Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Pictures are Ready!

We had an awesome time in England for 2 weeks, but it is great to be back home! It has taken me several days to go through all of the pictures from the trip and get them uploaded so that everyone can see them. In an attempt to save space and time, I have only uploaded the pictures with people in them! I assumed that those would be of most interest to everyone...especially the team. However, if you are interested in seeing the "scenic" pictures as well, just let me know in the comment section below and I will work on getting those uploaded!
Again, we had a wonderful time. Thank you to everyone who played a part in the planning and execution of the trip, especially Mr. Maloney and Coach Pratt...it couldn't have gone more smoothly!

To view and/or purchase the pictures CLICK HERE.

If that doesn't work just copy and paste the following link into your browser's address bar.

Hope you enjoy!

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Unconnected

It has been a crazy week full of fun activities and soccer matches. We moved to a new school on Sunday and have been unable to connect to a wireless connection in order to update our blog and post pictures. We were assured on Sunday that the WiFi would be up and running on Monday and we would be given the security codes to log on. Well, Monday came and we were told that they were having issues setting it up, but that we would absolutely be up and running by Tuesday. On Tuesday, we were given the security codes to log on, but when we tried them they didn't work! AAAH! It was too late in the day to do anything about it and we were going to be gone from 8:00am until around midnight on Wednesday, so we were stuck! I will be posting pictures from the rest of our trip next week when we are back in Montevallo. We apologize for not being able to do so sooner! We are headed back to the States at 5 am tomorrow morning and even though we have all had a fantastic time here, we are all ready to be home! Thanks for checking in with us everyday!

UM vs. Garforth Town by Juan Lemos

We arrived at the stadium just about an hour prior to kickoff. The pitch was in perfect condition and you could feel the professional atmosphere. We walked out of the tunnel to begin the match just like all the professional teams.

We played really today...the team was finally able to gain some chemistry as everyone was moving off the ball good and passing well into the spaces. Everyone new where their teammates was and it was a real joy to play in a stadium with so much history. It was even more enjoyable as we went on to win 6-1.

English Premier League game (Sunderland vs Chelsea) by Matt Maughn

Today I can say that one of my dreams became a reality! Today I got to experience an official English Premier League soccer match. What made this experience even better was that I got to watch my favorite team play...CHELSEA FC!! As my teammates and I walked towards the stadium it still felt as if I was dreaming. I'm so used to watching to European soccer games on TV or the internet so the excitement I was feeling was overwhelming.

Inside the stadium, the atmosphere was electric and fascinating. 40,000 screaming Sunderland fans coordinating chants and becoming one voice was incredible. I wanted to cheer on Chelsea squad so desperately but couldn't because we were right in the middle of the Sunderland fans and thats a big no-no over here!!

As for the game itself...Chelsea dominated the match. They were in control from start to finish despite going down 1-0 within the first 15 minutes...they came back to win by scoring 3 second half goals for the final of 3-1. Chelsea's passing and their movement was a beautiful thing to watch.

I really enjoyed and apprecitat my experience tonight! I hope some day I can come back to Europe to watch my team play again!

I want to thank the Coaches, Ged Maloney, my teammates, and my mother for providing and making this day one I will never forget...Thank You!

Saturday, August 15, 2009

London by Alex Ghoja

We arrived in London by train from Stanmore to Green Park. As we mosied our way out of the station, we came upon such an enormous resurrected structure that blocked any possible sunlight from reaching us, Big Ben. After taking many photos of this great architectural wonder, we proceeded toward the House of Parliament. After seeing the gigantic line at the house of parliament, we settled for taking pictures with the eloquently dressed, top-hatted security guards. Not wasting any of our precious time, we steadfastly moved toward the London Eye (aka Giant Ferris Wheel). Overlooking a river in London, the London Eye is a great place to view one of the most historic and cherished cities of all time. To stay in tune with our fashionable senses, we ventured to Oxford Street. On Oxford Street, we shopped until our hearts were content and our pockets were empty and we took away our piece of London. Having some energy left to carry on forward, we jaunted over to Buckingham Palace. Though Americans will never understand what living in a monarchical society is about, it is evident that the British have lived in harmony with one for centuries and Buckingham Palace is a true testament of time. Feeling a bit claustrophobic, we headed towards the nearby park to get some fresh air. At the park we saw an extraordinary amount of people, some that lived there and some that didn't. Never have I ever seen such friendly squirrels and though it was time consuming, my time with the squirrels will never be forgotten. After contributing some welfare to the squirrels, it was time to contribute to myself. We scurried over towards the closest restaurant to have a taste of London cuisine. Not to spoil ourselves, we settled for a British favorite "fish and chips" and quenched our thirst. Feeling rejuvenated and energetic, we whisked our way toward the streets of London. Shortly after time was coming to an end and we had to meet at the station. Arriving at the station, I reminisced about my journey to London. Just being in the city where William Shakespeare once resided had a profound impact on my outlook of life. Though many people look to Shakespeare's work as marvels, I aspire to have people visit my culture in America and marvel over my blog.

Friday, August 14, 2009

day 4

This morning the team had a 2 hour practice session at the Doncaster championship training facility. Afterwards, we came back to campus to eat lunch and allow the guys to shower before heading out to York to do some shopping at an outlet center. It was a nice, much needed break for everyone. Ryan and Justin have finally mastered the left-side driving, and as of yesterday, Ryan and I have become navigator extraordinaires! (Take THAT Roundabouts!)

Tomorrow, we take our trip down to London. It will take us about 3 hours to get there and even though it will be an extremely long day, we are all super excited to see all of the beautiful sights the city has to offer. Check back on Sunday to read about all of our adventures in the magnificent capitol city!!




Thursday, August 13, 2009

various pictures

**I've added pictures to earlier posts as well, so be sure to scroll down to see them!