The past three days for the team on their tour of Switzerland have featured a wide range of activities from visiting the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, to a town known for its plays to one of the nations various mountaintops. Oh, and there was a little training and a few warm-up matches for International Swiss U16 Cup Thursday.

 

The prestigious International Swiss U16 Cup that is held every two years with some of Europe’s top youth academy teams and various National Teams.  Manchester City FC, Chelsea FC, and Borussia Dortmund headline the international tournament. 

 

 

 

 

 

It was the last day before the tournament, giving the team a little time for rest and exploration.

Michael Darby
You think its nice seeing the mountains from street level but it is unbelievable when you are on top. It dropped about 30 degrees from top to bottom but it was still worth it.

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday, August 1

We had about a three-hour bus ride to Oberammergau, Germany for our game against the Bavarian Regional Team. The trip was through the mountains of Switzerland, Austria and then Germany. Unfortunately, there was not a major highway from start to finish.

After lunch, the Mayor and the Head of the Bavarian Association arranged a tour for the boys of the Passion play. The town does 110 plays every 10 years and draws over a half a million visitors for them. The team then had time to tour the town before leaving for the game.

The game itself was a good last test prior to the tournament beginning on Thursday. Bavaria scored in the 40th minute to make the game 1-0 and that is the way it stood.

Following the game, both teams had dinner, a traditional Bavarian course which was pork and pretzel. They were also presented with the play books of the play on behalf of the mayor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The team had the privilege of visiting the headquarters of FIFA, the governing body for international soccer, located in Zurich, Switzerland. The team met Urs Linsi, the General Secretary of FIFA and toured the office where some of the biggest decisions in the world of football are made, including the deliberation room where the disciplinary hearings were held for the infamous Zinedine Zidane headbutt at the World Cup.

Tyler Arnone

The trip is going very well for me and the team. It’s an experience that will never be forgotten. We played our first game yesterday and played very well. Our team moved the ball like we have been playing for years. WE won a deserved 5-0 game and have a very good group of players and a great coaching staff that is needed to win the tournament. We are in a great city and Switzerland is a beautiful country. Switzerland is way different than New York and I am taking it all in. U.S.A. All the Way!

Nick Millington

Just like playing any other game but when you look up you’re dumbfounded by the beauty of the landscape and country.