Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Caligiuri to join the gods of the sport in Greece

Paul Caligiuri will complete a 20-year soccer odyssey when he participates in another all-star game of global proportions at Kaftatzoglio Stadium in Thessaloniki, Greece, on May 20, as a lead up to the World Cup in Germany.

Twenty years ago, Caligiuri (cal-a-JUR-ee) played in a FIFA/UNICEF All-Star game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. Diego Maradona had just helped Argentina win the World Cup in Mexico.

Caligiuri, then a 22-year-old UCLA defender, teamed with Maradona at the Rose Bowl.

"Now, I was nervous by the time I stepped onto the field," Caligiuri said. "But playing with a great player like Maradona, he made it easy. At my first touch, I look up and he's yelling for the ball. It was, 'Here, take it.'

"If I kept it, he would have come over and taken it off my feet. Players at that level make the game simple."

Caligiuri's locker in the dressing room was next to Maradona's, which meant Caligiuri couldn't get close to his personal belongings for a long time afterward because of the media crush surrounding the Argentina star.

"What a thrill," Caligiuri said. "There was such an energy with him in the room. The respect he had from players from all over the world. Amazing. That game was a breakthrough for me, in terms of playing at a high level."

Caligiuri said that experience provided him with the motivation to excel, and his 30-yard goal in Trinidad & Tobago three years later booted the United States into its first World Cup in 40 years.

In Germany, the United States will be one of only seven countries that will take part in its fifth consecutive World Cup.

Caligiuri played 110 games for the national team. He became the first American-born player to play in Germany's top-flight division, and he played for three German teams over nine seasons. He finished a six-year run in Major League Soccer in 2001.

He was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame, in Oneonta, N.Y., in 2004.

Caligiuri now coaches the men's team at Division-II Cal Poly Pomona in Southern California and is about to celebrate his 42nd birthday.

In three months, he might again feed passes to Maradona - or Franz Beckenbauer or Johan Cruyff, possibly even Pele - in Greece. The rosters for the game in Greece are being assembled through consulates there.

Caligiuri received his invitation two weeks ago by phone from Greece, which will be the 43rd country he has visited.

"I had tears in my eyes," he said. "To represent the U.S. in a world legends game is something I could never have fathomed. It's amazing, and I'm honored. I was shocked and excited. I'm sure I'll be in awe of my teammates.

"At the same time, soccer has come a long way in this country. For a (world all-star game) to want a representative of the U.S., and/or for me to be picked, is incredible."

Silver standout

Banat Arsenal defender Chris Marshburn's throw-ins were stunning. He either tossed 50-yard loops or zipped pinpoint darts that traveled almost as far.

And he, instead of the Arsenal goalie, blasted goal kicks that soared three-quarters of the length of the field.

Marshburn, 27, was all over the field doing both of those chores, then shifted his way back to the Arsenal defense. And his successful penalty kick gave Phoenix-based Arsenal the lead for good in its championship victory over Durango of Los Angeles.

"We finally got it together," Marshburn said. "We've been playing in this tournament for seven years, taking second twice. And we lost to that team in the final two years ago. Coming up short (stinks)."

Arsenal beat Tyneside United, one of the best open teams in Las Vegas, in the round of 16, the farthest Tyneside had advanced in the tournament in five years.

The Bud Cup is a must for soccer aficionados every President's Day weekend. It started in 1978 and is arguably the top amateur tournament in the country.

Durango was shooting for its third consecutive Bud Cup crown, but Marshburn got in its way.

The former Mesa Community College goalkeeper said he began perfecting those majestic kicks when a coach told him to relax and not try to hit it so far. And those impressive throw-ins? "A lot of sit-ups," he said.

Shoulder and knee surgeries derailed his athletic career, and Marshburn earned his bachelor's degree at Arizona State University. He manages a popular bar and grill in Scottsdale, and he'll play for the Arizona Banat-Storm in the National Premier Soccer League in April.

"I loved every single minute of it," he said of the Bud Cup. "We're a big family, and this was a learning experience. We need to do this again."

Strikers tryouts

Based on those evaluations, Strikers coach Frank D'Amelio and his staff will extend invitations for further tryouts to a select group. The Strikers will play an exhibition match against UNLV, and new coach Mario Sanchez, on April 1.

Match of the week

Whether it's that timeless Andy Williams song, Frank Gehry's sleek Guggenheim Museum or the kid who flashed his cartoonlike Bilbao membership card on the train to Pamplona in 1998, we root for Bilbao.

Los Rojiblancos have never been relegated since joining La Liga in 1928, but they're teetering at 5-12-7. A minus-8 goal differential has them three spots from sinking, but a victory over top-third Villareal would help.

Rob Miech can be reached at 259-4087 or at [email protected].

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