DLJdirect Gotham Cup Teams Begin to Arrive
European Powers Bring Top Guns for Weekend Tournament

SECAUCUS, N.J. (Wednesday, July 21, 1999) - With the first doubleheader of DLJdirect Gotham Cup action set to begin this Friday, the four teams have announced their respective travel squads for the weekend tournament. With the full squads of four of the most famous soccer teams in the world beginning to arrive Wednesday, the competition, organized by the MetroStars, stands as the preeminent club challenge this summer.

The first annual DLJdirect Gotham Cup will commence at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, July 23, when Ajax of Holland meets Aston Villa from England. Following the first match, Italy's Fiorentina will square off against Panathinaikos from Greece at 9:30. The four teams will return to action on Sunday, when the third-place game is played at Giants Stadium at 4:00. The winners from

Friday's action will compete for the beautiful crystal championship trophy at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Fiorentina, whose off-season acquisitions make them the early favorite to capture the prestigious Italian League title, will bring what appears to be the most dangerous and exciting of the four teams. Included on the Giovanni Trappatoni-led squad are: Gabriel Batistuta, the Argentine legend known as "Bati-gol" for his prodigious goal scoring abilities; Rui Costa, the magnificent Portuguese midfield ace; and a pair of recent signings, forwards Enrico Chiesa and Predrag Mijatovic. Fiorentina, who will compete in the next Champions League, will use the tournament as its biggest pre-season test.

Following Fiorentina's lead, English Premier League heavyweights Aston Villa have also announced a star-studded travel squad. Sporting a lineup mixed with young English talent and continental expertise, Manager John Gregory will have English National Teamers Paul Merson, Gareth Southgate, and former Liverpool goalkeeper David James, and up-and-comers Gareth Barry and Lee Hendrie available for action. Villa just missed out on Premiership glory last season, leading the race for the first three months before giving way to eventual champions Manchester United. The DLJdirect Gotham Cup represents the Birmingham club's biggest challenge before their league season opens on August 7 with a match against Newcastle.

Ajax, the famed Amsterdam club known throughout the world as one of the best organizations at developing young talent, will parade their biggest off-season signing, Brian Laudrup, at the tournament. Joining the Danish World Cup veteran will be South Africa's Benni McCarthy, Portugal's Dani, Nigerian World Cup defender Sunday Oliseh, and Dutch World Cup midfielderAron Winter. Manager Jan Wouters club, who will compete for the prestigious UEFA Cup next season, will bring the latest version of "Total Football" to the states when they arrive in New York on Thursday, July 22.

Panathinaikos, of Greece, will make their first trip to Giants Stadium in the DLJdirect Gotham Cup. Packed with talented and exciting players, Manager Yiannis Kyrastas' team features Croatian World Cup midfield general Aljosa Asanovic, German marksman Karlheinz Pfilpsen, and Polish forward Krzysztof Warzycha. In addition, the club boasts of having some of the bestGreek players, including defender Efstratios Apostolakis, midfielders Nikolaos Liberopoulos and Georgios Karagounis, and forward Kostas Ipirotis.

Tickets (both doubleheaders or individual doubleheader dates) for the DLJdirect Gotham Cup are on sale at all Ticketmaster locations in the metropolitan area, including the MetroStars retail store at 6226 Bergenline Avenue in West New York, NJ. Fans can also buy tickets directly from the MetroStars by calling 1-888-4METROTIX.

For More Info Go To: Metrotix    or     LJ GothamCup

Courtesy MLSNET
 

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