Chicago Trophy has international appeal
Andy Gawecki stood on the bleachers bordering UIC Flames Field on Thursday morning, snapping photos as quickly as he could.
His favorite soccer team, Wisla Krakow, was on the field, going through its first workout in preparation for playing in The Chicago Trophy, a first-time four-team international soccer event at Soldier Field today and Sunday.
Gawecki, a 20-year-old Mount Prospect resident who moved here with his family eight years ago, last saw Wisla play in his native Poland and simply can't believe the luck of having his favorite team in his adopted land.
"I am so excited for them to be here,'' said Gawecki, in between photographs. "I am going to see both games at Soldier Field. My dad and I, and lots of friends, will be there."
The tournament is being conducted by an Irish company, Platinum One, which is also hosting summer tours for Manchester United and Barcelona FC.
"In the U.S., there is not one serious soccer annual tournament (for foreign teams),'' said Eamon McLoughlin, the tournament organizer. "Teams come here from Europe and play what is in effect an exhibition game. Big teams come to town, they trot out their 'B' team and fans feel they have been cheated.
"Here, the teams are contracted to play competitively,'' he said. "They wanted something to play for, which is where The Chicago Trophy comes from. This is not a marketing event, just to try to sell merchandise. This is a competition."
So the four-team event includes Sevilla FC, the No. 1 club team in the world based on back-to-back UEFA Cup championships; Wisla Krakow, which has won four Polish championships this decade; Club Deportivo Toluca, the 2005 Mexican champions, and Reggina Calcio of Italy, a Serie A team that defeated David Beckham's Real Madrid in the season finale this spring.
Platinum One has a three-year contract with the city of Chicago to support the tournament. Part of the negotiations was an agreement that the tournament would include one team from Poland and one from Mexico, to entice the large Polish and Mexican communities in Chicago to attend the event.
For all four teams, this week comes just prior to the start of their regular seasons. Wisla, in fact, was supposed to play its league opener Saturday but got special dispensation to play in the Chicago Trophy, which McLoughlin sees as an indication of how important this tournament is to the European clubs.
"It is because of the opportunity that was presented us to play Reggina and Sevilla, who we have not had the chance to play,'' Wisla coach Maciej Skorza said. "We are hoping this experience will give us an advantage when we get home and start the league."
Toluca, which plays Sevilla today and Reggina Sunday, begins league play next weekend in the Clausura. Like the other teams here, they chose to come to the United States to complete their training period.
"We are taking advantage of playing teams of the caliber we are facing here in Chicago,'' Toluca defender Erick Espinoza said.
If you go
What: The Chicago Trophy, a four-team tournament at Soldier Field on Friday and Sunday.
Schedule: Wisla Krakow (Poland) vs. Reggina Calcio (Italy), 6 p.m. today; Sevilla FC (Spain) vs. Club Deportivo Toluca (Mexico) 8:15 p.m. today
Round 2: Club Deportivo Toluca vs. Reggina 3 p.m. Sunday; Wisla Krakow vs. Sevilla 5:15 p.m. Sunday
Scoring: Teams get 3 points for win, 1 point for draw. Team with most total goals wins championship if there is a tie.
Tickets: $45, $65 and $80 (on Thursday, organizers were offering one free ticket for each ticket purchased).
Source: thechicagotrophy.com