around Boca Juniors and River Plate stadiums gave the boys insight into professional football in Argentina, and they attended a live match from the Primera Division between Tigre and San Lorenzo. A number of boys attended other matches with their host families. College played five games in Buenos Aires in the first part of the tour and, as was the case last time, held their own against the school teams.
made for an awesome experience. The trip down to El Calafate was definitely worth it. The final leg of the tour was in Uruguay. A bus, plane, bus, ferry and bus mission to get from El Calafate to Montevideo in Uruguay was a long haul, but meant that we would be into our next round of games. Hosted by Woodside School in Punta Del Este, College played two games against our hosts and one
After the week in Buenos Aires, the group flew south to the region of Patagonia and the town of El Calafate. This would be the base for two days of exploration around Los Glacieres National Park. The beauty of the different glaciers we visited is hard to describe. The mini-trek the group did along the top of the Perito Moreno glacier was like walking around a different planet. The pure whites and blues of the ice and snow, plus the chilly temperatures
Because club football is the big priority in Argentina, the school teams do not always have the highest quality players or are not the most organised. With the College boys having played together all season in their various teams, they were a good match for the physical, skilful and passionate local players. A 7-1 win against St Matthew’s Belgrano got the tour started, and then 0-1 and 4-6 losses to St Matthew’s Pilar and Marin de Arriola respectively, a 2-2 draw with Colegio Esquiu and a 1-2 loss to Oakhill School made for some entertaining fixtures. It was pleasing to see the younger players of the group rise to the challenge and the leadership of the seniors have a good effect on the group. The coaches experimented with the players and teams at times, which probably cost College overall, but the purpose of the tour was learning and preparing for the future.
A break from football at Perito Moreno Glacier near El Calafate.
43
College Issue 30 2016
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs