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Princeton University Athletics
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/ Men's SoccerPrinceton in Portugal: Day 2
March 21, 2017 | Men's Soccer
Day 2 Photo Gallery
The second day of our trip started bright and early at eight in the morning. Breakfast consisted of an assortment of meats and cheeses with fresh fruit. All of the food looked slightly different than what we are used to, but was nonetheless fantastic. Much to the delight of coffee drinkers, an elite team consisting of James Reiner, Coach Totten, and Mark Romanowski managed to figure out how to use the relatively simple espresso machine after many minutes of frustrated trial and error.Â
After having finished breakfast, the team took the bus to go train at the AC Porto Salvio complex. The facility we used today and yesterday is extremely nice and is situated on the top of one of the many rolling green hills that surround Lisbon. As always, the session was intense and productive as we prepare for the upcoming games. However, there was a player who really stood out at practice today. Josh Haberman, one of our retired seniors managed to not only spend the better part of warmup fascinated with a bug he found in the turf, but also let himself get scored on by a free kick from upwards of 30 yards despite the goal being smaller than regulation size. It was particularly painful to see the goalie struggle today, but surprisingly his performance was rivaled later in the day by yet another senior.
After practice, we get back on the bus and head to Benfica's stadium where we eat yet another fantastic meal in a restaurant at the stadium. After lunch, the team had a tour of the stadium where we get to see the locker room, the press conference room, and walk down next to the pitch. During the tour we are greeted by an astounding four bald-eagles, which was four more bald-eagles than I expected to see on the tour. Apparently, they are the club's mascot and fly around the stadium before landing in the center circle before every home game. Some of the guys bought stuff in Benfica's gift shop, and then we head off to the Hellen Keller Center.
At the Hellen Keller Center, we're taught a new game called Goal Ball, which requires wearing goggles that block sight and throwing a ball with bells inside it. The point of the game is to use your sense of hearing to detect where the ball is and block it before it crosses the line. After watching a few plays, I decide to step in, and I was absolutely annihilated by the kids who were already playing. After learning Goal Ball, Coach Goldstein takes over and runs a practice with everybody and we played soccer with the kids. This is where the other senior saw his soccer career flash before his eyes. During a competitive game of soccer, Bryan Windsor gets nutmegged by a kid half his age. For those of you unfamiliar with a nutmeg, it is the equivalent of getting dunked on in basketball, and this particular nutmeg caused the entire soccer team and the 50 other kids watching to erupt in laughter and applause. Some say Bryan bought a ticket back to New Jersey and saw no reason to continue his trip, but I say the trip can only get better from there.
We end our night at Alfalma Grill Restaurant in downtown Lisbon where we are exposed to the musical genre of Fado. Fado is a melancholy form of music that can be traced to the early 19th century and consisted of a singer, guitar, and viola. The performance was well received by the team, particularly by Nick Badalamenti, who will be embarrassed to hear that I could faintly hear him singing along at times. In addition to the music, the meal was delicious and provided the perfect end to a busy day.
All in all, it was a brilliant day from start to finish, and everyone is looking forward to yet another day in Lisbon.
Â
Will Lentz '19
Â
The second day of our trip started bright and early at eight in the morning. Breakfast consisted of an assortment of meats and cheeses with fresh fruit. All of the food looked slightly different than what we are used to, but was nonetheless fantastic. Much to the delight of coffee drinkers, an elite team consisting of James Reiner, Coach Totten, and Mark Romanowski managed to figure out how to use the relatively simple espresso machine after many minutes of frustrated trial and error.Â
After having finished breakfast, the team took the bus to go train at the AC Porto Salvio complex. The facility we used today and yesterday is extremely nice and is situated on the top of one of the many rolling green hills that surround Lisbon. As always, the session was intense and productive as we prepare for the upcoming games. However, there was a player who really stood out at practice today. Josh Haberman, one of our retired seniors managed to not only spend the better part of warmup fascinated with a bug he found in the turf, but also let himself get scored on by a free kick from upwards of 30 yards despite the goal being smaller than regulation size. It was particularly painful to see the goalie struggle today, but surprisingly his performance was rivaled later in the day by yet another senior.
After practice, we get back on the bus and head to Benfica's stadium where we eat yet another fantastic meal in a restaurant at the stadium. After lunch, the team had a tour of the stadium where we get to see the locker room, the press conference room, and walk down next to the pitch. During the tour we are greeted by an astounding four bald-eagles, which was four more bald-eagles than I expected to see on the tour. Apparently, they are the club's mascot and fly around the stadium before landing in the center circle before every home game. Some of the guys bought stuff in Benfica's gift shop, and then we head off to the Hellen Keller Center.
At the Hellen Keller Center, we're taught a new game called Goal Ball, which requires wearing goggles that block sight and throwing a ball with bells inside it. The point of the game is to use your sense of hearing to detect where the ball is and block it before it crosses the line. After watching a few plays, I decide to step in, and I was absolutely annihilated by the kids who were already playing. After learning Goal Ball, Coach Goldstein takes over and runs a practice with everybody and we played soccer with the kids. This is where the other senior saw his soccer career flash before his eyes. During a competitive game of soccer, Bryan Windsor gets nutmegged by a kid half his age. For those of you unfamiliar with a nutmeg, it is the equivalent of getting dunked on in basketball, and this particular nutmeg caused the entire soccer team and the 50 other kids watching to erupt in laughter and applause. Some say Bryan bought a ticket back to New Jersey and saw no reason to continue his trip, but I say the trip can only get better from there.
We end our night at Alfalma Grill Restaurant in downtown Lisbon where we are exposed to the musical genre of Fado. Fado is a melancholy form of music that can be traced to the early 19th century and consisted of a singer, guitar, and viola. The performance was well received by the team, particularly by Nick Badalamenti, who will be embarrassed to hear that I could faintly hear him singing along at times. In addition to the music, the meal was delicious and provided the perfect end to a busy day.
All in all, it was a brilliant day from start to finish, and everyone is looking forward to yet another day in Lisbon.
Â
Will Lentz '19
Â
Friday, May 22
Tuesday, May 06
Tuesday, June 04
Wednesday, April 24