Colorado Soccer begins its 2024 international tour with stops in London and Barcelona from May 10th to May 20th. Lola Stanley, Lawson Willis, Angelina Moschetti, and Juliauna Hayward will be blogging about everything happening on a rotating basis. Fans can also follow him on Instagram and his Twitter @CUBuffsSoccer.
May 16th
Today was our first full day of adventure and fun in Barcelona!
We started with breakfast at the hotel and there were lots of choices. We then headed into the city and had a day to ourselves, exploring the La Boqueria market, beautiful beaches, and more.
For lunch we tried a variety of tapas and paella. Afterwards, we had a chance to walk around the streets of Barcelona, and many people did some shopping.
After our adventure we went to the women's match between Espanyol and Osasuna. Espanyol won her 3-1 and clinched promotion to La Liga.
We returned to the hotel and had a good rest in preparation for tomorrow's final match against Espanyol reserves.
Thank you for your support!
angelina
May 15th
Change of location!
We started our day early this morning by boarding a plane to Barcelona, Spain. Most of the day was spent traveling, but the beauty of Barcelona was not hidden in the process. We are so excited to explore more of Spain and are so grateful for our journey so far.
After a long day of travel and rest in between, we played the second match of the tour. They faced RCD Espanyol's U19 team and got off to a good start with two first-half goals from Sami Fischer and Eva Priest. Sami added another goal in the second half, and we were able to win 3-0!
So I'm very excited to continue immersing myself in another culture and have an eventful few days ahead. We feel very lucky for this experience and for everyone involved in the program, and we can't wait to see what's to come.
As always, Sko Buffs!
roller
May 14th
Hello, Buffs fans!
Today was a crazy day! We started the morning by waking up and having a delicious breakfast. Then we went to Richmond, where we were looking for Ted Lasso. We saw a lot of lookalikes, but unfortunately we never got to see the real Ted. We stopped by his apartment, 11A, and knocked several times, but he didn't answer.
We kept looking and ended up at Fuller's Pub. There, everyone went there to watch the AFC Richmond game on the show. Ted didn't see it, but Pub did. It was very cool.
Next we headed to the subway. We may have gotten lost a few times, but we made it safely to the main event, Manchester City vs. Tottenham Hotspur. We walked around and got a feel for the pre-game atmosphere before entering the stadium. Man City won 2-0 and it was a great time for all of us. On our last night in London, we were able to experience a real Premier League match.
We got back on the bus to our hotel and finished the night listening to some great music before waking up in the morning and flying to Barcelona.
-Juliana Hayward
May 13th
Hello Buffs fans!
On our third day in London, we started to get used to the jet lag and enjoyed a fun day, even though the city was a bit cold and cloudy. The weather has been typical for England, but the past two days have been marred by rare sunny days. We started the day with breakfast, and several members of the team were brave with their choices and embraced British delicacies such as beans, toast, and grilled tomatoes. Perhaps by the end of the day someone will try Blood Sausage, but for now it's still a work in progress.
After breakfast, we headed to the south bank of the River Thames to ride the London Eye, one of London's most popular attractions. Phoenix, who happens to be afraid of heights, was a little hesitant, but we were all excited to see his 360 degree view of all of London. We enjoyed seeing landmarks like Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, and St. Paul's Cathedral.
From over 400 feet in the air, we were all able to map out where we planned to go on our free day in the city. Once on the ground (much to Phoenix's relief), we headed off in a different direction to explore. Some of us discovered the darker, darker side of London's history at the London Dungeon and learned about creepy characters like Jack the Ripper and Todd Sweeney. Others took a lighter approach, walking around the city enjoying different types of food, seeing more landmarks than they probably should, and doing some shopping. I'm sure everyone walked at least five miles or got a good practice ride on the subway. It will definitely come in handy tomorrow.
After a full day, tomorrow we'll take some rest and explore some more before heading to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the evening to watch defending champions Manchester City take on Spurs.
speak immediately,
Lawson Willis
May 12
Happy Sunday, Buffs fans!
Today was a day full of adventure. The morning started simply with breakfast at the hotel. Some girls tried English breakfasts like toast and baked beans to immerse themselves in the culture, while others stuck to the basics like hash browns and eggs.
This was followed by a match against Haringey Borough FC. The final score was 9-0, he played great football and played very well. We also laughed a lot and enjoyed our time playing on the international team.
After the game, we dressed up like the girls and headed into town. We split into groups and tried out different restaurants in London, including rooftop lounges, sushi, and Indian food. After these wonderful dinners, we walked around and explored the amazing architecture, shops, and everything London has to offer. As we boarded the bus back to the hotel, Giuliauna (Hayward) and the coaches got on the AUX and played some music for us all to sing along and enjoy each other's company and end a great day.
Overall, this trip was great and we are all very grateful to be here.
Scobuff,
angelina moschetti
May 11th
Today, we arrived in London and started working in earnest. We were tired but excited to see the city so we were able to walk a few miles and explore. We visited some of London's most famous attractions, including Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, and Leicester Square.
We are very excited about our next few adventures in London and can't wait for our first European Tour match against Haringey Borough FC tomorrow at 2pm (local time).
Check back tomorrow, Sko buffs!
-Laura Stanley
