Colorado University Athletics
Photo by: Al Milligan
Buffs Enjoying FIFA World Cup, Looking Forward To Foreign Tour Next Summer
July 02, 2018 | Soccer
CU's soccer team will travel to France for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup
BOULDER – With the FIFA World Cup currently taking place in Russia, Colorado's soccer players have been paying close attention. The Buffs, like most high-level soccer players, are huge fans of the sport and watch when it is on tv.
The large contingent of CU players that support Cristiano Ronaldo took a hit on Saturday when Ronaldo's Portugal was eliminated. Speaking with players last week leading up to the knockout stage, several were pulling for Portugal, simply because of Ronaldo, who many consider to be the best men's player to ever play the sport.
Here were several of the responses to the question of, "who are you rooting for?":
"Portugal because Ronaldo is the GOAT."—junior Taylor Kornieck
"Brazil all the way."—senior Sarah Kinzner
"I'm cheering for England!"—senior Nancy Best
"I want Portugal to win because Ronaldo's level of play is unbelievable right now and I think he's deserving of a World Cup victory."—senior Scout Watson
"Individually, I'm rooting for Ronaldo because he's one of my favorite players and has been phenomenal this World Cup. Overall winner though, I'm thinking Spain will win."—senior Jorian Baucom
"I like Spain because I like Sergio Ramos a lot. It really messed everything up once Germany got out. I didn't have them winning, but I was shocked when they lost to South Korea. It is super up-in-the-air."—junior Kelsey Aaknes
"Brazil has been my favorite team since I was nine. Whenever I played FIFA [the video game], that was the first team I clicked on because I loved Adriano and Ronaldinho. I would be okay if Croatia won because I like Luca Modric, and I'd also really be okay if Sweden won, because I am Swedish. I can't see Spain winning based on how they are playing, especially with Sergio Ramos and Gerard Piqué in the back and with David de Gea not playing well. Mexico could win, but they did horrible against Sweden. It has been really inconsistent, but it is fun and exciting. I think it makes Americans more excited because the scores aren't 0-0 and no one team is dominating."—junior Jalen Tompkins
After three days of the Round of 16, only Kinzner and Tompkins's Brazil, and Best's England are remaining, a testament to Tompkins's comment about the play being really inconsistent, but exciting in this year's tournament.
Tompkins noted that there is more to watching the FIFA World Cup than just rooting for a team. It's an opportunity to learn and get better as a soccer player.
"Watching the World Cup, especially all these great teams, definitely helps me and my game in multiple aspects," Tompkins said, who broke several of CU's goalkeeping records last season as a sophomore. "One is just watching what other goalies do, how they react and their decision-making, what they do well, and just as importantly what they mess up on to learn from. But it's also what the defenders do and watching the forwards's tendencies. And probably for me, the most exciting thing about having the World Cup is seeing all the underdog teams succeed because it shows that anyone can win on any day, you just have to be on the same page from the players to coaches."
This year's men's FIFA World Cup is actually a preview of what CU's soccer team will experience next summer. The Buffs will be traveling to the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France for their foreign tour. NCAA teams are allowed to take a foreign tour once every four years and it gives teams a chance to experience other cultures and compete against professional teams around the world. The Buffs traveled to Spain in 2015, but the 2019 trip will a rare and unique opportunity to attend the FIFA Women's World Cup.
The NCAA permitting foreign tours is important as student-athletes are often limited in their abilities to study and travel abroad, something general students have the liberty to take advantage of, due to their commitment to their sport.
For many CU players, next summer's trip will be their first time traveling internationally.
"I have never been out of North America, so I am really excited to go overseas, especially to watch soccer and to be with the team," Aaknes said. "It will be the summer going into my senior year which will be a good note to start off on. It should be a really good experience."
CU's itinerary next June includes Paris, Montpellier, Sete, Nimes and will end in either Nice or Marseille. The team will also attend World Cup matches in Paris and Montpellier, or possibly in Sete, while also playing several exhibition matches during the trip. Some of the cultural experiences will include visiting the sights in each city and traveling throughout the country via train.
"The opportunity to go to France to compete against professional squads, while also taking in the FIFA Women's World Cup is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the players in our program," head coach Danny Sanchez said. "It's an opportunity to compete and catch the highest level of soccer in the world, but we're also able to bond as a team and a program. We went to Spain in 2015, and while the soccer is very important, the cultural and learning experience for our team and the players within it are really the biggest benefits of taking tours like this. We're very excited and it will be a great preparation for our 2019 season as we get to train and compete."
The cost for the trip is high—roughly $3,500 per person—but worth it for an experience the student-athletes will never forget.
CU fans interested in helping sponsor the trip or an athlete can contact Gabbie Pelloni at gabbie.pelloni@colorado.edu.
The large contingent of CU players that support Cristiano Ronaldo took a hit on Saturday when Ronaldo's Portugal was eliminated. Speaking with players last week leading up to the knockout stage, several were pulling for Portugal, simply because of Ronaldo, who many consider to be the best men's player to ever play the sport.
Here were several of the responses to the question of, "who are you rooting for?":
"Portugal because Ronaldo is the GOAT."—junior Taylor Kornieck
"Brazil all the way."—senior Sarah Kinzner
"I'm cheering for England!"—senior Nancy Best
"I want Portugal to win because Ronaldo's level of play is unbelievable right now and I think he's deserving of a World Cup victory."—senior Scout Watson
"Individually, I'm rooting for Ronaldo because he's one of my favorite players and has been phenomenal this World Cup. Overall winner though, I'm thinking Spain will win."—senior Jorian Baucom
"I like Spain because I like Sergio Ramos a lot. It really messed everything up once Germany got out. I didn't have them winning, but I was shocked when they lost to South Korea. It is super up-in-the-air."—junior Kelsey Aaknes
"Brazil has been my favorite team since I was nine. Whenever I played FIFA [the video game], that was the first team I clicked on because I loved Adriano and Ronaldinho. I would be okay if Croatia won because I like Luca Modric, and I'd also really be okay if Sweden won, because I am Swedish. I can't see Spain winning based on how they are playing, especially with Sergio Ramos and Gerard Piqué in the back and with David de Gea not playing well. Mexico could win, but they did horrible against Sweden. It has been really inconsistent, but it is fun and exciting. I think it makes Americans more excited because the scores aren't 0-0 and no one team is dominating."—junior Jalen Tompkins
After three days of the Round of 16, only Kinzner and Tompkins's Brazil, and Best's England are remaining, a testament to Tompkins's comment about the play being really inconsistent, but exciting in this year's tournament.
Tompkins noted that there is more to watching the FIFA World Cup than just rooting for a team. It's an opportunity to learn and get better as a soccer player.
"Watching the World Cup, especially all these great teams, definitely helps me and my game in multiple aspects," Tompkins said, who broke several of CU's goalkeeping records last season as a sophomore. "One is just watching what other goalies do, how they react and their decision-making, what they do well, and just as importantly what they mess up on to learn from. But it's also what the defenders do and watching the forwards's tendencies. And probably for me, the most exciting thing about having the World Cup is seeing all the underdog teams succeed because it shows that anyone can win on any day, you just have to be on the same page from the players to coaches."
This year's men's FIFA World Cup is actually a preview of what CU's soccer team will experience next summer. The Buffs will be traveling to the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France for their foreign tour. NCAA teams are allowed to take a foreign tour once every four years and it gives teams a chance to experience other cultures and compete against professional teams around the world. The Buffs traveled to Spain in 2015, but the 2019 trip will a rare and unique opportunity to attend the FIFA Women's World Cup.
The NCAA permitting foreign tours is important as student-athletes are often limited in their abilities to study and travel abroad, something general students have the liberty to take advantage of, due to their commitment to their sport.
For many CU players, next summer's trip will be their first time traveling internationally.
"I have never been out of North America, so I am really excited to go overseas, especially to watch soccer and to be with the team," Aaknes said. "It will be the summer going into my senior year which will be a good note to start off on. It should be a really good experience."
CU's itinerary next June includes Paris, Montpellier, Sete, Nimes and will end in either Nice or Marseille. The team will also attend World Cup matches in Paris and Montpellier, or possibly in Sete, while also playing several exhibition matches during the trip. Some of the cultural experiences will include visiting the sights in each city and traveling throughout the country via train.
"The opportunity to go to France to compete against professional squads, while also taking in the FIFA Women's World Cup is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the players in our program," head coach Danny Sanchez said. "It's an opportunity to compete and catch the highest level of soccer in the world, but we're also able to bond as a team and a program. We went to Spain in 2015, and while the soccer is very important, the cultural and learning experience for our team and the players within it are really the biggest benefits of taking tours like this. We're very excited and it will be a great preparation for our 2019 season as we get to train and compete."
The cost for the trip is high—roughly $3,500 per person—but worth it for an experience the student-athletes will never forget.
CU fans interested in helping sponsor the trip or an athlete can contact Gabbie Pelloni at gabbie.pelloni@colorado.edu.
Players Mentioned
D
/ Soccer
F
/ Soccer
M
/ Soccer
M
/ Soccer
M
/ Soccer
GK
/ Soccer
GK
/ SoccerMonday, April 06
Tuesday, November 25
Thursday, November 20
Thursday, November 20