Soccer: Portugal next stop for Ben Pechous

Ben Pechous is a senior defender on the Penn Boys Soccer Varsity team. Ben has played soccer all four years at Penn.

What are your plans for after Penn soccer?: My plans after Penn Soccer are to graduate a semester early because I have an opportunity to play on an international academy team in Moura, Portugal. I plan to leave in January 2025 through July.

How did you hear about this opportunity?: I heard about this opportunity from a great friend, Bruno DeJesus. Bruno recruits identified kids to play internationally in Spain, Portugal, and Italy. We met with the coaches and owners through Zoom meeting and they offered me a contract.

How will this help develop your play?: It’s a full time academy in which we train, practice, and play futbol 6 days of the week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.. Also, it gives me more exposure to international teams and clubs all over the country.

What are you bringing to this team?: I hope to bring a strong work ethic, leadership, and a dedication to improve myself each day. I also hope to learn the Portuguese language and culture, and bring some American spirit, too.

What are you gaining from this experience?: The things I’ll gain from going to Portugal is definitely learning Portuguese and how to live in a different country. Also, I will learn how to grow myself as an individual and how to better myself in the skills of futbol and how to reach my dream of playing professional soccer on big names clubs and also support USA international teams.

Are you looking to play at the next level after college?: Yes, I’m looking to pursue my career after college at the international level.