MOUNTAINEERS ABROAD 2012
The Mountaineers’ fourth international tour featured a nine-day tour of Spain. West Virginia spent March 24-April 1, 2012, in Madrid and Barcelona. Madrid attractions included the Royal Palace, Plaza Mayor, Almudena Cathedral and Puerta de Alcala, as well as a trip to Toledo, the old capital of Spain. Barcelona featured visits to The Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family, walking tours of downtown and the marketplace, a bus trip to view Montserratand – a jagged mountain landscape region, and plenty of shopping. WVU posted a 3-1 record against local and regional club teams, saw one professional game and took guided tours to Real Madrid’s Bernebeu Stadium and FC Barcelona’s Nou Camp Stadium.
2008
Billed as the trip of a lifetime, the West Virginia University women’s soccer team traveled to the Czech Republic and Italy for a 10-day spring break tour of Europe. The Mountaineers spent March 20-30, 2008, playing four games while exploring new cultures. The team also took in some sightseeing, which featured stops at some of the world’s most famous places – Prague Castle, Lesser Town, Old Town Square, Vatican City, the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Square and more.
2004
During spring break 2004, West Virginia University took advantage of the NCAA rule that permits international travel once every four years by taking a 10-day tour of central and north-central Italy. The Mountaineers played five matches, earning a 2-2-1 record. West Virginia faced tough competition ranging from the U-21 Italian National Team, to which the Mountaineers fell 1-0, to Como 2000, a professional club squad WVU beat 3-0. When the Mountaineers weren’t training for upcoming matches or playing high-caliber soccer, they were able to visit such Italian landmarks as the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Vatican, take a ride on a gondola in Venice and enjoy the beauty of the Italian countryside.
1999
The West Virginia women’s soccer team took its first foreign tour in the summer of 1999 by traveling to Brazil. The Mountaineers used the opportunity to showcase their infant program against some of the nation’s top professional teams. Among those competing against WVU were members of Brazil’s 1998 World Cup team. One of the places WVU called home during its trip to Brazil was the beautiful campus of the University of Sao Paulo. Sao Paulo, the most populous Brazilian state, is a city with many renowned landmarks. Although it was winter in Brazil, the weather cooperated enough to allow the team to play some futbol on the beaches of Guara Hara.
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WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY