Louisville Players Experience Culture, Make Memories in Madrid
April 06, 2015 | Men's Soccer
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - For 10 days in March, the University of Louisville men's soccer team journeyed to Madrid, Spain for its 2015 Generation adidas International Trip.
For the players, staff, administrators, alumni and donors on trip, the experience delivered far beyond anything they expected creating lifetime memories on and off the soccer pitch. Here is a daily diary of the highlights from the trip as told from the perspective of the Cardinals.
Saturday, March 14
We arrived at Ciudad de Futbol -- The City of Football. It is the home for the Spanish National Teams. All ages of national teams congregate here in preparation for upcoming events. While we were there, we were guests along with the U-17 Spain Women's National Team. The hotel, meeting rooms and dining facilities accommodate all Spain National Teams. The Ciudad de Futbol also maintained three grass fields, two artificial turf fields as well as a futsal complex. We used the fields on four occasions during our stay. The facility was branded with Spain National Team pictures and slogans that produced a sense of pride in Spanish Futbol. The facility also housed a museum of Spanish Futbol history.
Sunday, March 15
After a training and lunch, we transferred to Madrid for a La Liga match featuring Real Madrid against Levante at the Bernabeu Stadium. The ride to the match was energy filled in anticipation of the match. It was tremendous to see the faces of the players as they stared out the bus window and caught their first glimpse of the Real Madrid Stadium lit up and branded with the club logos. It was magical as we entered the stadium and the lights and colors exploded and made the moment surreal. Real Madrid provided a professional performance in outscoring Levante with Gareth Bale getting both goals.
Monday, March 16
We trained again in the morning and departed after lunch to a Segovia. It is a city that has its origins dating more than 2,000 years. The city was small and quaint and produced some of the best pictures of the trip. The Palace and the Cathedral tours were stunning and provided an historical account of the city and the people.
Tuesday, March 17
We departed after breakfast to the training grounds of Rayo Vallecano to play our first match against the U-19 Team. Rayo Vallecano's first team competes in La Liga. The training facilities were very professional with four artificial turf fields and one grass field for the first team. The first team trained on the adjacent field while we played. Fellow alum, Sam Tojaga, who accompanied us on the trip, watched as much of their training as our match! Ethan Decker scored our first goal to go ahead, 1-0. Unfortunately, the lead was short lived as we conceded an equalizer within minutes off a corner. Ray Vallecano was very technical and tactically disciplined. The match ended 1-1, which was a good result. After lunch at Ciudad de Futbol, we transferred to Madrid to witness the UEFA Champions League match of Athletico Madrid versus Bayern Leverkusen. It was, without question, the highlight of the trip. It was the second leg of the round of 16 match. Bayern Leverkusen won the first leg, 1-0. Athletico was hosting the second leg needing a result to advance to the round of eight. We were dropped of about one mile from the stadium and upon leaving the bus, we could feel the energy in the air. After getting a quick dinner, we met as a team to make the final walk into the stadium. The players purchased Athletic scarves and jerseys in one of the makeshift tent retail stores, preparing to support the home side. The closer we got to the stadium, the energy grew and the masses of people sang and cheered for their team. It was only a sampling of what was to come once inside the stadium. The stadium was older and not nearly as dynamic as the Bernabeu, yet it had tremendous character. Walking up to our seats felt like walking up the basement steps of my grandmother's house.
As we made our way to the seats, the singing had already begun. In unison, 55,000 jumped, sang, chanted and even whistled in support of Athletico. It was truly a spiritual experience. Athletico were disciplined and simply outworked a resilient Leverkusen side to win the game 1-0 and force extra time. There was no score after two 15-minute periods, which forced penalty kicks to determine which team would advance. The fans simply willed the team on to win 3-2 in penalties. It was truly an awesome experience for everyone.
Wednesday, March 18
We departed for the Real Madrid training complex after breakfast. The Real Madrid staff trained the team for a short session in recovery form the match the previous day. The facilities were immaculate and were an indication of the "royal" stature of the club. The training was well planned and very useful for the team. Even though it was a rainy and cold morning, the team thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The training culminated with a short tour of the training complex for the team. We then transferred to the Bernabeu, where we ate lunch at the stadium dining facilities. The food was excellent as we dined while looking out over the field. After lunch, the team participated in a tour of the Bernabeu, viewing the locker rooms, tunnel to the field, as well as sitting on the field side benches (leather seats) the players use. This was another highlight for the team.
Thursday, March 19
After spending most of the day resting, we transferred to Alcala to play a La Liga third division reserve team. The club did not have near the resources or facilities of Rayo Vallecano nor Real Madrid. The match provided a great mental test for our team. The Alcala side was older and more physical. The team played well in getting goals from Ethan Decker and Joey Kunkel to win 2-0.
Friday, March 20
The players participated in a short spirited training and then depart after lunch for the picturesque city of Toledo. It was a larger, more touristy version of Segovia. It is a city known for its production of swords and it was very easy to locate a store selling the wares. Walking the streets created a cultural experience in itself. The large Cathedral was the highlight. It was a city that we wished we had more time to experience.
Saturday, March 21
After lunch in the town of La Rozas, we transferred back into Madrid for our final Futbol experience to watch Athletico play Gatafe in a La Liga match. The atmosphere approaching the stadium did not have quite the energy of Tuesday's match, yet it will still filled with excitement. Athletico disposed of Gatafe 2-0 and showed the same discipline and work ethic that is characteristic of their team. We could not help leaving Madrid as Athetico fans, at least to some extent.
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2015 Louisville Soccer Season Tickets
Season tickets for Louisville's second season at Dr. Mark and Cindy Lynn Stadium are now available. To obtain tickets for the 2015 soccer season, call Dan Cerwinske in the Louisville ticket office at (502) 852-0120 and place your $70 deposit. Ticket prices for the 2015 season will remain the same as the inaugural season and will start as low $45.
Season tickets for 2015 include every home match for both the men's and women's soccer programs. Men's home matches at Dr. Mark and Cindy Lynn Stadium will feature former Big East and American Conference rival Connecticut as well as in-state foe Kentucky. The women's team will once again host matches against the top programs in the ACC highlighted by 2014 College Cup winner Florida State and 21-time national champion North Carolina.
