COLLEGE PARK, Md. —The Maryland men’s soccer team will embark on a tour of Portugal over Spring Break from March 16-26. The trip will include friendlies against Boavista F.C. (U-19), S.C. Braga (U-23) and SL Benfica (U-23).
The Terps will split their time in Porto and Lisbon, training and visiting cultural and historical sites in Portugal’s two most populated cities. The team will also have the opportunity to tour and train at the headquarters of the Portuguese Football Association in Lisbon and watch a pair of professional matches in Porto.
“After previous foreign trips to England, I am extremely excited for our program to get the chance to visit the wonderful country of Portugal,” head coach Sasho Cirovski said. “We have lined up three fantastic tests against some of the country’s best clubs, and more importantly, scheduled some fantastic cultural immersion opportunities for our student-athletes and staff. This experience will be invaluable for our team as we build towards the fall season. I also want to express my special gratitude to our Starting XI donor group for their continued support and for allowing our players to enjoy this amazing experience.”
Maryland’s last foreign tour came in 2018, with the Terps winning all three matches in a spring break trip to England.
Schedule of Matches:
March 18: vs. Boavista U-19
March 21: vs. Braga U-23
March 25: vs. Benfica U-23
Boavista, one of the oldest clubs in Portugal, currently sits at 11th place in the Primeira Liga. Its first-team squad includes US Men’s National Team defender Reggie Cannon. Braga sits third in the Primeira Liga table and is historically one of the country’s most decorated clubs, generally considered the best club outside of the Portuguese “Big Three” (Benfica, FC Porto, Sporting CP). Benfica is the most decorated club in Portugal, with 84 major trophies one, which places it among the top clubs in Europe. Currently sitting atop the Primeira Liga table, the club has won 37 top flight titles. The club topped its UEFA Champions League group over Paris St. Germain and Juventus and has advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating Club Brugge over two legs.
The tour will be Maryland’s fourth foreign trip organized by WorldStrides Excel Sports. Maryland’s foreign tour is just one part of a comprehensive spring schedule that includes five additional…
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