Alanya, day one: one training session before the opening whistle

The World Winners Cup started for Union Vrede with a short run-up and a big task. With almost the entire player squad available, Casper Dorph led the first official training session during the day. That same evening, attention already shifted to our first match.

Months of preparation off the pitch came together in Alanya. The trip, the organization, and bringing the players together had brought us this far. Now the moment had arrived to get to work as a team on the sand.

With almost all players present, Casper Dorph could begin the first official training session. For our men, that session meant the start of their joint preparation on-site — and immediately also the only training session before their first official match at the World Winners Cup.

Little time, a clear task

Building a team normally takes time: to get to know each other, develop automatisms, and process a coach's ideas into the game. In Alanya, that process had to get underway immediately.

The challenge therefore went beyond individual qualities. Players with different backgrounds and experiences had to quickly connect with each other. For Dorph, the task lay in laying a common foundation; for the players, in listening, adapting, and taking responsibility.

One training session could not provide all the answers. It did form the first starting point for what we wanted to achieve together during the tournament.

From the training pitch to match preparation

As evening fell, attention turned to the first official match. The time between getting to know each other, training together, and performing was remarkably short. Yet this was precisely the stage for which Union Vrede had come to Turkey.

Our first participation in the World Winners Cup brought new expectations and an international challenge. At that level, what you can bring to the pitch as a team counts, even when the preparation is limited.

The opening day was therefore about the start of that cooperation: a player group gathering around the same task, under the leadership of a new coach, with the first kickoff already in sight.

Almost everyone was there. The first training session was done. Now Union Vrede had to take the next step on the match pitch.

One club. Many flags. One heart. 💛🖤