Soccer fans, listen up: Newly crowned European Cup champion AC Milan is coming to town.
Or at least the club’s Primavera under-20 squad is.
On Thursday, June 21, the AC Milan Primavera team will face off against the Eugene Metros under the lights at Papé Field.
The Metros, a local men’s soccer club, consists of players who grew up playing club soccer in Eugene, and who are now playing for Division I soccer programs across the country.
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I don’t think any of us will ever get a chance to play a team like this again,” said Mikey Latteri, 20, a sophomore who plays for Oregon’s club soccer team and who will play for the Metros against Milan. “This is some of the best football in the world for our age.”
The Metros originally heard about the game through local restaurateur Beppe Macchi – one of the owners of Beppe and Gianni’s Trattoria on 19th Avenue.
Macchi, who is Italian, is an AC Milan fan, and it was through his contacts in Italy that the Metros managed to set up the match.
“The Primavera team was going to play the Portland Timbers on June 19, and they really wanted to play another game against guys of their own age,” Metros coach Jurgen Ruckaberle said. “That’s when we started talking.”
The Metros contacted Oregon women’s soccer coach Tara Erickson to see if the athletic department would agree to allow the game to take place at Papé Field, and things evolved from that point.
“Tara has been our biggest supporter, and she and the University have been so helpful in making this happen,” Ruckaberle said. “It’s difficult to organize a match like that without having to go through a whole bunch of issues, and Tara kind of took the lead on that.”
Erickson helped the Metros secure Papé Field as the venue for the event, and also helped to advise the club on the NCAA guidelines that had to be navigated in order to get clearance for their players to play in an international friendly.
“From a soccer perspective, I was more than happy to help,” Erickson said. “Bringing a team of Milan’s caliber into town from another country will do a lot for soccer here.
“I would have loved to see women’s involvement and have a women’s pro team come in, but it’s still great to showcase a team of that talent and to help raise the game in this community.”
Erickson said the notion of having the Oregon women’s team play against Milan never even came up.
“But we might throw Garbin in there,” she joked, referring to Nicole Garbin, Oregon’s all-time leading scorer who played in goal for the Ducks this spring, and who’s known for her willingness to partake in any form of athletic activity.
While most of the Metros players are still out of town playing with their respective varsity programs, the few players currently in Eugene have already started training.
“I think it’s important that we’re not intimidated by the other team and that we go out there and not play with any fear and just give it our best shot and see what happens,” said Nick Leonard, 22, a recent graduate of Cornell University. Leonard, a defender, went to South Eugene High School, then played two seasons at San Diego before finishing up his collegiate career at Cornell.
“There’s a lot of people that don’t give us a chance to compete with them, let alone win, and I see no reason why a bunch of kids from around here that are talented soccer players can’t at least put on a good game for ourselves and the community,” Leonard said.
Tickets for the game are already on sale, and are available at all Smith Family Bookstores, Beppe and Gianni’s, and Direct Kick Soccer Shop on West 11th Avenue. Bleacher seats are $10, with another 600 field sideline standing-room-only tickets also on sale for $12.
Game Info Box:
AC Milan Primavera vs. Eugene Metros FC
Thursday, June 21, 2007
7:30 p.m.
Papé Field
Eugene
Notes: Tickets are currently on sale and can be purchased at all Smith Family Bookstores, Beppe and Gianni’s Trattoria, and Direct Kick Soccer Shop. Bleacher seats are $10, and field sideline standing-room-only tickets are $12.