Clarkson University Head Coach Chris Taylor discusses the sights, adventures and games of the Golden Knights' trip to Europe, including a pair of games in the Netherlands.
Day One:
The team met at JFK Airport last Friday evening to begin the journey to Europe with an overnight flight. After moving through security and arriving at the gate we realized we were not the only Clarkson students on the flight to Amsterdam! A group from the Clarkson School were also making the trip over the Atlantic.
Our flight arrived in Amsterdam at 6AM local time, 1AM Eastern, meaning none of us were able to get a full night's sleep, but the excitement of being in an amazing city would get us through the day. We left the airport and drove straight to the KNVB Campus in Zeist. The campus is the home of the Dutch National Teams and is the premier training facility in the Netherlands. We were welcomed into the campus and had tea and coffee while looking at the facilities, locker rooms and history of the Dutch football teams. We were treated very well by the KNVB, receiving a locker room as well as access to all of the equipment used by the national teams.
A quick one-hour session was needed to fight the jet-lag and shake off any rust from the journey. It was a great feeling to train at such a place; knowing some of the world's best players have trained on the same pitch as us was a great motivator.
Next was a canal boat tour through the city of Amsterdam. The canals run through the entire city and some of the views were beautiful. Unfortunately, the time difference and lack of sleep caught up with most of the squad and they fell asleep on the heated boat.
After arriving at our hostel in the evening most of the team had an early night to try and get set for the next day, which was going to be very busy.
Day Two:
We spent the morning back at the KNVB Campus for another training session and this session allowed us to make some plans for the upcoming games. Everyone was excited and playing with high energy in anticipation of playing against European opponents over the next few days.
After training we headed to a traditional Dutch fishing village, Volendam. Here the team grabbed lunch and tried some of the freshly caught local delicacies, before making our way to AZ Alkmaar's AFSAS Stadium. AZ is one of the bigger clubs in the Netherlands and can count US Internationals Earnie Stewart, Jozy Altidore and Aaron Johansson as some of their former players. We were impressed with the modern stadium as we approached and excitement was building for the game.
We spent some time in the club shop as players bought jerseys, scarves, hats and gifts. We entered looking like true AZ fans. Our seats were located in the corner of the stadium, but with a capacity of around 17,000 there wasn't a bad seat in the house. A couple of players used their initiative and were able to move into seats located right on the half way line above the players tunnel, being so close to the field they could see and hear everything that was happening. We were extremely lucky to see a fantastic match as AZ took care of their opponent ADO Den Haag 4-0. AZ scored some beautiful goals and the team could see what high level European soccer looks and feels like.
Day Three:
This day started with a surprise as our local tour guide Rik used his connections to get us in to Ajax Amsterdam's training facility. Ajax is one of the world's most famous and successful clubs and have had a major influence on world football through their style, players and traditions. Rik took us to watch the first team training session at the De Toemkoest facility located right next to the Amsterdam Arena. This was something that not many people get to do as we were standing a step away from the pitch as the players were put through their paces by the coaching staff. We watched an amazing goalkeeper session with one of the top young goalkeepers in the world, Andre Onana. Everyone, not just our goalkeepers, were fascinated to watch how he trains and how he performs behind closed doors. He was even gracious enough to pose for some photographs with our goalkeepers after the session was over.
Moments later we realized we were in the presence of greatness as one of the world's best footballers Dennis Bergkamp, now a coach with Ajax, was observing the team train. For many, Bergkamp was a genius player for both Arsenal and the Netherlands. The team were very impressed with the session, especially how hard these players work throughout. Hopefully, they will take these lessons back with them.
After the training we were able to get a group picture with the squad and then a picture with Bergkamp himself, something that will be on display in the office as soon as we return!
A quick bite for lunch followed and then we moved over to the Amsterdam Arena for a tour of the biggest stadium in the Netherlands. Inside the players were given a lesson in the far reaching influence Ajax has had on world football. We saw what this club has meant to the sport over the years with players like Kluivert, De Boer, Bergkamp, Litmanen, Ibrahimovic, Suarez and obviously, the great Johann Cruyff. The players were surprised to find out just how many of the world's best have been associated with Ajax over the years. We sat in the team locker room, the highest seat in the stadium and also the bench down at pitch-level. Overall, it was an amazing tour and it was certainly one of the many highlights so far.
We then had to prepare for our first match against SC Buitenveldert, an amateur club in Amsterdam. The players were slightly nervous heading into the game as they were not sure what to expect. After a great opening 15 minutes, the opposition began to take control and scored from a corner kick in the first half. The second saw the opposition come out even stronger and put us under some pressure before adding a second goal. As the match wore on we began to find a way back into the game and in the 70th minute were awarded a penalty after a hand ball. Drew Lewis dispatched the penalty with quality and thus scoring the first international goal of the trip. As we pressed more to grab an equalizer the game became very stretched, the wind and driving rain also made things interesting. In the 90th minute we were awarded a free kick which was taken short and left back Josh Eidem cut in on left side of the penalty and curled a wonderful ball into the far top corner. Only he will know whether it was a shot or a cross and the assist must go to the wind, but the players were ecstatic to equalize so late and start the tour off with a positive result. The opposition showed us what a quality possession team can look like and it was an education for a lot of our players on how to move the ball around.
Day Four:
An early morning trip to the Zaas region was on the agenda, home to the Netherlands famous windmills. The players walked around this beautiful area looking at oil, paint, saw and cheese mills in actions. Some of the scenery looked straight out of an art gallery as the canal boats, windmills and flowers shone in the sun.
We then walked around downtown Amsterdam as our guide Rik gave us his insight into the country and city, before arriving at VV Zeeburgia for our second game. Zeeburgia is one of the oldest amateur clubs in the Netherlands and they have the best record for moving players onto the professional ranks in Amsterdam. Their past players are numerous, but include Lucian Narsingh, Kenny Tete, Timothy Fosu Mensah and Adam Maher. They had just opened their brand new facility back in November and it was an outstanding location to play. Their new glass clubhouse on the second floor was our initial meeting spot, before heading down to the professional level pitch. This game was completely different as the players now knew what to expect from European opposition. We played with a much higher level of confidence and belief as we opened the scoring through Stephen Klimek. Some great build up resulted in Diego Lezama playing a quality ball across the penalty area and Klimek side footed it home with great composure. As the two teams evenly used good ball movement to attack one another, a Zeeburgia midfielder scored a high quality goal from long range, curling the ball in after hitting the underside of the crossbar. The second half was one of the best performances by a Clarkson team since I have been involved with the program. The build up from the goalkeeper right up to the attackers was superb and we showed belief in our own abilities to dominate the ball. After a few good chances went by the way side we finally got the winner we thoroughly deserved after a flowing passing move resulted in Kevin Calnan using a great move in the box before firing the ball across the six yard box. Aidan Subra was waiting for a tap-in at the back post, and a defender tried to stop it, but could only knock the ball into his own goal.
This match was a huge turning point in our development as we showed our ability at its highest level in both halves of the game. We played with ultimate composure and patience, there is no reason we cannot reproduce this type of play back in the US. The players felt as though they had played to a new level and we hope this stays with them from now on.
In the morning we will depart for the next leg of the tour as make the two-hour trip to Dusselfdorf and attend the Germany-England match! Stay tuned.
Day Five:
We arrived in Dusseldorf and were immediately impressed with our accommodation as we were overlooking the River Rhein. After some time to relax we made our way over to Dortmund and the Signal Iduna Park Stadium, home of Borussia Dortmund. We knew this was going to be a special match as Germany legend Lukas Podolski was appearing for the final time with the National Team and this was his farewell match. The stadium was very impressive and the crowd was showing a lot of positive emotion for Podolski. A very high quality game ensued and the players were struck by the patience shown at the highest level. Although England was probably the better team on the night, Podolski stole the show as he unleashed a thunderbolt into the top corner from 25 yards out. It was amazing to witness a historic moment in an iconic stadium and the players will never forget the moment Podolski scored and the crowd went crazy.
Day Six:
Today we took a day trip out to Cologne. The Kolner Dom, one of the most amazing attractions in Europe, was our first destination. This cathedral is one of the most well-known in the world and it was truly incredible to see such a building. After looking outside we bumped into a Clarkson Soccer grad from '72! Clarkson really is everywhere. We walked the 533 steps to the top for the outstanding view looking over Cologne. With such beautiful weather we had some free time on the Rhein and in the old squares of the city.
We then made the short trip back to Dusseldorf and toured the Esprit Arena, home of Fortuna Dusseldorf. We saw a fantastic stadium and learned a lot about the history of the club.
That evening we played our first match in Germany against SC Unterrath. The first half was a big test for the team as the opposition were not only extremely talented, but physically strong. With three quick goals in the final 12 minutes of the first half we were down going into halftime. The second half saw a big improvement as we stood up to the challenge, but unfortunately we had left our finishing touch on the bus! We missed several outstanding opportunities to score, before we grabbed a late consolation through Johnny Furcick. We learned a big lesson about taking chances against quality teams and also how to deal with the pressure from a good side.
Day Seven:
After a light training session at the home field of Dusseldorfer CFR Links we headed back to Dusseldorf for a free day in the city. The city was beautiful and the players were impressed with all of the luxury cars racing around the fashion district.
The evening saw us travel to VFB Solingen for the final match of the tour. The team wanted to put on a positive display so we could end the trip on a high and they did not disappoint. After a shaky opening five minutes we gained control of the ball and the game, showing patience and quality on the ball; unfortunately once we got into the final third we lost our quality. After a lot of possession and some near misses we were able to break deadlock when Henry Gomez raced to the byline and slid the ball across the six-yard box where Aidan Subra tapped home from a few yards out. The goal was more than we deserved and the challenge was to improve the result in the second half. With a new XI out on the pitch the advantage was quickly doubled when Diego Lezama grabbed his second assist of the tour after he crossed for Jon Jones to head into the back of the net. Again, our finishing touch deserted us as we should have put the game away early and Solingen pulled one back late to put us under a bit of pressure, but the two goals were enough for the victory.
Post game we were hosted by Solingen as they grilled bratwurst and handed out team scarves to some of the players. It was a great end to the evening and our hosts made us feel incredibly special throughout the night.
Day Eight:
The final day of the tour may have been one of the best as we headed back to the city of Dortmund. Half of the team spent the morning exploring the city, while the other half went to the German Football Museum. The museum was amazing and with it being brand new it was a great interactive experience. The boys were able to grab pictures with the World Cup trophies and on the Germany Team Bus (it's slightly nicer than what we are used to...)
Outside in a 2v2 cage the coaches put together an impressive winning streak against the current players, showing them that at one point we did play a bit of soccer!
The final event of the day and the tour was a chance to watch Borussia Dortmund's U23 team compete in a 4th Division clash. We were expecting a modest attendance as they usually average around 800 supporters, but with the first team not having a game a lot of their fervent supporters showed up to this lower-league match. Kickoff was delayed as 5,000+ fans piled into this standing room stadium. The atmosphere was electric as the Dortmund South Stand Supporters chanted and sang throughout the match, not to mention the flares they kept setting off. It was amazing to see the passion for the game at a lower level and it was a brilliant way to end our trip.
Overall it was a once in a lifetime tour for the team and our experiences will hopefully push the team forward going into next season. A big thank you to everyone that made the tour possible, especially our alums.
