One year after our previous pre-season venture to the Costa del Sol, the Aztecs returned, and this time with a more packed agenda. We would face our old friends from 2023, while also taking trips further afield to a new continent.
Representing the Aztecs this year were Maye Reyna, Lauren Sayler, Laura Ingram, Nicki Curtis, Bekah Tonks, Amy Maidment, and Beth Anderson. Accompanying them were Coach Will Wilson, and social media master, and club secretary, Mariana Betancourt. A depleted squad, carrying a few knocks, we weren't going to let this deter us from the amazing experience ahead, and the opportunity to wear the special edition mint green kit.
On the morning of Tuesday the 20th of August, the team were up bright an early at Bournemouth airport, making the two and a quarter hour flight direct from the south coast of England, to the south coast of Spain. It was upon landing in Malaga that the balls came out of the bag for the first time. The onset of boredom was too much to bare, while waiting in the long lines for the car rental.
After the cars were collected, the team drove to Velez-Malaga, where we stayed in a lovely five-bedroom house. The rest of the day was spent relaxing, eating, swimming, and featured stints in both the pool and the sea.
Wednesday 21st of August 2024: Hercules FC 1 v 23 Southampton Aztecs
Gibraltar was a two hour drive down the coast. We parked on the Spanish side of the border and then walked across the border, which is the Gibraltar airport runway. This did allow us to view some planes coming in to land, from a safe distance, before being picked up by Jon and Leo from Hercules FC on the other side.
Jon and Leo generously picked us up, and took us on a tour of beautiful Gibraltar. They allowed the team to see the sights, learn the history, and enjoy a day out on the rock. This involved a bit of shopping, a bit of eating, and exploring the incredible sports facilities that Gibraltar has to offer. The girls were desperate to meet the monkeys, even offering them a chance to play for us in the game later that day, but the monkeys sadly declined.
After taking in the sights, it was time to get down to business. There was futsal to be played, and we were in another new location, adding Gibraltar to the list of countries we'd played in. There's only one chance to be the first, and the girls were vying to take that special place in history, as our first goal scorer in Gibraltar. Ironically, it was an own goal that first found the net for the Aztecs, being tuned in after a Bekah Tonks cross. Bekah tried to claim it, but the cross was not on target, so could not be awarded to her. Our second goal of the match was then scored by Amy Maidment, who goes down in history as our first goal scorer in Gibraltar.
Amy won the ball off a long throw, lent it to Bekah Tonks, who beat her defender, and then laid it across goal for Amy to finish from inside the D.
Watch the highlights below!
Six of our players got on the scoresheet during this game, including Lauren Sayler, popping up for a corner. This was a special moment, as it was Lauren's first game back after a year out with injury. She became our first goalkeeper to scorer abroad. But it was Bekah Tonks who stole an even bigger record...
After stealing the ball and rounding the keeper, Bekah netted for the sixth time in this game, taking the record for most goals scored in a game abroad by a single player, which was previously held by Alicia Povey, who found the net five times against Torre Casabermeja in 2023.
Enjoy some action shots from the game!
We cannot adequately express our gratitude to Jon, Leo, and Hercules FC for their hospitality and generosity. A class bunch, former strangers, who are now friends. We also exchanged gifts, as we did with each team, providing them with pennants and a couple Aztecs shirts. Hercules gifted us two shirts, which were fought over, before being snapped up by Bekah Tonks and Nicki Curtis. Here they are on the roof of our house in Malaga, with a message for Hercules.
To our friends at Hercules, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you!
Thursday 22nd of August 2024: Playas de Malaga 3 v 1 Southampton Aztecs
Day three now, and we still hadn't adjusted to the heat of the Spanish sun. Yet, we much prefer it to whatever it is we get in England! The daytime was spent relaxing, catching up on sleep, and floating in the pool. In the evening, it was time for futsal!
Arranging matches in Malaga proved difficult, due to the fayre, but our friends from 2023 Casabermeja came through. We'd been able to arrange an evening of futsal between three teams; ourselves, Torre Casabermeja, and second division opponents, Playas de Malaga. Playas de Malaga were up first for the Aztecs, who were not only excited to put on the mint green kit for the first time, but also to test themselves against a top side.
Playas de Malaga played a very different style to what is exhibited by most teams in England. Their movements were fluid, their pivot play exceptional, and their pressing was relentless. These are girls who have been playing futsal for a long time. In fact, in Spain, female players cannot play football and futsal simultaneously after the age of fourteen. Couple that with the facilities they are playing in, which are council owned, international sized, cheaper to rent than England, and are often walking distance of most of the players, and you can see why it feels like they are lightyears ahead of us.
This venue in Casabermeja is for a village with a population of just over 4,000. It's an international sized court, right in the centre, and has 192 seats on that far side. This is the norm in Spain. Courts there are built with futsal and handball in mind, and will also consider spectators. As you can tell from the lines across the court, lots of other sports can be played here. This is in stark contrast to England, where we have sports halls with no run-off, no seating, and are built with netball being the largest sport. The difference in size is a 40x20m surface in Spain, and a 30x16 surface in England. The game very much becomes a different sport when the space constraints are adjusted so drastically.
The aim of this piece is not to rip on England, however, it is eye-opening to see what other countries do. Many decent, even lower-level Spanish teams, will be practising in a place like this maybe two or three times a week, with lots of games in the local area. In England, even top teams are practising once a week on a netball court, considering a two hour drive as a local derby. Most female players in England will come across into futsal as adult footballers, with minimal prior futsal experience. Until we have the facilities and can make the game more accessible, we will always be behind.
That being said, enjoy the highlights below!
Have a look at a few photos from the match.
Thursday 22nd of August 2024: Torre Casabermeja 1 v 1 Southampton Aztecs
We had a brief rest while the two Spanish sides contested on the court.
Enjoy the highlights below.
And some photos too!
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