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Playing soccer in the rain is definitely bearable. Playing soccer in Icelandic freezing rain is another story.
And yet, although the cold numbed his fingers and toes within the first few minutes, sophomore Brian Kahn still reminisces about the once-in-a-lifetime game. "It was freezing cold, but still cool to play in. That game was so intense," said Kahn.
Playing in the freezing rain was just one of the many memorable things that Kahn experienced on his trip to Iceland and Sweden two summers ago. Traveling with his club team, the CWS (Cranford-Westfield-Scotch Plains) Rowdies, Kahn visited Iceland for four days and then flew to Sweden for eight more.
While in Iceland , Kahn, the center midfielder, played two games against local Icelandic teams. Kahn's team also toured the entire country, stopping to see the spectacular, erupting geysers, the pure, beautiful waterfalls and the many other natural sites Iceland has to offer.
Once Kahn's stay in Iceland was over, though, he was off to Sweden, where his team participated in the Gothia Cup, the world's largest youth soccer tournament. The atmosphere was lively throughout the week, as more than 1,400 teams and 31,000 players from 60 countries tried to take home the coveted trophy. Kahn personally scored three goals overseas and the Rowdies took home an impressive 3-2 record. For Kahn, though, the soccer was only part of the fun. "Everything in Sweden: the shops, the clubs, the whole mood...it was all great," he said. |
