George Washington University Athletics
GW Men's Soccer to Tour Spain This Spring
2/25/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
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Feb. 25, 2015
WASHINGTON - The George Washington men's soccer team will travel to Spain during Spring Break to serve as ambassadors of the university and the sport of soccer and to play several games against Spanish competition, the GW Department of Athletics and Recreation announced. The Colonials will spend eight days abroad from March 7-15, 2015.
"Our team has a strong international influence with players from six different countries, and this is a tremendous opportunity for our guys to experience yet another culture," said Head Coach Craig Jones. "We are extremely grateful for this opportunity to serve as ambassadors of George Washington University."
This will be the men's soccer team's first foreign tour since a preseason training trip to England in 2007.
"We want to thank our generous donors who made this trip possible for our men's soccer team," said Director of Athletics and Recreation Patrick Nero. "International travel is such an important part of the college experience, especially at GW. This trip is about so much more than soccer; it's about higher learning and life enrichment. As our men's and women's basketball and women's lacrosse teams have done on their foreign tours in recent years, we hope the men's soccer program uses this opportunity to not only bond as a team but also broaden their horizons by immersing themselves into another culture."
The traveling party will depart from Washington Dulles on March 7 for an overnight flight to Barcelona. The team will stay in Santa Susanna, a seaside resort 50 minutes north of Barcelona on the beaches of the Costa Brava region. The old town of Santa Susanna, with origins that date to medieval times, retains much of its original charm with narrow cobbled streets, ancient buildings and monuments and traditional way of life.
GW's weeklong stay will include a guided tour of Barcelona, the largest metropolis on the Mediterranean Sea and the second-largest city in Spain. The Colonials will see the Sagrada Familia, a large unfinished Roman Catholic church; the lively central street of Las Ramblas; the Gothic Cathedral; the Picasso Museum; and Port Vell, the old port of Barcelona. The team will also visit Camp Nou Stadium, home of FC Barcelona.
The Colonials will also explore the city of Girona, which is situated midway between the Mediterranean Sea and the Pyrenees Mountains. Girona's Old Town is one of the most evocative historical centers in Catalonia with a number of unique elements, including the Carolingian wall, a well-preserved Jewish quarter and the Cathedral's gothic nave, the widest in the world.
In addition to sightseeing, the Colonials will have three practice sessions and play three friendly matches against Spanish opposition throughout the week.
The team will depart from Barcelona on the morning of March 15 and return home that evening.
