UC Santa Barbara recently hosted Austria’s national soccer team for a practice session at Harder Stadium, drawing local fans and soccer enthusiasts from the Goleta community. This event was part of the team’s preparation for the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Los Angeles.
Free tickets were made available to local soccer teams and community members, allowing them to witness world-class athletes up close. Marlee Ybarra, a goalkeeper for the Central Coast Academy, expressed her excitement, saying, “I was like ‘oh my gosh I actually get to watch this I actually get to come here.'”
Willie Sims, the Central Coast Academy soccer coach, emphasized the importance of observing the team’s training methods. “I want them to understand how they train, the behavior and how serious they are every training session,” he stated.
Patrick McNutt, a UCSB student, shared his enthusiasm about seeing the Austrian team practice locally before attending the World Cup in Los Angeles. “I am actually going to see the World Cup in LA to see the US team and it is cool to see the Austria team practice in my back yard,” he said.
For Alina Kleemaier, a Goleta resident with Austrian roots, the timing was perfect as her parents were visiting from Austria. “Very excited. First time to see the team playing even in Austria. They haven’t been in a football game it is the first time to see the national team play,” she remarked.
The practice session concluded with players signing autographs and taking selfies with fans, creating memorable experiences for all attendees. Florian Grillitsch, one of the players, commented on the field conditions, noting, “not use to this type of grass but we have to get used to it because the stadiums for the World Cup has this type of grass. We will adapt to it.”
Kathy Janega-Dykes, CEO of Visit Santa Barbara, highlighted the significance of hosting such events in smaller communities, stating, “there aren’t that many small communities in the country that are hosting two teams. Yet Santa Barbara is.”
UCSB Athletic Director Kelly Barsky and Chancellor Dennis Assanis both emphasized the value of international sports events in fostering community connections and showcasing the university’s strengths in both academics and athletics.
Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.
