PORTLAND, Ore.
– The Portland Timbers announced today they will play AC Milan Primavera, the U-21 team of Italian superpower AC Milan, on June 19 at PGE Park, presented by Peroni Italy. AC Milan’s U-21 squad will visit Portland on its three-game preseason tour of the United States.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Tickets for AC Milan Primavera go on sale Saturday, April 21, at 10 a.m. Starting at $17, tickets are available through the PGE Park box office, area Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling (503) 224-4400.
“AC Milan has a great history and is one of the most respected clubs in the world,” said
Gavin Wilkinson
, head coach and general manager of the Timbers. “The Primavera team is good enough to play anyone in the world. They have some youth national team members, and we’ve been told a few first-team players will be making the trip as well.”
AC Milan Primavera is one of 53 teams that compete in the Campionato Primavera league, a combination of youth squads from the Italian Serie A, B and C leagues. AC Milan Primavera is currently ranked second in its group with a record of 15-2-6 (53pts); the top four teams from each group advance to the postseason.
The Primavera squad features 10 players who have seen action with AC Milan’s senior team during the 2006-07 season. Defender
Matteo Darmian
, who has played for the U-18 Italian National Team, along with defender
Mateo Bruscagin
, and midfielders
Matteo Lunati
and captain
Gastone Bottini
all played for AC Milan in the early rounds of the Italian Cup.
Defender
Luca Antonelli
and forward
Davide Di Gennaro
each saw the field with AC Milan’s first team in Serie A matches midway through the season.
During its trip to the United States, AC Milan Primavera will also play the Minnesota Thunder of the USL First Division on June 23.
Timbers season ticket holders should call ticket representative Dan Zusman at (503) 553-5452 to purchase their seats.
For information on discounted tickets for groups of 15 or more, call the Timbers ticket office at (503) 553-5555.
With AC Milan Primavera, the Timbers have two international exhibition matches scheduled for the 2007 season. On May 9, the Timbers battle Club Necaxa of Mexico’s Primera Division at PGE Park at 7 p.m.
The Timbers begin the 2007 USL First Division season on Saturday, April 21, at 7 p.m. against the Puerto Rico Islanders at PGE Park.
For more information about AC Milan, visit
www.acmilan.com
.
For more information about Peroni Italy, visit
www.peroniitaly.com
ABOUT AC MILAN
Known as the Rossoneri, or “the red and black” for their striped uniforms, Associazione Calcio Milan is one of the most successful clubs in Europe and competes in Italy’s top tier, Serie A. Since the club was founded in 1899, AC Milan has won six UEFA Champions League titles, three Intercontinental Cups and 17 Italian Serie A championships. The first-team roster includes several 2006 World Cup participants, including Brazil’s Dida, Cafu, Kaka and world-renowned striker Ronaldo. In 2007, Forbes.com ranked AC Milan as the fifth-richest club in the world at an estimated value of $824 million dollars. AC Milan Primavera won the Campionato Primavera league championship in 1965.
ABOUT PERONI ITALY
Peroni Italy is the No. 1-selling beer in Italy. Established in 1846, Peroni Italy is synonymous with the high quality and tradition of the Italian brewing industry. Brewed with heart and passion from simple, natural ingredients, it boasts 160 years of brewing expertise and heritage. Its quality and freshness are ensured daily by careful selection of raw materials (using only distichous barley sown in spring) and by the care taken in every stage of production, packaging and distribution. Its taste and fresh, natural and sparkling character make it the most popular beer in Italy.
