For many Americans, soccer is something foreign. Many see it as a European game that will never catch on in the United States. How could something that is popular in France even appear on the radar screen of a country where baseball is the national pastime and Sundays are devoted equally to church and NFL football?
There is, however, a growing movement to market soccer to the world's largest consumer nation. There was a flurry of articles recently about the potential use of British soccer star David Beckham to spread the game's popularity in the United States. Beckham, who has been lionized by legions of international soccer fans, has hinted that he may be open to signing a contract with an American MLS team as he enters the waning years of his career.
Virginia soccer fans, however, have the opportunity to see European talent in Charlottesville at Klöckner Stadium. Two Virginia freshmen, Yannick Reyering of Germany and Milovan Milosevic of Serbia & Montenegro, have made an impact during preseason games against VCU and American University.
"The game here is about the same as it is in Germany, but I think the level of play in Germany is a little bit better," said Reyering, who hails from the city of Mettingen. "The game is a little faster over there. There are more players [in Germany] who are very good at dribbling the ball around and passing it throughout the field."
Reyering, who turned 21 in July, is significantly older than the normal freshman college student in the United States. Over the past several years, he played on two different premier German youth teams, TUS Recke and VIL Osnabruck. According to the Virginia athletics Web site, Reyering helped lead VIL Osnabruck to victory in the 2003 Niedersachsenliga. The 2004 campaign saw Reyering's club elevated from Division V to Division IV status in the German soccer hierarchy.
Reyering arrived at the UniversityAugust 20, just in time to suit up for Virginia's first preseason game against VCU. The new arrival did not disappoint his teammates nor Virginia fans as he tied the game in the 55th minute by taking a pass from midfielder Dane Murphy and depositing it in the upper-right corner of the net.
"He's been thrown right into the mix of things," Coach George Gelnovatch said. "I think he's going to continue to get better as he gets used to our team, our players, our school and this country. To come onto a team and do as well as he has is not an easy thing for a young man to do. I think he's going to help us as he's a goal scorer, which is something we need. He's a very good finisher."
Milosevic played on numerous elite teams in Serbia & Montenegro. He was the captain of FC Radnicki Jugopetrol and won the 2004 National Championship. He was also the MVP of the 2003 cup finals. Against VCU, he broke a 1-1 tie in the 70th minute with a goal from 30 yards out off a free kick. Against American, he made some nice moves with the ball and nearly capitalized on an excellent scoring opportunity.
Reyering expressed gratitude for the warm and friendly atmosphere he has met in Charlottesville.
"I feel very comfortable on the team," Reyering said following last Wednesday night's 0-0 tie with American University. "The team is very nice and they welcomed me very well."
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