Aggie Soccer to play China in Panda Cup
Mar 30, 2006 | Soccer
March 30, 2006
The Texas A&M soccer team will host a national team from China this Friday night at the Aggie Soccer Stadium, in the opening match of the 2006 Panda Cup USA. Kickoff is slated for 7:00 p.m. and admission is free.
The match will serve as the final home game of the spring season for the Aggies. A&M, the defending 2004 and 2005 Big 12 regular season and tournament champions, is currently 8-0-0 in their previous spring games, including a 2-1 win over the United States U20 National Team earlier this month. The Aggies have taken on many international opponents in recent years, including games against the national teams of Brazil, Mexico, Holland, and New Zealand. But, this will be the first meeting between the Aggies and a selection from a communist nation.
?We are excited to be the opening game for the Panda Cup,? commented Aggie head coach G Guerrieri. ?This event will be a great cultural and athletic opportunity for our players, and it goes hand in hand with our mission of Building Champions at Texas A&M.?
The Panda Cup is a two week tour of Texas and Oklahoma by two Chinese teams. During the tour, the Chinese ?A-Team? will play Texas A&M, SMU, TCU, UNT and Tulsa. All while the ?B-Team? will play all-star youth teams from around the state. The A-Team, which will play the Aggies, is a hybrid team made up of players from the National Team Pool, the National University Selection, a National Selection from professional teams, and a combination of current Olympic Pool Players.
?The Chinese have a wonderful international tradition in women?™s soccer,? said Guerrieri. They were our opponents in the championship game of the 1999 World Cup, when Brandi Chastain scored the game winner in a penalty kick shootout for the USA. And, the Chinese National Team remains ranked among the best teams in the world. So, I think our fans are in for a real treat at the Aggie Soccer Stadium this Friday night. know that there will be a large contingent of international students at the game from here on campus, and I hope everyone in the soccer community can come and experience the fun.?
The Aggies will wrap up their spring season the day after the game with China, when they travel north to McKinney, Texas for a Saturday evening game against the Gators of the University of Florida. The match with the Gators will be the featured event in the National Collegiate Showcase, sponsored by the Sting Soccer Club of Dallas. Kickoff for that game is set for 5:00 p.m. in the Championship Field of the Craig Ranch Soccer Complex.
