Hobart Soccer touring Portugal

On Saturday, Aug. 4, the Hobart College soccer team departed on a 10-day tour of Portugal. In addition to sightseeing, the Statesmen will conduct youth soccer clinics, play four friendlies against local clubs and attend a Primeira Liga match. The defending Liberty League Champions conducted their first youth clinic on Sunday in the coastal city of Porto. Today, they are scheduled to play their first match against Padroense F.C. in Porto. A river boat cruise tomorrow morning will be followed by another match in Porto in the evening, this time against Grupo Desportivo Aldeia Nova. On Wednesday, Hobart will tour several historic sites departing Porto on the way to the capital city of Lisbon. The team's stops will include the Catholic pilgrimage site in Fatima, the seaside resort town of Nazare and the medieval city at Obidos. Thursday will see the Statesmen tour the capital and play a match against Estoril Praia FC's U23 team. Friday will be another day of sightseeing, visiting the Pena Palace and Moors Castle in Sintra, the breathtaking views of the cliffs above the Atlantic Ocean in Cabo da Roca, the western most point on the European continent and ending with the Benfica FC vs. Vitoria SC match at Estadio da Luz in Lisbon. Benfica is the winningest side in the Primeira Liga with 36 championships to its credit. The team will spend their final weekend in Portugal in Lisbon, conducting another youth clinch on Saturday and playing its final match against Alverca FC. Hobart will fly back to the States on Aug. 13. The Statesmen, who return 28 lettermen from last year's squad including six starters, begin preseason camp on Aug. 17.