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After head coach Ian McIntyre contacted Vertex Soccer about taking his team to England, Sam Ottley reached out to Premier League U21 teams to plan their trip. The programs, filled with some of the world’s top young soccer talent, were clamoring to face last year’s NCAA Champions, wanting “to see what Syracuse was about.”

“(Syracuse) is run like a professional football club and I think that’s what sets it apart from a lot of different teams,” Ottley said.

Ottley — Vertex Soccer’s head of tours — helped set up SU’s 10-day tour of England in May. The Orange trained in state-of-the-art practice facilities, attended a Premier League and Champions League game and faced off against a slew of high-level competition. Afterward, Ottley called the tour “the best we’ve ever produced.”

“It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” McIntyre said. “Just a fantastic football fix for 10 days.”

During its exhibitions versus Premier League academy teams, Syracuse played the U21 squads for Brighton, Tottenham, Aston Villa and Leicester City. The Orange were instantly gripped by how talented the clubs were.

“It’s one thing when you watch them, but another thing when you play against them,” said sophomore midfielder Antonino Pagano. “You realize how clean their passing is, how organized they are.”

Syracuse used the scrimmages as an opportunity to improve against high-caliber opponents. It wasn’t intimidated, but rather, extra motivated to show out. Pagano said there were professional scouts in attendance, which helped SU match the intensity level of its foes. Junior midfielder Giona Leibold said the Orange approached each match just like an NCAA Tournament game.

“(Our mentality was to) just give it our all and continue to try to showcase ourselves,” Pagano said.

While Ottley was not permitted to reveal scores and statistics for the contests, he said that Syracuse performed “excellent” and kept every game competitive. Ottley added that Division-I soccer has become comparable to Premier League academies, and SU’s strong showing overseas proved it.

“There’s not a huge gap in that level anymore,” Ottley said.

Midfielder Felipe D’Agostini attempts a step over move to beat the Aston Villa FC Academy defender as forward Francesco Pagano and midfielder Stephen Betz look on. The match against Aston Villa FC academy was one of four games played in England for SU. Courtesy of Sam Ottley | Vertex Soccer

The Orange had the chance to train with the academy squads like the U21 Wolverhampton Wanderers as well. Pagano noted the differences between how SU trains versus how Premier League squads do, citing their execution in practice.

“It’s just the intensity, there was no bad pass,” Pagano said. “Nobody’s ever slacking. I think the coaches are more firm. And I feel as a team, they’re more organized.”

During the training session with Wolves, the Syracuse coaching staff took control of half the practice. The other half was run by Wolves’ staff. Leibold said that sharing a practice field and learning from a top-tier program was a confidence booster for the Orange.

“Being able to train in such big environments, it just motivates you to work even harder,” Leibold said.

The joint practice also gave the players time to communicate with each other about their different experiences. Ottley — who played for 10 years with Wolverhampton’s academy team — said young players at English academies are placed in a “bubble” for 10-12 years, as opposed to the independence collegiate athletes get to have.

According to Ottley, the American soccer experience has never been more attractive to players in the English system.

“The amount of released Premier League players who have now gone on and signed with top Division-I universities, it’s growing every year,” Ottley said. “So they’re very aware of what the United States and the university system is bringing, which is great.”

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Meanwhile, Syracuse got to learn its fair share of the English soccer experience. Toward the end of their trip, former Arsenal and Leicester City striker and current Sky Sports analyst Alan Smith spoke to the team during a group dinner.

The Orange attended some of England’s greatest venues, too. They watched Liverpool versus Leicester City at King Power Stadium. Ottley said that he and Vertex Soccer got Syracuse seats in the Liverpool away section, immersing the team among a wild atmosphere.

SU players also attended a Champions League semifinal matchup between Manchester City and Real Madrid at the Etihad Stadium. The Orange witnessed Manchester City pummel Real Madrid 4-0 to advance to the Champions League Final.

During the NCAA Tournament, SU played in front of big crowds, but they didn’t compare to the atmospheres in England. Players like Leibold and Pagano were in awe of the thunderous environments which the majority of the team hadn’t seen or experienced before.

“The atmosphere, the fans there, they’re all so passionate about soccer,” Leibold said. “It just gives you another boost to work even harder to eventually fulfill that dream of playing in front of these types of atmospheres one day.”

Published on August 24, 2023 at 12:14 am

Contact Cooper at: ccandrew@syr.edu | @cooper_andrews