Facing Zidane a huge thrill for Rapids captain
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Updated: July 02, 2009 2:13 PM
By Dan Kinvig,
Black Press
Growing up in Abbotsford, Michael Perry never would have dreamed that he'd set foot on the same soccer field as Zinedine Zidane.
That improbable scenario will play itself out on Saturday at B.C. Place Stadium, when the captain of the Chilliwack Rapids premier mens' team joins a group of local all-stars taking on a team of international players headlined by Zidane, the legendary French midfielder who led his nation to the World Cup title in 1998.
"It's totally unbelievable to me, to be quite honest," enthused Perry, 28. "He's one of the best players who's ever played the game, and for someone in Canada, stepping on the field with him is completely unlikely."
Saturday's game is the final leg of a three-city Canadian tour billed as "Zidane and Friends." The tour, which also made stops in Montreal and Toronto, is a fundraising initiative for UNICEF.
Perry earned to right to face Zidane after surviving a three-week tryout process with fellow senior men's soccer standouts from the Lower Mainland and the Fraser Valley.
Perry played his youth soccer with the Abbotsford Soccer Association, and went on to play for the University of the Fraser Valley and Abbotsford's Premier Development League side. These days, he teaches physical education at W.J. Mouat Secondary.
Zidane retired following the 2006 World Cup, but Perry expects that the former Juventus and Real Madrid superstar will still be a formidable opponent.
"He's older, but he's still got lots of skill from what I've seen," said Perry, who plays left back. "I've been watching a few YouTube videos, and he still moves like he used to."
And if he should find Zidane bearing down on him with the game on the line?
"I just want to keep him in front of me, and not let him put it through my legs, I guess," Perry said with a chuckle. "I want to make myself look somewhat respectable around him."
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