For The Love Of The Game – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/2/2006 12:00:00 AM | General, Men's Gymnastics
Sept. 2, 2006
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There they were, in the presence of the most popular athletic event on the planet. For three games, they arrived early, stayed late and soaked up all the pageantry that goes along with being in the presence of history in the making.
These Buckeyes were strangers in a strange land, but it is called the World Cup for a reason, and last June the Ohio State men’s soccer team joined the party where everyone speaks the international language of the pitch.
The team made numerous sight-seeing trips, experienced German culture, shared in team-building exercises and also found time to win all three exhibition matches against German third- and fourth-division teams by a combined score of 15-2.
“Playing and winning our three exhibition matches was a great experience and we hope it will pay dividends this fall, but the real thrill of the trip was being in the presence of the World Cup in a foreign country,” John Bluem, Ohio State head coach, said. “It was a great reward for our returning players and is something that many people never get to experience.”
Under Bluem, now in his 10th year, the Buckeyes are in the midst of the program’s most successful era since its founding in 1953. Four times in the last six years Ohio State has been selected for the NCAA tournament and the 2006 Buckeyes aim to be a part of the post season for the third-consecutive year.
The team’s trip to Germany will only help in that quest.
“It was really enjoyable to get out and play against a side we’ve never seen and in a place we’ve never been,” Casey Latchem, junior goalkeeper, said. “It was decent competition and it was great to prove ourselves in a foreign country. The games had a friendly atmosphere at first, but then when we put a few into the back of the net it turned into them wanting to get after it. I don’t know if they really expected that kind of ability from us.”
For the entire travel party, however, the greatest thrill of the trip was walking into the German stadiums and seeing the world’s greatest spectacle up close and personal.
“The spirit and energy in the stadiums and host cities was electric and something that will not be forgotten,” Jon Lowery, OSU assistant coach, said. “Being in Dortmund for Brazil vs. Japan and in Cologne for two matches, France vs. Togo and Switzerland vs. Ukraine, was an experience like no other. Passion, hope and pride were on full display and each game provided unique memories. It was an experience that can only be produced in an environment as unique as the World Cup and we were very fortunate to participate.”
Playing soccer in a foreign country was not totally new for these Buckeyes, with 13 of the 18 student-athletes on the trip having some kind of previous international experience. However, the trip was about more than just playing and watching soccer. The bonds that were made and strengthened among the team are sure to reap benefits in the future.
Winning their three matches by scores of 7-0, 2-0 and 6-2, the Buckeyes showed they might be in mid-season form already. Even if the matches had been tighter, the team would have greatly benefited from the exposure to the game on the native land of the Germans.
Latchem agreed the World Cup games were an awesome experience and perhaps surprisingly the opposing fans did not show any ill will toward each other.
“It was absolutely amazing,” Latchem said. “The fans were great. I kind of expected the atmosphere to be less friendly than what it was, but the fans were friendly with each other and showed a lot of respect to each team. You hear bad stories but I never felt threatened. They were there for the love of the game.”
The travel party was based at the Sporthotel Sittard in southeastern Belgium and made day trips into Brussels and German cities Cologne, Aachen, Gelsenkirchen, Dortmund, Hagen and Eckenhagen. Among their stops was Vaals, the point at which the borders of Holland, Belgium and Germany converge.
The images from attending World Cup matches will be with them forever, but so will their team building excursions, which included biking in the Valkenburg underground caves and through mountainous terrain. Sight-seeing adventures, with the help of their full-time guide, Hendrik Femer, and OSU assistant coach Frank Speth, who is fluent in German, made every day an adventure.
“It was amazing to see all the different cities and get a feeling for what Europe is all about,” Latchem said. “It was great going on some of those bike rides and seeing Cologne.”
The improvement the team made from the extra training sessions and exhibition matches will no doubt pay off now that the season is underway and later when the Big Ten championship comes to Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in November. When that happens, the Buckeyes are sure to remember their German opponents that helped them get better.
“The training sessions held and the matches played were successful because everyone was eager to play,” Lowery said. “Turu Dusseldorf, SSV Hagen and SG Hunsheim were very friendly and hospitable for our team and we enjoyed the competition they provided.”
Like every other Ohio State varsity team, the Buckeye men’s soccer program has experienced quite a few thrills on the field in recent years. A Big Ten championship in 2000, a trip to the `Sweet 16' of the NCAA tournament in 2004 and a Big Ten regular season co-championship that same season have put Ohio State on the national college soccer scene.
Being a part of the world soccer scene, however, was something that will hold a special place in their memories forever.
