Over 5000 Spectators Gathered
Yurimaguas, Peru | Day 3 | February 18, 2024
“We’re just so overjoyed that the people here in Yurimaguas have blessed us so much” — Graham Roxburgh
Our third day in Peru was also the day of the Spartans’ much anticipated game against the Yurimaguas all-stars (a combination of top players from the town’s best female soccer teams).
Before taking the field, however, the Spartans devoted their morning to working on the community development projects they had begun the previous day.
There was a lack of running water at the community centre where half of the team was scheduled to spend time mixing concrete. So instead, they helped to sweep and tidy up the facility. The other half of the team, meanwhile, worked on various painting jobs at the soon-to-be soccer school.
There were over 5000 people in attendance at the Ricardo Cruzalegui Rojas stadium for the Spartan-Yurimaguas faceoff. The game was goalless at half time with second half strikes from defender Dani Cooper and midfielder Erin Stewart ultimately securing the victory for TWU.
Despite the win, Head Coach Graham Roxburgh’s highlight was the “relationship building at the end.” “We’re just so overjoyed that the people here in Yurimaguas have blessed us so much,” he continued, “[and] we can’t say thank you enough.” The relationship building continued late into the evening with the local community hosting both the Spartans and the Yurimaguas all-stars for a lovely post-game meal!
Published Monday, February 19, 2024
✍️ Sacha Mugisha
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Photo credit: Elijah Croyle, Kate Roxburgh & Leyton Neufeld
