Friday, August 22, 2014

Guided tours of Toledo, Madrid and Behind the Scenes training

Friday, August 15


With only two full days remaining of the Swarthmore Women's Soccer Team's international training trip in Spain, Friday marked a more diverse and structured schedule than did our first day in Madrid. As always, the day began with a delicious buffet spread in the hotel lobby before the bus departed for the training site of La Liga's Getafe for a behind the scenes look at the professional club's training session. It was a great opportunity for both the players and the coaches to see such a high level team in the training atmosphere.



Up next was a guided bus tour of downtown Madrid. The team was afforded the opportunity to depart the bus on a few occasions. One such stop was at the Plaza de Toros, a historic bullfighting arena. While we were there, tickets were on sale for the 20,000 seat complex for a live bull fight that evening. We learned that although bullfighting was banned in Barcelona approximately 2 years ago, it continues in Madrid and other parts of the country. The common understanding among Spaniards is that one either loves or hates the sport. While we did not have the opportunity on this trip to witness such an event, it was really cool to see the arena itself.



We also stopped at Plaza de Colon (the plaza dedicated to Christopher Columbus and the discovery of America). The team enjoyed some photo opps, and the senior class specifically enjoyed posing as a statue. 




Next up was some free time for lunch where team members elected to go for a run, workout in the fitness center, walk around Madrid and/ or enjoy some snacks and coffee at the nearby Starbucks to use the free wee-fee (wi-fi). Priorities included checking Swat mail, upcoming RA responsibilities and the housing list, as we got closer to our return date to campus.


The final scheduled activity of the day was a trip to the historic city of Toledo (the former capital city of Spain). After an hour-long bus ride, the team experienced a guided tour that covered the architectural, religious, and historical highlights of the city. By chance, our visit coincided with the Assumption of Mary. Each year, on that day, the custom in Toledo is to drink water from the well in the church that once housed a statue of the Virgin Mary. After watching two older women demonstrate the ideal drinking technique, the Swarthmore women took the opportunity to stay hydrated, partaking in the provided H2O.




After the formal guided tour was complete, the players were free to roam the city to shop and find dinner. Afterwards, the women returned to the hotel afterwards to sleep and prepare for the final full day in Spain. 

Saturday, August 16, 2014

Match #3 vs. Rayo Vallecano

Thursday, August 14

For the third match of the trip, the Garnet women took on a formidable but friendly Rayo Vallecano. As was mentioned in the last post, our players were awed, initially, by the stunning facility at Ciudad Deportiva Fundacion. The complex was gorgeous, and the club's other teams could be seen training on the nearby fields as we warmed up to play.  


The technical ability and skills of the Rayo Vallecano women were clear even in their warm-up. The players and coaches of our squad knew that it would be a good experience to have a chance to take the field with such a team. Rayo Vallecano plays in the first division of the Spanish women's professional league, often contending for championships with some of the most talented women's teams in Spain, including F.C. Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. In the last six La Liga seasons, Rayo Vallecano has finished in first three times, in fourth twice, and in sixth once. There are sixteen teams total in this top division.

While the final score of the match, 7-0, was strongly in favor of the Vallecano squad, the Garnet women held their own and played well against the talented opposition. The Swarthmore players were able to maintain possession of the ball and create scoring chances, despite the high pressure placed on them by the opposing defense. 


Standout performances by the Garnet goalkeepers should be noted. Both Reba Magier and Caela Long combined for 19 saves on the night, many of those saves showing remarkable athleticism and reaction ability against the Rayo Vallecano attack.

After the game, the Garnet players were happy to have had the opportunity to share the field with the Rayo Vallecano women. Several players expressed how much of a learning experience it was and how much they enjoyed playing with and against such talented players. Despite the language barrier, the Swarthmore girls were able to spend some time talking to the Rayo Vallecano players after the match. We were also able to take a group photo.


Overall, while the result showed a loss, the game was a great experience for the Swarthmore team, and one that they will carry with them back to Swarthmore and into the season.


5

Friday, August 15, 2014

First Full Day in Madrid

Thursday, August 14


Thursday marked the women's soccer team's final day of structured soccer activities in Spain, as well as time to explore our new locale. The day started with a training session with the Swarthmore coaches just outside the city. Following some competitive and spirited games of "What's in your bag?" and group juggling (won by the team of Melissa Trofa, Caroline Khanna, Hannah Lichtenstein and Amy DiPierro), the team worked on long ball service and penetrating balls in the final third in order to prepare for the last match of this international trip.


Before the night's match, however, the team was excited to have a free day to spend exploring downtown Madrid on their own. Despite embarking from the hotel in smaller groups, the team managed to all collide in the Mercado de San Miguel (a charming covered market occupied by thirty-three vendors selling fresh produce, fish, pasta, meat and fantastic desserts in a beautiful atmosphere). Talk about team unity! Nearby to the San Miguel Market, the team also enjoyed walking through the more well-known Puerta del Sol, where we had the opportunity to touch the center point to all of Spain, shop for souvenirs, and taste delicious churros and other unique treats.




Upon return to our home base, the women enjoyed a team dinner in the hotel before taking off by bus for our final match against Rayo Vallecano. The women were awed, initially by the stunning facility at Ciudad Deportiva Fundacion and then by the technical prowess of the first division Champions League powerhouse. Some of the juggling skills that the opposing players exhibited effortlessly left those watching enthralled and almost with mouths agape. Despite a lopsided scoring line, the Garnet women held their own against some of the best women's players in all of Spain.

More detailed game write-up to follow.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Transfer to Madrid

Wednesday, August 13th

It was an early morning for the Swarthmore women's soccer team following their last evening in Barcelona. Despite a 4:30 AM departure time on Wednesday, some of the players elected to re-watch Harry Potter for the umpteenth time until the wee hours, leaving only an hour for sleep. Many of the players and coaches made up for the lack of sleep throughout the morning hours by napping on the bus ride to the airport, in the terminal, and then on the short 7:00 AM flight to Madrid. 


All in all, it was a smooth transition to our next destination. Upon arrival in Madrid, our bus took us to directly to Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, the home stadium of Real Madrid. The team enjoyed an informal tour which included close-up views of the locker rooms, player tunnel, training room, press room and bench areas. 


The highlight, though, may have been individual pictures with Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos or Iker Casillas (totally not photoshopped in, we swear). We also had an opportunity to shop for some authentic Real Madrid loot.

 

After the tour, our bus took us to check into our next resting spot in downtown Madrid, Hotel Husa Princesa. Despite the lack of free wi-fi (pronounced wee-fee here) to communicate with loved ones at home, the hotel and rooms proved to be modern, clean and spacious. The team can't wait to take advantage of the large fitness room! (Obvi, fitness test is bright and early on Monday! They are so totes excited.)

With several hours to kill before a low-key dinner at the hotel, most of the team elected to get a quick bite to eat for lunch and catch up on some much needed sleep, as we had another training session and game the following day.



Match # 2 vs. U.E. VIC

The Swarthmore Women played their second match of the Trip on Tuesday night versus another local women's club, U.E. VIC. The match was an exciting and high scoring one, with the Garnet coming out with a 4-1 margin. 


In the first half, the Garnet women took control quickly, asserting a physical presence on the field and maintaining the majority of possession. In the 7th minute, Swarthmore had its first scoring chance on a long shot from Elyse Tierney. The shot came from wide, well outside the 18 yard box, and it hit the cross bar. The rebound fell just out of Emma Sindelar's reach, and was cleared by the VIC defense.


The VIC offense had an attacking chance on a counter in the 11th minute, but the shot was easily handled by Garnet keeper, Caela Long. In the 12th minute, the Garnet attacked again, with Caroline Khanna chasing down a ball played in behind and blocking the VIC keeper's attempted clearance. The Garnet was unable to convert on the rebound, but they maintained momentum. Moments later, another shot from Mele Johnson hit again off the cross bar.

Then, in the 17th minute, the Swarthmore women found the back of the net. Ellen Bachmanhuff skillfully finished a corner played by Melissa Trofa. The kick was served beautifully by Trofa, flicked on by Rehanna Omardeen, and then finished by Bachmanhuff to put the Garnet ahead 1-0.



Swarthmore continued to place heavy offensive pressure on the opposing squad as the half continued. Balls played in behind the line of defense created dangerous scoring opportunities, and several crosses were played in front of the VIC goal. In the 20th minute, Omardeen notched another for the Garnet off a ball played from Johnson. Johnson touched the ball around a defender and played a precise pass across to Omardeen, who was open outside the six yard box for a finessed finish past the VIC goalkeeper. Garnet 2, VIC 0.

Later in the half (31st minute), the Garnet conceded a free kick in the middle of the field outside the 18 yard box. A VIC midfielder stepped up, firing a well placed shot on frame from distance. The ball tucked just under the cross bar and out of Long's reach to get the VIC women on the scoreboard before the half. The Swarthmore women again came back down the field, however, creating yet another opportunity. Justine Albers made a great run in behind, touching the ball past the keeper and hitting the post with the attempted finish.  The half finished, Garnet 2, VIC 1.

In the second half, the VIC women put a higher level of pressure on the Garnet, forcing them to work harder to maintain possession of the ball. The Swarthmore women were up to the challenge, however, putting two more goals on the scoreboard before the final whistle. Hannah Lichtenstein tallied the first of the two, finishing a ball played in from Miranda Saldivar and Becca Mayeda. 

The second of the two goals started with a beautiful run up the field by Cappy Pitts. She played the ball forward to Johnson, who slotted the ball through to Khanna. Khanna faked and let the ball across the goal mouth to Omardeen, who sent the ball into the net for the second time on the night. 

Reba Magier defended the Swarthmore net in the second half, tallying 2 saves on the evening.

The Swarthmore Women were again pleased with their performance on the night. The training and time spent together on the trip has allowed them to not only have some amazing cultural experiences, but has also helped them further develop their chemistry and resonance on the field as they head into their season upon their return.

Additional, possibly tangential notes: The Swarthmore women also had the privelege of a pregame cooling mist provided by the sprinkler systems on the turf in the stadium. Best way to beat the August heat in the summer time. Maybe we need a set of these on our home turf... Adam? ... I kid. But I think the players have enjoyed the pre and post game shower that these systems have provided. And we have all gotten some laughs in the process.



The Garnet women return to action tonight, August 14, for their final match of the trip.



Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Sitges


Tuesday, August 12

Tuesday morning, the Swarthmore women got a chance to sleep in a little later than the usual schedule allowed. After the slight sleep-in, the team had another delicious breakfast together at the hotel, and then walked to the train station to head to the beach for the day. 

A short walk to the station and a brief train ride later, we emerged at Sitges. Han walked us around and showed us the immediate sights. He continues to provide a useful and knowledgeable interface between our group and the people and places with whom we interact...while also keeping it all humorous along the way. We walked some of the back streets, learned our way around briefly, and saw the old city hall building. 


When we made it down to the water, the team was excited just to have some free time to relax on the beach. We stopped a couple times for quick photos before heading out onto the sand. The sun wasn't too hot, the water was a perfect temperature, and there were shops and restaurants along the way when the players wanted to take a break from the sun.





All in all, it was a relaxing and leisurely day. In the late afternoon, we headed back to the train and returned to Barcelona to get ready for the game. The game kicked off at 7:00 pm vs. VIC at their stadium, located approximately 45 minutes outside of Barcelona Central. After two halves of exciting, high scoring action, the Garnet women emerged with a 4-1 victory. 

A detailed game write up will be posted shortly.

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Monserrat & Training Session 2 with FC Barcino



Monday, August 11

The team started the morning with breakfast together at the hotel. We are beginning to get accustomed to the delicious morning spread of pastries, breakfast meats, fresh coffee, yogurt, cereal, and Spanish omelets. It's nice to wake up to such a set of choices...After breakfast, we boarded the bus to head to Monserrat.

Monserrat is the home of a monastery built high in the mountains outside of Barcelona. It is also home to the famous Black Madonna.

When the bus got off the highway, Han warned us that the roads up to our high altitude destination were very narrow and winding. As he pointed to the point at the top of the mountain, and I think many of us were wondering how the bus would make its way that far. The driver was impressive, however, and he led us carefully up the tiny hairpin turns as we took in the scenic, albeit somewhat frightening views over the surrounding landscape. 



When we reached the end of the road for the bus, we took some time for team pictures, and then headed still further up the mountain to the park. This ascent required a small cable car that slowly carried us to the peaks of the mountains. At the top, we were greeted with a myriad of paths and trails with fantastic overlooks and small chapels. We split into groups and headed around the park, taking in the scenery and finding some great photo spots.



Several of us found paths, stairs, and climbs that took us still higher. As we climbed, the elevation and heat became more noticeable. It was more difficult, so far up and away, to feel like we got full breaths. Perhaps I should only speak on my own behalf as a slightly older and likely out of shape coach, but...The climbs were well worth it, though. The sights were incredible, and the views were actually breathtaking (beyond the lack of air from the climbing).


While there were miles of paths to explore, we wanted to make sure we had time to peruse the shops and see the Black Madonna for which Monserrat is so well-known. After a little over an hour of exploration at the top, we gathered and boarded the slowly descending cable car, which took us back down to the area immediately surrounding the basilica. We had just enough time to see the madonna, walk through some shops, and grab a snack before heading back to the bus. 

The bus swept us off our tired feet (again, maybe only speaking for the old coaches) and safely back down the mountain. We returned to the hotel for an afternoon of free time before training. Many of the players took this time to walk around the city, do some shopping, grab some food, or just relax. 

We met back up later to head to training, as we had one more session scheduled with the FC Barcino coaches. The team appreciated the cooler night weather, and we had another good training session with the Spanish coaches. The players brought a lot of energy to the session, and even spontaneously broke out into post-practice push-up ladders outside the facility while we waited for our bus.




After getting cleaned up, we ended our night with another fabulous Spanish dinner at El Glop. We all had some fantastic seafood paella and other Spanish cuisine.
After such a great meal, we retired to get some sleep for the next day's match and time at Sitges.

Match # 1 vs. RCD Espanyol



The Swarthmore women had their first match of the trip on August 10 versus RCD Espanyol. The game took place at RCD Espanyol's facility in Barcelona, and it kicked off shortly after 5:00pm.

The Garnet women played strong defense throughout the match, fending off multiple attempts from Espanyol's attacking players. Espanyol came on strong at the beginning of the game, demanding standout performances from the Swarthmore defenders and goalkeepers.

In the fifth minute of the game, Elyse Tierney tracked back on a threatening run down the line by an Espanyol attacker. She was able to clear the ball safely out of bounds. On the ensuing corner, fellow rising senior and captain Ellen Bachmanhuff came up with a strong header clearance to keep the ball way from the Garnet net.

Several minutes later, rising junior goalkeeper Reba Magier made several key saves, preventing the Espanyol shots from converting. She would go on to make several additional saves over the course of the first half. She saved one off the cross bar early, and had another impressive diving save later in the half.

Offensively, the Swarthmore women were able to generate several successful combinations down the sides of the field. One such combination was created between midfielders Melissa Trofa and Caroline Khanna. They worked the ball past several Espanyol players to feed it through to Rehana Omardeen, who made a run in behind the defense. Unfortunately, the weight of the pass was slightly too strong, and Omardeen was unable to track it down before it went out of bounds.

The play went back and forth throughout the first half, but neither team was able to get onto the scoreboard. The two teams entered halftime at a scoreless draw.

The second half brought much of the same, exciting back and forth action. The Garnet offense generated more scoring opportunities after the half mark. Several plays involved balls played deftly through to forwards running on. Great runs by Hannah Lichtenstein, Mele Johnson, and Becca Mayeda forced the Espanyol defense to make several strong stops.

The Garnet defense continued to shut down Espanyol attack. Caela Long, who tended the goal for the Garnet in the second half, came up with several key saves, with one huge diving stop at the end of the half to preserve the 0-0 tie. 

The Garnet women were pleased to be back on the pitch together, and the team was happy with its overall performance. RCD Espanyol was one of the pioneering clubs in women's soccer in Spain, playing as early as 1970. They are now considered to be one of the top women's clubs in Spain, behind FC Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao. Given their strength as a club, they provided prime competition for the Garnet women to gauge their training heading into preseason.

The Swarthmore Women return to action tonight against VIC. Kickoff is slated for 7:00pm.

Sunday, August 10, 2014

Camp Nou & Prep for First Match

August 10, 2014

Today, the players started the morning with a light training with the Swarthmore coaches. We got some touches in and stayed loose and sharp for our first match this evening. After training, we went back to the hotel and got cleaned up to quickly head to Camp Nou, FC Barcelona's stadium, museum, and training facility. The museum was great. The players were able to explore the history of the club and learn about some interesting pieces of its history. What many don't know is that, while its soccer team is the most well known, the club also has other sports teams, including hockey, futsal, and basketball. 


The stadium was amazing, and it gave the group multiple chances for fantastic views and photo opps...At the end of the museum tour, we were able to do some shopping in the giant FC Barcelona Nike store. Many players walked out with some of the latest and greatest Barca gear.


After the visit to Camp Nou, we caught a late, relaxed lunch as a group to fuel up for our game. During lunch, Allison, one of the athletic trainers, arrived to join us from Prague, where she had been working with the Swarthmore men's soccer team. When she walked in, the team greeted  her with cheers that took over the restaurant. Then, when we returned to the bus, the team serenaded her as well. Han even joined in, dancing from the front of the bus as we headed to Española's field.


The match against RCD Espanol provided an exciting start to our set of games on the trip. The Swarthmore women played with a lot of energy, ultimately battling the club to a 0-0 draw. A full game write up will be posted shortly.

Saturday, August 9, 2014


Saturday, August 9th


Our first full day in Spain! The team woke up to our day in Barcelona to an awesome buffet breakfast at the hotel. After fueling up, we headed to our first training session of the trip. At first look out the window this morning, it looked like it might rain. There were some clouds blocking the August heat for us...temporarily, As we started moving, however, the clouds wore off, and the sun came out to remain for the rest of the day.

When we got to the field, we were immediately introduced to three trainers from P.B. Barcino, a local soccer school and club. They were very welcoming and friendly, and once we were suited up, they quickly got everyone moving. We shook the rust off and had some fun, working to set a positive tone for the trip and for our upcoming season. By the end of the session, our intrasquad mini scrim had attracted the attention of several locals in the neighborhood, who stopped by to cheer us on, practicing their English...while they may have been only somewhat successful with the language, they were definitely successful in eliciting smiles and entertainment.




After training, we headed back to the hotel to clean up and find lunch. We had time to explore the area around the hotel, roaming Barcelona's pedestrian friendly streets to find some particularly delicious tapas. The coaches elected to eat outside and peruse the shopping a street over from las Ramblas. Many of the players did the same, exploring various cafés and trying new foods.


In the early afternoon, we gathered as a group again for some touring. A new tour guide, Mariana, joined us on the bus and led us around some of the major sites of the city. We first visited the Sagrada Familia, a basilica here that has been under construction here since the late 1800s. While not initially conceived or designed by Antoni Gaudí, the project and construction here continues to be built according to his models...And Barcelona continues to be known to house his work.



After seeing the many facades of his innovative architectural work at Sagrada Familia, each with it's own style and representation, we briefly walked the surrounding area and then hopped back on the bus to head up the mountain. Next Destination: Park Güell. Here we explored more work by Gaudí, as well as that of his like-minded contemporary, Eusebi Güell.



After more exploration and touring there, we hopped back on the bus once again to head to a local professional soccer match. We watched C.E. Sabadell play Villa Real at Sabadell's field in a suburb of Barcelona. It was really interesting to see the locals get into the preseason game, cheering for one of the smaller town teams. The home team took the match, 3-0.



After the game, we returned to the hotel to rest up for another day. The first match of the trip is slated for a 5:00 pm kickoff. Tune in for ongoing details...




We've arrived in Barcelona!

The Swarthmore Women's soccer team has officially settled in for our first night in Spain! Traveling, quite literally, from near and far to be together once again, the players reunited over an authentic Spanish meal tonight to catch up and begin preparing for yet another season together. But this end of today, as always, didn't come about without its share of adventure...

Several of the players and coaches met on Swarthmore's campus yesterday afternoon, August 7th, (Eastern Standard Time). A.k.a., a long, long, time ago, it seems... We boarded a bus to JFK yesterday around 2:00pm. Along the way, the initial crew picked up another assistant coach, sat in some traffic, and caught up on our summer adventures. Sitting on the bus, I could hear talk of summer lab research, phosphorylation events, life cycle analysis, and the like. True Swattie summer material, along with all the fun vacation stories, jobs worked at scuba shops, beach trips, etc. 

When the group reached JFK, there were more friendly faces to be found at the gate, and our group continued to grow as players arrived from other parts of the country, bringing with them stories and personality to add to the mix. By the time we boarded our red-eye to Madrid (props to Emma Sindelar, who had personally prefaced the international red-eye with another the night before to get across the U.S. Trooper.), we had a solid group of 24, including 3 coaches, an administrator, and 20 players. Mind you, 2 more players would still meet us later in Barcelona.  

Our flight to Madrid was relatively empty, giving us space to spread out while we jetted across the pond under a sky full of stars. As red-eyes go, we found the sunrise in what felt like too short a time, many of us only able to snatch a couple hours of rest before breakfast was served. While smooth, the flight was a little bit on the later side, so we missed our intended connection to Barcelona this morning. We used the time to catch up on more stories, grab some food, and get some much needed rest at the airport.

After a restful layover, we boarded our flight to Barcelona without a hitch and continued on our way. After successfully collecting our bags, we met our guide for the week, Han, and headed to our hotel. The hotel is excitingly situated on the Rambla Catalunya, right in one of the popular areas of Barcelona. A quick check-in and some time to settle brought us to dinner time--our first authentic Spanish meal. We gathered and walked together to the restaurant, where we were able to sit at large tables for our first dinner together. 

All in all, the dinner was a great kickoff to our trip. Tomorrow we are looking forward to our first training session with a Spanish coach. Details will follow!

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Hola Readers!

In this blog you will experience the sights and sounds of the Spanish culture (and soccer, of course!) from multiple members of the Garnet women's soccer team. We plan to post daily, so check often!  On August 7, the Swarthmore College women's soccer team will embark on an 11-day trip to Spain for preseason training with extended stays in both Barcelona and Madrid.

In addition to training sessions and friendly competition, we will tour the beautiful city of Barcelona - Sagrada Familia Church, Gaudi Mosaic Guell Park (pictured below) and the FC Barcelona Camp Nou are among the main attractions. A day trip to the resort town of Sitges for shopping and beach time will conclude the first half of the journey.



Once in Madrid, the team will enjoy a tour of the Real Madrid Estadio Bernabeu followed by sightseeing throughout the city and a visit to Toledo (pictured below), a city located southwest of Madrid.


We hope you enjoy living vicariously through our adventure in Spain!