Giammanco faces the world’s top 13-year-olds in soccer tourney
By: Justin Feil
Michael Giammanco has done a lot of homework in the car on the way to soccer practices.
One-hour rides each way to practice for the Jackson Raiders afforded the Montgomery resident plenty of time to finish his schoolwork and allowed him to concentrate on playing soccer.
It paid off first when the 13-year-old was made a member of the United States team that traveled to Calabria, Italy, for an international tournament near the end of June. Teams from the United Kingdom, Canada, Ghana and Ivory Coast participated.
The U.S. contingent of 13-year-olds, made up of players from the Raiders and from the New Jersey state champion Clark Conquistadors, faced similarly aged opponents from Italian teams from Triveneto, Campania, Sardinia and Paola. The Americans posted a 2-2 record and also won a "friendly" match.
"It was really good competition," said Giammanco, who was joined by Larry Geraghty of Lawrence as the only local members of the U.S. team. "We were probably in the hardest group, but our furthest game was 3-1 that we won. They were all close."
The two games that the U.S. team lost were one-goal games. It took Giammanco and his teammates some time to adjust to the nuances of the Italian game and the field conditions.
"We played on a dirt field," said Giammanco, who played defense throughout the tournament. "Their playing style was different, too. They have a fast counterattack. In the first game that we lost, that was part of it. Two or three of the goals were scored on the counterattack. In Italy, there was more one-on-one stuff. There wasn’t as much passing and they used the long ball a lot.
"Playing defense was harder there. Sometimes, I’d get caught up and then they’d outnumber you. Eventually, though, we got used to it."
And thought he trip is over, there is no rest from soccer for Giamanco, who just completed seventh grade at the Montgomery Middle School. He currently plays for the Jackson Raiders, an under-13 boys’ team.
Giammanco and Geraghty have also been selected to the 2000 N.J. State Olympic Development team this year. A committee will be selecting a regional team from 15 Northeast states, and Giammanco, who also plays travel basketball and a little baseball, would like to be a part of that select group as well after facing some of the world’s best young players.
"I think it helped us a lot," Giammanco said of the 10-day trip. "We saw how other teams played from around the world. We tried to improve from that."
The American team also had time between the soccer tournament to explore Italy. It made the trip more than just a sports adventure as the boys were able to enjoy free time on the beaches and learn something about Italian culture.
"There were a lot of differences," Giammanco said. "The language and some of the things you do there were different. You need a receipt wherever you go. If you don’t have one, and they ask, you can be fined or arrested.
"Driving was different, too. You could pass anyone whenever you wanted. There weren’t many people who spoke English, but we had a translator who went everywhere with us."
And just as the team from the United States took in the Italian scene, they were accepted wholeheartedly by the tournament’s hosts for their own style and soccer skills. After winning both games on one day of the tournament, the Americans entered the large dining area to repeated chants of "U.S.A." from their opponents. The other teams rose from their seats to join the cheers for the beaming Americans.
"When they chanted your name," Giammanco said, "you felt proud."