If the Beaver football team played the New England Patriots, Beaver tickets would sell out immediately. On June 17, Eugene Metro FC Select, a men’s team of former club players from this area, will be taking on Juventus, the most successful soccer club in Italy. It’s a correct simile.
There will be three Oregon State players in the game — Tracy Hasson, Daniel Leach and Robbie Christner. They are excited to lace up against the best.
“Primavera is one of the top 5 clubs in the world,” Hasson said. “It’s exciting to have an opportunity to play a team of that caliber.”
The Beavers have a chance to be a part of the game because of the relationship that Hasson has with the Eugene FC.
“I played for the team, and Robbie is from Thurston,” Hasson said before he led on that the story is a little more complicated. “There was a guy from Italy that moved to Eugene and has connections with [AC Milan Primavera],”
AC Milan Primavera played in Eugene last year and Juventus heard about the game and wanted to get involved.
“It’s pretty awesome,” he said.
Pretty awesome indeed, the Juventus squad featuring its under-21 players is currently in first place in the Italian Primavera league and is the breeding ground for the national team that won the World Cup only a year ago.
“These guys are training to become pros, or already pros,” Leach said.
The team includes four players from the Italian Youth National team: goalkeeper Carlo Pinsoglio, midfielders Fausto Rossi and Simone Esposito and defender Yobie Bassaoule.
“In Italy they have a youth program where the players grow up playing soccer,” Hasson said. “In Italy, soccer is much more popular than in America. It’s a priority.”
Juventus, founded in 1897, is Italy’s oldest and most successful professional soccer club, having won 40 league championships and 11 European championships including two UEFA Champions League titles. Hasson and Leach are excited at the prospect of playing such a talented and historical team.
“With Italy winning the last World Cup, it’s exciting to put your abilities up against such a talented team,” Leach, a native of Scarborough, Australia said.
Italy’s national men’s team will be playing in the Euro 2008 games in June and is expected to be a top contender for the Euro title. While visiting in Eugene, the Juventus players will be closely watching as Italy’s and France’s national teams play on June 16 in one of the Euro’s early group games.
Leach said that Euro teams usually travel to the United States to build a fan base and hit target markets.
In America, young soccer players are still looking for a team to follow and players to watch. Having the U-21 teams come through the United States gives young fans a chance to see up-and-coming players before they break onto the international scene.
The Eugene Metro FC Select team will feature mostly Division-I players who played soccer at local high schools and clubs and are now playing on college teams throughout the country. This includes Ryan White, Denton Brown and Jordan Crasilneck, all currently playing at the University of Vermont, goalkeeper Brian Rowe from UCLA, Leland Wright from the University of Portland and Garrett Staples, from Concordia. With Hasson, Leach and Christner from Oregon State
The Select team will be coached by Eugene Metro FC Director of Coaching Jurgen Ruckaberle, who is also the current South Eugene boys varsity coach, and other Eugene Metro coaches, including Mac Wilson (former Sheldon coach), Joe Beeler (UO assistant volunteer coach), Parker Nehl (Marist boys coach) and Phil Larson (former Sheldon coach).
The Select team and reserve players will begin training in early June when all players have arrived in Eugene, and coaches expected strong competition among players for roster spots.
The Division-I athletes, though, have to buy all of their equipment, including jerseys.
“Because of the NCAA rules, we had to buy our jerseys that we wear during the game,” Hasson said. “But still, it’s a friendly international game, so when the teams swap jerseys at the end, we will get to keep those.”
This year’s international friendly game will offer the area’s soccer community an unusual opportunity to watch a top men’s game at the University of Oregon’s Papé soccer field.
Tickets are on sale now at both Smith Family Bookstores, Beppe and Gianni’s Trattoria and Direct Kick Soccer Shop. All tickets are $15 and seating and field areas are limited.
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