by Catherine Taylor
Staff Writer
The University of Houston club soccer team is already regarded as one of the top teams in the state, but the Cougars will soon head to Mexico to make their mark internationally.
Houston has been invited to play in the annual Universidad Iberamericana Invitational Tournament, to be held May 16-19. UH was the only American team asked to play in the tournament with three of the top five teams in Mexico.
With nationals coming up in the not too distant future, playing some of the best teams in Mexico will be a great advantage in preparing the Cougars to go up against the top teams in this country.
Though the caliber of play will be different than what Houston has faced so far, the Cougars feel they are ready to step up to the challenge.
"Tactically, we are just as strong as any team there," goalie and UH team captain Juan Ferrer said. "We'll definitely be considered the underdogs, but we've got a strong enough midfield and defense and that will keep us very competitive in the games."
The road to attaining international recognition has been a long one for Houston, peaking this season. UH finished the season with a record of four wins, two ties and only one loss.
Houston did not allow more than two goals in all of their outings, and in the Cougars last three games of the regular season they shut out the opposing teams.
"That's all attributed to our defense and our goalies," UH defenseman Juan Arzu said of the shutouts.
"You can always score, but not allowing the other team to score is the hardest thing."
Houston clinched second place in the Eastern Region with a 6-0 victory over North Eastern Louisiana State, earning a spot in the National Finals played in September.
"We've reached our peak," Ferrer said. "We're finally playing the way we should have been playing all season. The chemistry of our team is just right."
Soccer has been known as one of the most popular sports in the world for a long time, and it has recently been gaining more and more recognition in the United States. In fact, soccer is the fastest growing sport in this country.
This will be the first time any international team has been asked to come to the Mexican tournament.
The team is hoping to gain exposure for the UH soccer program and trigger more interest from sponsors.
UH plays Rice at 6 p.m. today at Robertson Stadium, preceding the professional matchup at 8 p.m. between the division leading Houston Hurricanes and the Chicago Stingers.
The game between the Cougars and the Owls has been dubbed a friendly soccer match, but according to Arzu, this is not entirely accurate.
"We have a game against Rice before the professional game," Arzu said, "but there is no such thing as friendly when it comes to soccer."