FC Barcelona Practices at Miami's Cobb Stadium
Aug. 1, 2011
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Current UEFA champions FC Barcelona prepared for their August 3 match against Chivas de Guadalajara with a training session at the University of Miami’s Cobb Stadium on Monday.
The practice marked the first of four such sessions that will take place at UM’s award-winning soccer complex over the next three days.
The team’s visit to Miami marks the second of a three-stop United States tour that includes games in Washington, D.C., Miami and Dallas. The club is coming off a 2-1 loss to Manchester United on July 30th in the nation’s capital. The friendly was a rematch of May’s Champions League final in which Barça defeated the Red Devils, 3-1, to be crowned the best team in Europe.
Fitting, then, that Europe’s top team would choose the University of Miami’s Cobb Stadium, recipient of the 2010 Sports Turf Managers Association’s (STMA) Field of the Year Award, as its training facility while in South Florida. The award is given annually to the nation’s best baseball, football, soccer, softball and sporting grounds in three categories: professional, collegiate and recreational. Cobb Stadium was scored on several criteria, including playability, appearance and innovative solutions employed and was selected as the best college soccer field in the country.
Barcelona certainly put that title to the test during Monday’s workout, with the team going through an array of running and passing drills during the hour-long session.
Team captain Carles Puyol was seen working with Barça’s personal trainers, jogging around Cobb Stadium and stretching as part of his rehabilitation from a knee injury. The rest of the club used much of the session to work on short-range passing drills, a testament to the team’s trademark possession game.
Midfielder Xavi Hernandez practiced at full speed, evidence that the starter is recovering nicely from a leg injury that has kept him from preseason play. Meanwhile, starters Gerard Piqué, Andrés Iniesta and David Villa mixed it up with newcomer Thiago Alcántara do Nascimiento. Head coach Pep Guardiola looked on and periodically corrected some of the younger members of the roster.
A crowd of about 50 fans gathered outside the gates of Cobb Stadium to show their support, while an almost equal number of reporters interviewed midfielder Seydou Keita following the team’s work out.
The club will return to Miami’s facilities three more times during the days leading up to their matchup against Mexican squad Chivas de Guadalajara at Sun Life Stadium on Wednesday.
Fans can check out the award-winning Cobb Stadium and the Hurricanes Soccer team in person when the Canes open their home schedule on Aug. 19 against the University of Florida at 7 p.m.
The University of Miami is excited to announce a new season ticket package that will include two (2) adult and (3) youth tickets to all home volleyball and soccer events in the 2011 season. The Family plan provides a family of five with over 20 events for the incredible price of $50. Purchase a Volleyball and Soccer Family Plan call 1-800-Go Canes or buy online.
