Day 5: August 4th

After a long wet day, we woke up to clouds and intermittent blue skies. A great day to return to soccer.
Everyone was back up and over to breakfast at 8:30am woeful up for a day of training and games.. After a rainy day off from soccer and a bunch of down time last night, we could feel the eagerness to get back on to the field and train as well as play.
First we enjoyed a standard breakfast of fruit, breads, cereal, sausage and eggs but today we also tried crumpets.

To my American eye it is an interesting mix of English muffin and pancake.. add a little butter or jam and it is dense but delicious!

The morning consisted of a training session for all of the groups working on possession and moving the ball quickly utilizing wide players. The players were ready to get moving again after a long day of site seeing and rain.

Good weather held out until the Players were just finishing training and heading up for lunch when we experienced a quick passing shower.
The cafeteria nailed it again with pasta and Turkey options for lunch but also introducing some English classics.
The prawn crackers are a particular favorite of mine.
                           
  People keep telling me they are just like the cookies we get at a Chinese Food restaurant. Ummm absolutely not. Where is my fortune? Personally, I think they look like the stuff we use to pad packages in America. And kind of taste like it too! Kind of like chewing on cardboard.... not bad but definitely not good.
However, dessert introduced the iced bun... literally a long roll with white icing. So simple yet so delicious.

After lunch the boys and girls split up to play a second round of games. The boys groups all played at Lancing College. Again, all of the younger boys groups played with heart, skill and grit. Every game was competitive.

The older boys played a hard fought competitive and intense game fighting for a 2-2 tie.
The girls U14 side traveled by bus to Ardingly Collge to play another group for Brighton & Hove Albion.

The girls were relaxed after a day off from soccer and ready to compete. Even the bus driver was impressed with their excitement and determination giving us his bus mascot to borrow for the match day. Lily quickly named him Gerald and he brought us great luck in the games as the younger girls once again swept their games with wins.

The SUSC Mariners U15 group played later in the afternoon and handily beat their opponent as well.

Later in the day the U16 Blackbear girls made their first trip over to Lancing College. The girls were struck by the architecture of the school and the old school charm of their surroundings as they came to campus to eat in the cafeteria before their game and explore the campus before heading down to the fields to warm up before the match. It is hard to ignore the beauty of the buildings threat backdrop our competitions. 

Although the weather was clear, a heavy wind and slightly tilted pitch made this a game of two halves as we took on the Ladies from Worthing Football Club. 

Though the SUSC girls went down 2-0 by halftime, they fought hard and finished with a 2-2 draw in a well matched competitive game.

It was great to get back to a day of training and soccer as the nice weather has started back in.

But tomorrow all of the groups will head in to Portsmouth to explore the city.