The Notre Dame men’s soccer program is set to travel abroad on a 10-day foreign tour to England over the upcoming spring break.
“We are incredibly excited to head to England for a few days,” said Notre Dame head men’s soccer coach Chad Riley. “We have a great schedule of games to play and games to watch, it will be a soccer lovers dream trip. A huge thanks to all of our generous alumni and friends who helped fund this once in a lifetime trip for our team. We will get time to develop as a team on the field and off the field and truly make memories that will last a lifetime.”
The trip will have a broad focus, as the team will play against a number of English academy teams, learn about the English culture, go site-seeing and watch a few professional matches.
Upon arrival in England the team will head to Southampton to watch an English Premier League fixture between Tottenham and Southampton. Other matches the team will go to over the duration of the trip are Manchester City vs. Schalke 04 in the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16 and a West Ham vs. Huddersfield Town Premier League match.
The Irish will play three friendlies during their time overseas. Notre Dame will face Player Centre, Derby County U-19s and Brentford FC Reserves.
On top of playing and attending matches, the team will also have the opportunity to tour some of English football’s most hallowed grounds. On the schedule are private tours of Anfield (Liverpool), Old Trafford (Manchester United), St. Mary’s Stadium (Southampton) and St. George’s Park (English Football Association’s national football center).
Another highlight will be an afternoon of exploring the incredible Cathedral town of Chester, which features Medieval walls, Roman ruins and amphitheater and a Cathedral.
The Irish will also have an opportunity to see all the sights in London, including Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square and take a river cruise on the Thames. The team will spend some time in Liverpool, home of the Beatles and the famous Albert Docks.
The trip will be a unique experience that each Notre Dame men’s soccer student-athlete gets to experience once in their collegiate careers. Follow the team on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to keep up with the foreign adventure.
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