Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Bring International Experience to Indiana
4/27/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
April 27, 2007
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Soccer (or football, as it is called in many countries) is widely considered to be the world's most popular game. Almost 200 countries participate in qualifying tournaments for the FIFA World Cup, held every four years. FIFA estimates that nearly 250 million people worldwide play organized soccer.
An international flavor comes to Bloomington this weekend as the Indiana men's soccer team takes on the U-20 Mexican National Team on Sunday, April 29, in an international friendly. The Hoosiers are wrapping up their spring season, while Mexico is preparing for the U-20 World Cup, held in Canada in July 2007.
Numerous current and former Indiana players have had the chance to play at the international level, at both the adult and youth levels. Most recently, Chris Klein and Pat Noonan were both alternates for the 2006 World Cup.
Ofori Sarkodie, Kevin Alston, and Daniel Kelly all represented the United States at the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Cup. Sarkodie, who was a captain for that team, has participated in numerous camps at the U-20 level this season as the United States prepares for the U-20 World Cup.
"When you get to play a different country, the atmosphere and the play just raises so much," Alston said. "It's your country versus their country. It's really intense, but it's a great atmosphere at the same time.
Some of the countries that Alston has played soccer in are France, Northern Ireland, Peru, Belgium, Italy, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Argentina, Brazil and Holland.
Sunday's game will mark the fourth time that Sarkodie will have played Mexico, either at the U-17 or U-20 level.
"I expect fast play, I expect organized defense, I expect a lot of flair and individual talent, especially from their forwards, " Sarkodie said. "They really do bring a lot of flair to the game and are quite talented like that. They will bring a lot of experience to the game. From the first whistle, I expect class, I expect rough play, I expect talent and I expect creativity. It's going to be exciting."
Alston also notes that he anticipates a physical game. Many of the players currently on the U-20 Mexican National Team were on the U-17 squad that won the 2005 World Cup. Most play for teams in the Primera Division de Mexico, the premier football championship of the Mexican League.
Both Sarkodie and Alston want to have a good crowd on hand for Sunday's game in support of the Hoosiers. "The fans (in Mexico) show an extreme amount of nationalism in support of their country." Sarkodie said. "They really come to support the players and they bring an amazing atmosphere. With Mexico winning the last Under-17 World Cup, there's a lot of pride in that championship. The players want to come and the fans absolutely love to see players from their country strive and be successful. When they come out, they show a lot of support. To have a number of fans come out for the game will be absolutely amazing."
Alston notes that the crowd helps make the game that much better.
"It gets your adrenaline running, makes you that much more excited to play and it's definitely a booster," Alston said. "It make's everyone's blood flow and makes you want to go out there and play and make them happy. I don't think that people realize how much fun it is when it gets packed. When the stadium is full, it's that much more fun."
Action kicks off on Sunday, April 29, at 3 p.m. at Armstrong Stadium.
Players Mentioned
