http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Real-c30728 Madrid: Juninho eager to face Kaka – World Football Challenge
On Saturday, July 16, reigning Major League Soccer Western Conference champions, Los Angeles Galaxy, take on the most decorated club in the world football, Real Madrid, in a World Football Challenge fixture. The showdown is scheduled for 2200 Hrs, local
time.
Where the match is an important international friendly between the storied La Liga outfit and MLS powerhouse, it also brings some of best players in the world face to face at LA Memorial Coliseum.
For LA midfielder, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Junior-c20060, or more commonly known as Juninho, there is no side more enthralling to play against in the footballing world. His compatriot, midfielder and former FIFA Player of the Year, Kaka, will be manning the same attacking
midfield spot in Los Blancos side.
“I http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Kaká-c20231 play,” Juninho said. “We went to the same schools and are from the same area. He’s a special player and it will be special to play against him.”
Although the two didn’t share the same batch at school, or know each other personally, sharing the same religion of football brings both closer in the game at the LA Memorial.
“I don’t know him personally because he was gone before me, but I believe all who know about soccer consider him special,” Juninho said.
Kaka climbed up the ranks at the same Brazilian outfit, Sao Paulo, and caught the eye of Serie A giants AC Milan in 2003. After spending six years, the player landed at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu.
Juninho, on the other hand, started his professional career with the same Brazilian side four years after Kaka left for Milan. In 2009, he was loaned to Toledo Colônia Work and then to LA Galaxy the last year.
In a short period, the midfielder has made himself an integral part of the MLS franchise. The player scored the season opening goal for the Galaxy this year at CenturyLink Field (formerly known as Qwest Field).
Besides Kaka, Juninho mentioned other players he admired and grew up watching on television screens. The most prominent of them were legendary Ronaldo and http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Xabi-Alonso-c37045’s play.
“I grew up watching Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos, two players who were there for many years and won many championships,” Juninho said. “I like how Xabi Alonso plays, very intelligent.”
Both Bruce Arena’s Galaxy and Jose Mourinho’s Los Merengues have met each other on the pitch twice, in 2005 and 2010. Both times, the nine-time UEFA Champions League winners ran through Los Galacticos, 2-0 and 3-2 respectively.
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