The Muhlenberg men’s soccer team is preparing for its upcoming season by spending 10 days in Barcelona. Head coach Sean Topping sent back the following recap of the first few days:

Day 1: ARRIVAL/ESPANYOL MATCH

After a long flight from JFK to Paris and then a sprint through customs we just barely got everyone aboard our connection to Barcelona. We finally arrived at our hotel at around 3:30 p.m. … A quick shower, a quick dinner, and then we boarded the bus to go watch a friendly between Espanyol and Montpellier HSC (French champions last year). 

It was an enjoyable match to watch, with the home team winning 2-0. The group was starting to fade during the match as many were caught falling asleep … After the match, we headed back to the hotel for some much-needed sleep.

Day 2: GAME/LA RAMBLA

After our much-needed sleep we were up early and off to our first match against U.E. Avia in Berga, about one hour outside Barcelona. The town of Berga was at the foot of a small mountain and was a picturesque setting. 

The field was a tight turf field that was very fast, not good when you’re playing the Spanish, who can move the ball quickly. We quickly found out that if we give the ball away we might not see it back for a while.

They were a professional team in the Spanish 5 division, where all of the players are paid a bit to play while also holding full-time jobs. We struggled to get a rhythm in the first half and gave up a goal after giving the ball away outside our box. We went down 2-0 after the referee (arbitro) gave a very soft direct kick just outside our box.

Needless to say we were happy to hear the halftime whistle. The second half started much better as we looked more relaxed and started to have some opportunities at goal. We cut the deficit in half when Chris Royer cut the ball inside and found Danny Way over top, who controlled the ball and slid it into the far corner underneath the GK for our first goal of the trip.

We pressed for an equalizer but it never came and so we lost 2-1 in a well-played match by both sides.

After the match we headed back to the hotel to change and then onto the metro and down to La Rambla (the main strip down to the water) for some dinner. My wife, assistant coach A.J. Barnold and I headed with some others down to check out the beach scene once arriving downtown. Needless to say the tapas food beachside did not disappoint! 

Day 3: GAUDI/OLYMPIC PARK/BEACH

Up early once again, the team went on a quick run to FC Barcelona’s stadium Camp Nou. After a quick shower, we were back on the bus for a city tour.

We drove past couple of Antoni Gaudi works of art (buildings he constructed). The architecture was amazing to see! Next on thetour was a stop at Park Guell, where Gaudi built most of the buildings and infrastructure in the park with interesting benches, hallways and more.

Next was a stop at the famous Sagrada Familia, Gaudi’s cathedral that is still being built today and will not be finished until 2026, 100 years after his death. Back on the bus and the next stop was at the 1992 Olympic Stadium, where the opening and closing ceremonies took place overlooking the city. 

The team decided it was some time for some fun and so we spent three hours today at the beach, where to my surprise a few boys got into the European spirit and wore red speedos. Tonight we will be heading back downtown for a tapas dinner.