In May, the Clemson men’s soccer team traveled to Italy, where the team played soccer against other teams, attending matches and learning about history.
Similar to what the men’s basketball team did last year when they traveled to France, the Tigers went abroad for 12 days with hopes to learn about the other side of the world and build chemistry, as well as bond together as a team.
The trip began after five games this spring, where the team faced teams across the ACC as well as the second team to Charlotte F.C., the MLS team in Charlotte. These scrimmages began on February 26 and ended on April 16.
The team went to two soccer games in the Serie A Italian League, traveling to Lazio to watch them face Lecce, and then to Milan to watch AC Milan win against Sampdoria.
The Tigers played two teams during their time in Italy. The first was against U.C. Sampdoria, where the team earned a hard win. The second game was against U.S.C. Pontedera in Milan to close out their trip across the Atlantic Ocean. With a new-look team, from seniors graduating and players entering the MLS SuperDraft, the players were able to build chemistry between a new Clemson United.
The team also had an opportunity to train with the Italian Amputee Football Team, who were preparing for the 2023 Amputee Football Championships. It was an eye-opening experience for the players, who were able to see how the sport was played through a different lens.
Clemson Men’s Soccer Sightseeing
The players did some sightseeing as well, visiting plenty of places across the country like Rome and Genova. While in Genova, they spent some time “at home”, visiting Clemson’s Charles E. Daniel Center for Building Research and Urban Studies, where many students who study abroad in Italy attend.
After last year’s heartbreaking loss in the College Cup to UCLA in November, the team will hope to use this eye-opening trip to bounce back. The Tigers, who began as the No. 1 overall seed in the country after their 2021 championship in the College Cup, had an incredible run in the ACC Tournament before falling to the eventual NCAA champion Syracuse Orange.
With some experience under the new players’ belts and head coach Mike Noonan’s new-look team, the players will use the games played here to help boost confidence as the preseason looms later this summer.
The Tigers returned home on May 22, and will now begin early preparations for the fall season, which will begin in late August. Noonan will hope to achieve success just like in the 2021 season and hopes to use the experiences and memories from this trip as extra help to achieve that.
