Colorado State University Athletics
CSU soccer spends week in Spain
3/16/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
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Over Spring Break, the Colorado State women’s soccer team is traveling for a week-long four-game tour in Spain. Below are updates throughout the week from players and coaches. The blog will be updated over the course of the week, and will also have match recaps.
Friday, March 11
Friday finally comes and we all had tests and assignments due, but we could only focus on leaving for Spain. We waited anxiously on a teammate to finish her test and then we were off to the airport.
We got on the bus to go to the airport and we were all so excited but a little nervous because we hit some traffic on our way there. We ended up having plenty of time to get settled and eat some dinner and talk with all of the parents before our big, nine hour flight. The airplane was so big; it had two stories! Of course only first class could go up top, but we made the most of our time down on the first level. We had free movies and tv shows the whole time, and we got had some delicious dinner and breakfast. For dinner we were offered either pasta or barbecue chicken and for breakfast we had eggs and potatoes! We even got butterfly crackers. Thanks Lufthansa :).
We landed in Germany and the airport was so confusing. We had to go through two securities but it was worth it because we got to add a Germany stamp to our passports. Through security, they had to randomly check our team equipment bag and the worker was very confused by the roller we use for our sore muscles. Germany was amazing though, for the short time we were there; we had some bretzels (soft pretzels but way better) and just enjoyed the time we had together waiting for our next plane to SPAIN!
On the flight to Spain, we all decided we were going to stay awake so we would be able to go to sleep when we arrived, but by the time we got on the plane, within five minutes, every single person fell asleep for the whole time! We finally arrived in Barcelona with one lost bag but it felt good to arrive to this beautiful country we get to stay in for a week. It felt amazing to be on land and not in the air; we had a pretty great day.
- Hannah Gerdin
Saturday, March 12
Our day started the same way we spent the previous one: on a plane. At least I think today is Saturday. Between the exhaustion and time change we’re all a little thrown off.
The first flight landed in Frankfurt around 10 a.m. and the next one took off around 12:30. Fortunately we had a few hours to navigate the 40+ of us through the airport. For the new international travelers, the multiple layers of security were a bit overwhelming. After each stage someone would yell back, "keep your passports out." Passport check, customs, and security...it just kept going! Around 12 we finally made it into our proper terminal. Considering we just ate breakfast of eggs and potatoes on the last flight, not many of us were too hungry. However, we knew we were no longer in America with the beautiful fresh displays of meats, cheeses, and fruits and those were hard to pass up. Even the bratwurst stand had fresh croissants. Time flew by and before we knew it, it was time to board the next flight.
This short flight was only about 2 hours, and took us from Frankfurt to Barcelona! We were told to stay awake so that we could all sleep well that night but the soft rocking of the flight knocked us out.
Once in Barcelona we gathered in baggage claim to collect our belongings. "Haha, wouldn't it be funny if someone lost their bags" were her exact words until that someone was her. After about 20 minutes of looking around for it, Gabby Brown's bag was nowhere to be seen. There was a little bit of frustration but overall she took it like a champ. Looks like she might be doing a little borrowing of a shirt here and a sweater there. We are just hoping the airline finds it soon!
The bus ride from the airport to the city of Santa Susanna, the location of the hotel, flew by as we, once again against recommendation, all napped, AGAIN. We arrived around 6 o'clock as it was about an hour from the airport to this beautiful beach town. We checked into the hotel, got our room assignments and began to unpack... Except for Gabby of course, who had nothing to unpack.
The hotel is beautiful. The view from reception is a small mountain side of colorful houses. The other side shows the sandy beaches of the Mediterranean Sea. We all met up again for dinner. We stayed at the hotel which offered a large buffet of fresh fruit, roasting lamb, and a nice salad bar. To top it off, a chocolate fountain! For the few hours we have been here Barcelona has been good to us but it is now about 8:30 and time for bed.
- Kelly Labor
Sunday, March 13
After settling in to the hotel and getting some good shut eye, we woke up at 7 a.m. to get ready for the day. Breakfast was at 8 a.m. and we were all eager to finish our food as fast as possible to get on the bus for our first excursion at Montserrat.
Once we all finished our breakfast we loaded the bus and left on our hour ride. There was more country side scenery this trip. The views started as a costal view with palm trees, sand and the ocean and then lead to farm land with more vegetation and rural land.The closer we got to Montserrat the more anticipation arose, especially since the cathedral is located near the top of the mountain so our bus had to make the climb. The bus stalled out a couple times on the way up and most girls were either hiding in fear or screaming in fright, but we finally made it and parked the bus.
We all started out in the plaza in front of the cathedral and moved on from there. The cathedral itself was one of the most beautiful structures we have seen. Since it was a Sunday, there was a mass in session and we had the privilege to watch from afar before we were allowed to tour the cathedral ourselves. The church was breathtaking with incredible detail, and it truly had a medieval feel. Half of the team also had the privilege to touch the 'Black Madonna' as it is supposed to bring good luck. Meanwhile, some of the girls went on a hike to view a wooden cross on a ridge. It was about a 20-25 minute hike, but the scenery was simply amazing; the trails were all cobblestone, and trees and other greenery surrounded us. You would also often seen cats roaming the trail that would come up to you, wanting food.
While many enjoyed the views, others stayed in the cathedral area to get a lay of the land and enjoy the local food. There was a small mercado going on selling delicious cheese. The merchants gave us free samples of the cheese which hooked a few girls on the team to buy their own block to bring home; it was delicious! Other girls are at the local restaurant and it was the first time many of us have used euros.
In total we were there for three hours and then met up to travel back to Barcelona to get Kelly and a few other players from the airport. Since we were already in Barcelona, our tour guide let some of the group get off and explore Barcelona for the rest of the day. Some of the girls decided to try authentic Spanish food and ordered tapas and Spanish gelato. One group described their dinner as the best Spanish food they had in their life! Being a Sunday however, many of the stores and local businesses were closed for the evening, but a few of us were able to find a small market where we bought bracelets and other small trinkets.
We then traveled back via train. The train stopped operating kind of early so we had to plan ahead to make sure we could catch a train back in time for dinner. The other part of the group took the bus back to the hotel to enjoy the rest of the night and prepare for Monday's adventure!
- Amy Eckert
Monday, March 14
Monday started with a morning team walk on the beach. Afterwards we grabbed breakfast at our hotel and then quickly headed for the bus. Our first activity of the day was a walk up the streets of a local village called Hostalric, where there was an old castle at the top. We got to explore around this amazing village and we learned about how this castle used to house villagers when the castle was under the attack of neighboring communities.
We then returned to the hotel for a quick lunch and then headed to La Sagrada Familia, a famous church designed by Antonio Gaudi. The architecture was gorgeous and beautifully detailed, like nothing any of us had ever seen before. The building was so intricate that it didn't even seem real. We spent several hours at this beautiful church learning about its history and one of a kind architecture. After the church, we stopped to get some dinner near the city we were playing our first game in. After dinner, we headed to our first match of the trip against a local team, La Roca.
It was really fun to play against other soccer players who live in a country where soccer is everything to them. It was amazing to be able to experience something like that. It was a late game at 9pm and we got to play under the lights! We ended up winning the game with a shutout and four goals! The Rams had our first victory in Spain and it felt beyond amazing! Overall it was a very successful and wonderful day. We are finally adjusting to the jet lag and enjoying soaking in this beautiful new culture and experience.
Match Recap: - CSU 4, La Roca 0
Our first match of the tour kicked off against La Roca; a smaller town about thirty minutes outside of Barcelona. The girls had a long day of sightseeing, but the excitement and nerves were filling their hearts. The lights were on and the girls were ready to play. The game started off quickly with a ball fed through the back line by freshman, Hannah Gerdin, to a running Janelle Stone who put it in the back of the net four minutes into the game. Roughly nine minutes later, Hannah Gerdin nets a goal of her own by following a rebound with a left foot rocket of a shot thirteen minutes in. Halftime came and went and a new eleven took the field. Off a quick restart down the line, Mikaila Schmidt goes down line from a pass from Maddy Relph who delivers a firm cross on ground for an easy tap in by Bethany Stivers. This third goal was score only six minutes into second half. To round out the scoring of the night, a short corner leds to a shot by Schmidt that hit the crossbar and Gianna Marconi met the ball with her head to score the fourth goal of the game. "After a long day, I was pleased with the energy they brought to the game. All of our players had the opportunity to play and every one was a contributing factor in our first win of the tour.” – Bill Hempen
Tuesday, March 15
Getting up this morning I think everyone was happy we were able to sleep in an extra hour due to a more relaxed scheduled day- finally caught up on our jetlag! With that being said, everything this morning was very relaxing. We had a nice breakfast at our hotel and then went on a mini jog with the team along the beach. After the jog, with the coaches we recapped over our game the previous night, and what we wanted to accomplish for our game tonight. This was a nice change of scenery because we had the Mediterranean Sea in the background! (but don’t worry we listened to every word per usual). After our team talk we had ample time to relax at the hotel, some of us stayed on the beach chatting, which was nice; others (who were crazy) went swimming in the freezing ocean but definitely looked like they were enjoying themselves! Unfortunately shortly after, it started raining but people remained swimming in the ocean (see…they’re the crazy/adventurous ones), unlike myself who ran off the beach to cover from the light sprinkling rain. Once inside I got myself some coffee, which I proudly ordered in Spanglish, and was able to watch soccer in the lobby with some of the team. After our relaxing morning we had lunch at the hotel, the rain subsided, and we went to adventure Barcelona from a bus tour.
The bus tour was really fascinating and efficient because we were able to see a lot of landmarks in a short amount of time. Our tour guide took us all around the city to show how the country integrated the newer buildings around the historic buildings in the heart of the city. We even saw the stadium where the 1992 Olympics were held. Following the stadium was a gorgeous lookout over the entire city from a diplomatic building, and a castle with an even better view. All locations (see pictures): the Olympic Stadium, the gorgeous view, and castle, were located on the same hill surrounded by a giant grassy park, overlooking the entire city on one side and the ocean on the other, it was a beautiful area. After our tour of Barcelona, we were all hungry which was perfect timing for our pregame meal located in the marina at a huge shopping/food center.
And finally after food, the main event of the day: our game.
Where we played was outside the city and could be compared to Brooklyn, New York for your visual. Our opponent was very skillful and encompassed everything we had expected from a good Spanish team. The final score of the game was 2-2 and it was a great game to watch from a spectator’s standpoint, and we did well! We arrived back at the hotel around midnight exhausted from sightseeing and the game, but more than excited to see what another day in Barcelona has in store!
- Jesse McGinley
Match Recap: CSU 2, RCD Español 2
The Rams were back in action just 24 hours later to face an extremely good RCD Español team in Barcelona. It was a chilly night in Spain, but all players were excited to step back out on the pitch. Both teams had some quality chances before the Rams eventually scored the first goal of the match. 40 minutes in, the Rams are off on a counter attack, Taylor Nelson plays an unbelievable ball from the right flank behind the tracking defensive line to her opposite wing forward, Janelle Stone. Stone connected on the end of the pass, fought for the advantage against a defender pulling her arm and jersey, and finally once on top of the box, toe poked the ball into the upper side-netting and finished a brilliant goal. Great individual effort to score the first of the night. Unfortunately, a short four minutes later, RCD Español capitalized on a defensive error to tie the game just seconds before halftime. Once again, a new line up starts the second half for the Rams. It didn't take long for the Rams to get back out front. Gianna Bertana stripped the ball off of Español's goal keeper thirteen minutes in, and walked the ball across the goal line. Rams lead again. However, in almost a mirror image of the first set of goals, Español nets their second of the night exactly four minutes later. Hannah Gerdin hits a post which could have been the game winner. Bill Hempen was quite pleased with the effort, "We played a much better team tonight and really answered the challenge admirably." – Bill Hempen’
Wednesday, March 16
Today was packed with every kind of event! To start off the morning, we went to Codorníu, the leading cava producers of Spain. There, we were given a tour by our guide, Pepe, about the vineyard and how the cava is made. Sight seeing, train rides, and information on the underground storage and aging of the cava was followed by a small tasting and picture session in their cellars. Afterwards, we were able to go to the store and look at all of their products as well as the amazing architecture of the century old buildings across the property.
From there, we took a bus ride into Barcelona where we were able to spend a few hours doing whatever we wanted. Some groups went shopping, while others went to local Tapas or Park Güell. Everyone got to do what they had missed in previous trips to the city, and catch up on some sight seeing of deeper parts of the city.
Finally, the main event! In the evening, most of the team had the opportunity to see the Champions League game between Barcelona and Arsenal. Players like Messi, Neymar, and Suarez took the field (and scored) alongside some of the greatest players of our time. The atmosphere was unlike anything in the United States, with every fan chanting the same songs and constantly screaming "Barça!". While the weather didn't seem to cooperate, our team took advantage of the opportunity to stock up on warm gear front the Barcelona store. It was an unbelievable experience that will be a huge learning tool for our team.
-Taylor Nelson, Beth Plentyl, Kaija Ornes
Thursday, March 17
Our day began with a short trip driving through beautiful mountain ranges before entering Tossa de Mar, a little fish town just off the outskirt of the Mediterranean. Despite the light rain and chilly temperature we were able to make a great time going off and getting to explore about the town, go into unique shops, climb up to a castle and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate. This hot chocolate was not what we are used to back home, it was much thicker and richer; almost like having a cup of heated up chocolate pudding but we couldn't get enough of it and ordered another round.
We headed back to the hotel for a quick lunch where we would gather up our stuff for our third and final friendly match with Sant Gabriel and then head off to our tour of the Camp Nou stadium and museum home to FC Barcelona that we got to experience playing live just last night! The tour of the the stadium was such an experience. We walked through the museum which had trophies, jerseys, cleats, pictures and video clips throughout the history of the FC Barcelona success. We then got to see the inside of the visiting teams' locker room, a press box, and an interview room before we made our way out to stand on the sideline of the field itself. The last stop of the tour was the 'Megashop' where we splurged on Barcelona gear!
After a quality time at the stadium we went for a quick dinner before heading off to a game of our own. Tonight our game wasn't as cold as the last two and it was on a nice turf field under the lights. This team was very technically skilled and throughout the game we traded opportunities on net.
Our hard work and effort finally got ourselves on the score board with five minutes left with a goal from Mikayla Schmidt! The goal was well worked, with Janelle beating one of their defenders to get a cross in and Bethany holding the ball up in the box to try to get a shot off. Mikayla finished the rebound and we continued to hold them off for the last five minutes and won ourselves our last match of the tour and remained undefeated internationally! After the game we took a photo with the other team and then continued to celebrate with them briefly exchanging words and talking with them the best we could. We celebrated our seniors' last game and a great win. So thank you to our lovely four seniors for a great season and a great career and we wish them luck in the future! It was a good day.
- Maddi Rodriguez
Friday, March 18
This morning was bittersweet, as we knew that our visit ends tomorrow, but the bright sun and blue skies lightened our spirits and kick started our last day in Spain. The original plan for the final day was to go to the city of Girona, but a majority of the group opted to visit Barcelona for one last time instead.
Girona is the capital of the province of Girona, a smaller, quieter, quaint town with a river running through it. We visited the impressive Cathedral de Girona, the Arab baths (El Banys Àrabs) that consisted of three different levels of water temperature, and walked on top of the ancient Roman Wall complete with special openings for archery defense. For lunch, our final day encouraged us to indulge in a typical Spanish meal. So we found a nice restaurant by the river and asked for "menú del dia"- a three course meal including dessert all for 12,50€. With plenty of time left in the day and rainy clouds rolling in, we were drawn into the various local shops in town. The day couldn't have been a more perfect and relaxing conclusion to an amazing trip- sight seeing, yummy food, and a little shopping to sum it up.
The other group that opted to go to Barcelona had freedom to explore wherever they wished. Some got off the train at Arc Triomf while others rode the train into the heart of the city. While exploring, we made our way to the Picasso museum and saw many of his paintings and works of art. Then we went to the open-air market, which was interesting because we were able to see where all the local restaurants get their fresh supplies. We roamed the winding streets of Barcelons and stumbled upon the Gaudi inspired fountain, Parc de la Cuitadella.
Overall I was truly captivated by Spain. The intricacy of the architecture, the history filled nature of the cities, and the culture of fútbol that immersed its people was impressive to say the least. Though our trip was short, it was an experience I'll never forget and I'm beyond grateful for the opportunity to get a taste of Europe and what the culture of Spain is like.
- Jessica Stauffer
