By Colin Zaccagnio, a junior defender from Phoenix, AZ
Excitement flows through the Bulldogs as they gather around the Field House at 1:30pm PST to board their coach and depart to the Tom Bradley International Airport at LAX. The players spent the ten-hour flight to London Heathrow on American Airlines 136 watching the latest-released films, consuming the hard to decide between chicken or pasta dinners, and attempting to get comfortable enough to catch some Z's. Time flew at the cruising altitude of 31,000 feet and the Dogs found themselves with tired eyes and heavy legs waiting to head to the pitch for their first international practice. Excitement struck yet again as the boys laced up their boots at the Surrey Sports Park; however, the most thrilling event for the lads, specifically the Hawaiian #5, was when Coach Perez declared a good old-fashioned shirts vs skins scrimmage match. With their legs no longer fraught with jet lag and their stomachs growling, the University of Redlands men's soccer team departed back to Cobham for a delicious buffet dinner and a well-deserved night's rest.
Day 2: Sunday, May 8
Early alarms woke the mates for an English-style buffet breakfast which prepared them for their training session with Chelsea FC coaches. It appeared as if the California weather followed the team across the pond, as a beautiful, warm, and sunny day awaited the Redlands team. The Bulldogs enjoyed their first British warmup which consisted of entertaining yet challenging games to loosen up the legs and provided some quality laughs throughout the squad. The Chelsea coaches ran a transition- and possession-oriented practice, provided team and individual technical feedback, and complimented the Bulldogs' tenacious work ethic. After a quick rinse, the lads journeyed to their first professional match: Swindon Town vs. Shrewsbury Town FC. The League One matchup ended in the home side Swindon Town tallying three goals to the Shrewsbury nil. Downtown London was the next destination for the Dogs, and the team was able to see the historic Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, and the London Eye while observing the difference in culture from the States. Returning to their Cobham accommodations, another delightful, buffet dinner ended a busy and fun-filled second day in England.
Day 3: Monday, May 9
Packing up and checking out of their hotel, the Bulldogs filled their coach and journeyed to Shakespeare's hallowed origin of Stratford-upon-Avon. Seeing William's home and a very rural town gave the lads a different historic and cultural perspective. The next destination was the breathtaking St. George's Park, England's National Football Centre. Jaws dropped as the team approached this brilliant complex located among 330 acres in the Staffordshire countryside (the middle of nowhere). St. George's is home to thirteen outdoor pitches including a full size replica of Wembley Stadium, a full-size indoor pitch, an indoor Futsal arena, and sports science and rehabilitation suites. The Redlands men's soccer team was excited to train on these grounds and FA coach, Ian Baraclough, held a tactical practice with the squad on the David Beckham Field. Another English buffet dinner, some quality pool regeneration, and downtime before bed would aid in preparing the Bulldogs for their first professional match in England.
Day 4: Tuesday, May 10
The California-esque weather that had seemed to follow the lads across the pond was overcome by the English norm. Nothing but cloudy skies and steady rain greeted the Bulldogs in the morning of their first of three matches in the UK, a comfortable climate for the Pacific Northwest players but a nightmare for the California and Arizona natives. Gordon Strachen Academy would be the opponent for the Dogs, and a classic Ralph Perez pregame speech pumped the team up to demonstrate the quality of American soccer overseas. Down 1-0 at halftime, the University of Redlands showcased a Bulldog effort to find the net twice in a challenging, wet, and thrilling comeback victory. Nothing but smiles and laughter was among the team after the match. After some warm showers and pizza pies, the Dogs had some downtime to explore the incredible facility they were fortunate to be staying at. The lads then watched as West Ham United defended their home turf for one final match. Playing against some of the Bulldogs' favorited Manchester United, an exciting 3-2 victory for the Irons over the Red Devils provided a fun-filled Tuesday evening to top off an eventful day.
Day 5: Wednesday, May 11
The Redlands chaps were up early on Wednesday as they traveled to Liverpool for their second professional match. First, however, a stunning tour of St. George's Park's pitches and facilities gave the Dogs an idea of what England's first-rate footballers have at their disposal to improve their game. The inspirational tour came to an end and a three-hour bus ride to the historic town of Liverpool began. The time of the trips to and from different locations was easily passed by intriguing conversations, chanting football songs, entertaining stories from the coach driver, and the well-needed short nap. The team arrived at the complex for their second match and gazed upon the perfectly trimmed pitch where some of the brightest young Liverpool football stars are currently being brought up and trained. The Bulldogs cruised to a 4-0 victory over Robby Fowler Academy. A quick drive to Manchester was next on the agenda. Inching closer and closer the Manchester United's stadium, Old Trafford, the coach (bus) finally arrived at the accommodations for the next three evenings: Hotel Football, directly across from the stadium. A hotel where everything you can imagine (wallpaper, headboards, toiletries, restaurant menu choices, etc.) is football-oriented seemed like heaven to the lads. This was until they ventured the top floor of the hotel (labeled "H" for Heaven in the elevated) where an immaculate 5 versus 5 turf field overlooked the beautiful city of Manchester. This would be the most amazing hotel the Dogs would stay in for their entire lifetimes. After a filling dinner, the squad kicked backed and relaxed in their Manchester haven.
Day 6: Thursday May 12
The restaurant at Hotel Football boasted a beautiful view of Old Trafford, which the Redlands mates smiled upon while slowly waking up. A training session with a highly decorated Manchester United coach was soon approaching, and the Bulldogs were excited to learn from one of England's best. Mark Priest gave the team a training session working on speed of play and the transition of the game's tempo. Identifying some tactical areas of improvement for the squad and refining technical abilities of the players were large impacts from the new Jamie Vardy Academy Head Coach. With the last training session under their belts, the lads headed back to Hotel Football for a quick shower before a tour of Old Trafford. The highlights of the tour included learning the history of the world's third-richest club, seeing all aspects of the iconic stadium, and even getting a chance to walk through the pregame tunnel. The lads were then driven into downtown Manchester where they were able to see the true character and some historical landmarks of the city. Some of the Dogs even tried their first batch of Fish & Chips! A fun dinner and evening consisting of simple games like Wink Murderer and Mafia allowed for some quality laughs as a team before the night concluded.
Day 7: Friday, May 13
The boys walked confidently out onto the pitch linked up as a band of brothers ready to enforce their will upon their last opponent: Liverpool Foundation Academy's U21 team. The match took place at a complex less than a mile from the famous Anfield Stadium, home of Liverpool FC. The physicality of the game, characterized by rough challenges and many fouls, proved an obstacle for the Bulldogs but was quickly hurdled as Jesus Avalos scored a firecracker of a goal from outside of the box. The Dogs went on to keep the shutout and defeat Liverpool 1-0, impressively completing the undefeated, three wins, zero losses record in England. To celebrate this great demonstration of Bulldog and American soccer, the Redlands gents visited Liverpool's Anfield and Everton's Goodison Park. After checking out these historic landmarks, the Dogs visited downtown Liverpool to shop for football club gear and get a sense for the city. The team returned back to Hotel Football after a long and successful seventh day in England.
Day 8: Saturday, May 14
The morning began with a trip to one of the largest football venues in England: Manchester City's Etihad Stadium. A four-hour coach-ride back to London ended at Chelsea Football Club's Stamford Bridge where the gents were able to visit the museum, tour the stadium, and shop at the megastore. The lads then split up to explore downtown London for a couple hours. The popular choices of how to spend this time was to go visit Arsenal's Emirates Stadium or to check out the shops along some famous London streets. This was the team's first day without playing football, an odd thing for the team members. A full week had passed since they first arrived there at the beginning of this trip, but the chaps travelled back to their accommodations in Cobham to get a good night's rest.
Day 9: Sunday, May 15
An eventful day lay ahead for the Dogs as their final full day in the United Kingdom began. A trip to Windsor Castle, home of the Queen (Cheers be to her), was first on tap. The Redlands mates saw the castle, explored the city of Windsor, and glanced down the Long Walk. The next stop was Birmingham for something the entire team had been looking forward to: an English Premier League match. The home side of West Bromwich Albion was taking on Liverpool in the last game of the season. With deafening chants being sung throughout the game, the Dogs witnessed in person one of the highest levels of the sport they love. The match ended in a 1-1 draw. The importance of football in England was made clear when a few of the Redlands players sitting in the home supporters section stood up to cheer for (the away side) Liverpool's goal and were nearly removed from the stadium due to complaints from the home fans. Relaxing in the hotel, reflecting on the best parts of the trip, and preparing for the journey back across the pond to America was how the lads spent their final night in London.
Day 10: Monday, May 16
The last day in England for the University of Redlands men's soccer team started off with a fantastic breakfast. The team spotted Roberto Di Matteo, former Chelsea FC manager who coached the Champions League winning side in 2012, eating in the restaurant of the Cobham Hilton. Coach Perez spoke with the newly-appointed Aston Villa manager in front of the team and made some connections about shared acquaintances. RDM seemed very interested in the team and in the growth of the sport in the US and the success of MLS. The squad, after eating and speaking with this famous manager, loaded into the bus and headed to London Heathrow International Airport. England had certainly exceeded the lads' expectations and created memories that will last a lifetime for 23 Bulldogs.
Author's Notes:
We are definitely a very fortunate and blessed group to have experienced a new culture and taken our soccer passion and skills abroad. A lot of hard work and generous donations from a myriad of parties was needed to make this trip possible, and to everyone who aided in making it feasible, I extend my sincere gratitude. What we did throughout these ten days was absolutely incredible; however, it was doing these things alongside our teammates that made it so fun and rewarding. This trip helped us bond like I have never seen before on any team I have been on. I believe we are one of the most close-knit collegiate teams in the country and that this experience will help our team accomplish great things in the near future. Our diversity and competitiveness, combined with this newfound bond, will surely define this program for years to come. I gleaned an extraordinary amount of knowledge in a week and a half. I learned about English culture and history, football as a religion, awful currency exchange rates, how to pass time on long bus rides, the true characters of my teammates, and how lucky I am to call myself a Bulldog for Life. Cheers!
Check out these photos albums from the trip!
Soccer Action Photos by John Yates
Sight-seeing Photos by John Yates