The Cochrane Rangers will add some international flavour to the town pitch when they play host to – and play ball with – a travelling soccer club from South America next week.
“Soccer brings everybody together,” Rangers midfielder Daran Fletcher said this week. “It doesn’t matter what part of the world you go to, even if you can’t speak the language … It’s a great sport that way.”
Clube Jundiaiense is an amateur soccer club from Brazil that has been traveling the world since 1996. Founder Sanzio Carvalho played and coached the game in the United States in the 1980s and said he realized during his international work that soccer was the universal language that connected him wherever he went.
He returned home and started up the Clube, organizing friendly matches across the globe. Since then, the rotating team of players has hit the pitch in Florida, Hawaii, Greece, Spain, New Zealand, Croatia, Egypt and more.
“We learned that there is no barrier, language nor distance that separates people who love the fame and share joy playing or watching,” Carvalho said in an email. “All we bring home are amazing experiences and lots of new friendships.”
Now, Clube Jundiaiense can add Cochrane to their far-reaching list of fields, since Ranger player Erik Orozco reached out to the South American team after learning they were coming to Alberta for the Calgary Stampede and were also looking to squeeze in some soccer at the same time.
While the Rangers is normally made up of players ages 55 and older, Fletcher said the team has combined forces with Cochrane’s 45-plus squad in hopes of giving the Brazilians the most challenging competition that they can.
“We do have one or two Brazilians over the years that have come to the club – they (are) very good on the ball, very skilled, technically very good and exciting to play with,” he said. “I’m expecting a tough game.”
While Fletcher himself recently tore a calf muscle and has to sit on the sidelines for the historic game, he said he’ll definitely be cheering on from the bench.
Sports fans are invited to watch the match, which takes place on July 13 at 7 p.m. at Ranger Field.
“I’ll certainly be supporting the lads, that’s for sure,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to it.”
