One of my best youth soccer memories is when my club team, the UHS Apollos played vs. a Canadian Province team at the 1986 USA Cup in Blaine, Minnesota. Scheduled for everyone to see, it was a Canada vs. USA soccer exhibition. How we were selected to play in the exhibition is an interesting story, but first some background.

The whole Minnesota experience started off with a bang. A twin cities newspaper, The St. Paul Dispatch, featured us on the front page with a picture of us during the tournaments opening ceremonies. Although the publicity was nice, we didn't need it to get anyone's attention. Following us everywhere we went, an ENORMOUS helium filled soccer ball flew high in the sky and marked our every move. Our helium filled ball definately made things seem festive, but so did the style in which we played. So much so, that the tournament director was summoned to watch us play during our first game.

The director was called on to decide whether we would be allowed to continue using the flip throw-in. Having never seen anyone ever attempt one before, our Minnesota competition and referee were baffled to it's legality. The tournament director ruled we couldn't continue using the flip throw because he said we were "showing off". Although we lost the decision, we won the game and more importantly a fan. The tournmant director was so impressed with our performance (11-1 victory), he invited us to play vs. Canada's Manitoba Province Select team following the USA vs. Canada women's national team exhibition later that night.

A featured event at the tournament, the women's national team game brought in a huge crowd. USA and Canada tied 0-0. We were next in the USA vs. Canada challenge. Playing at night while no other teams were scheduled, we became the focus of the evening. Manitoba wore their Canadian red. We wore our red, white, and blue, diagonal striped uniforms. Both teams were dressed exactly like the national teams that played just before us.

From the starting whistle, it was clear the Canadians were an excellent team. They took the early 1-0 lead on a skirmish in front of our goal and celebrated like they had just won the World Cup. Determined to play well, we reacted well to our breakdown and started to dominate the flow of play. Both teams were playing with tremendous pride. We tied the game up fifteen minutes later on a goal by our sweeper and team captain Tait Einerson. Tait, who was scheduled to try out for the U-15 National Team a few weeks later, was running full speed when he received a flick pass from our center forward Chuck Reid and sprinted past Canada's last line of defense and stretched to toe poke a shot past Canada's on-rushing goalkeeper. Our attack never slowed down.

Playing one of my best games, I created several crosses for Reid (first half bicycle-kick missed the target)and Paul Rettenmaier (leathal shooter). In goal, acrobatic Troy McEvers played the game of his life. In the first half he dove over an opposing player to snare a cross out of the air. In the second half Troy dove to his left to push a ball out of the upper 90 after a Canadian player bicycle-kicked a ball straight off a corner kick. Making multiple diving, point blank, or breakaway saves, Troy's performance was keeping us in the game.

Canada finally broke through and scored a second goal, but it wouldn't last long. Rettenmaier's 25 yard free kick found the upper corner of the goal and we were level at 2. Tied late in the game, our effort only intensified. We were slide tackling the Canadians virtually every time they touched the ball. Our center-mid and future Olympic Festival player Neal Zahn got the ball for us and slid a through ball for Reid. Chuck battled shoulder to shoulder with a powerful Canadian defender before placing a shot that trickled past the on-rushing keeper. The goal gave us our first lead of the game with only minutes remaining.

When the final whistle blew, half our team threw their arms in the air like we were just crowned heavyweight champs. Although it was just an exhibition, the victory felt better than any game, league, or tournament we'd ever won. With the media attention, the helium ball, the flip throw controversy, and now the exhibition victory, we had quickly become the talk of the tournament and a recognized team. We were victorious in our first international challenge, and played to the potential our coach had always envisioned. Now we had to focus on winning the tournament.. That's another story.