Pinellas Players head to Europe

By Jeremy Rasmussen, Times Correspondent

A select team of Pinellas and Pasco boys soccer players leaves today (Tuesday, June 9) to play in Europe for two weeks. Players tried out for the team over Christmas break and have been practicing together the last few months in preparation for the trip.

""We're eager to compete against several different styles of play,'' team sponsor Steve Putnam said. ""It should really improve our game.''

The team arrives in Amsterdam on Wednesday, and its first match is against Dortmund City on Thursday. On Sunday, it heads to a tournament in Grafenwald.

Perhaps the highlight of the trip is tickets to the World Cup match between the US and Germany on June 15 in Paris. After the World Cup, the team continues playing in Germany against a club from Cologne on June 18 and then in a tournament in Huls which will feature teams from Hungary and the former Soviet Union.

The select team's roster includes several players that have made the Times' All-County High School Team the past two years, including Largo's Joe Valencia and St. Petersburg's Johnny Oldja. Other team members include Ryan Alexander, Scott Bialkowski, Mike Carrion, Mike Cashman, Jeremy Cashman, Sean Heaberlin, Tim Knowles, Toby Linthicum, Ryan McGauley, Fred Moore, Dan Mosny, John Samson, Noah Skrenes, Demitri Tagaropoulos, Russell Vreeland, Clint Wait, Dean Wortz, Frankie Gilchrest, and Aaron Wolfson.

Palm Harbor's Chris Keane is the coach of the select team, assisted by Putnam, Largo coach Steve Wolf, and East Lake coach Steve Wagner.

The sponsors for the trip are FLPutnam Investments, Robert Thomas Securities (a subsidiary of Raymond James Financial), Soccer Supply Inc, The Mullet Boat Restaurant, Ramon Carrion P.A. Heaberlin Construction Inc, and Treetop Designs and Rio Imports Inc.

(c) 1998 St. Petersburg Times Co.

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