ball. Swarthmore held strong with disciplined defensive shape, communication, and excellent work rate.
Our next match is Tuesday, August 8th v. FC Llagostera. Stay tuned to Twitter, Instagram, and our Facebook page for photos, stories, and more info on the 2017 Garnet Soccer pre-season tour of Barcelona.
