Rider Insider

Yeah I stole that title from BrianLBI on BigSoccer but it does go a long way to describe the “derby” that has just been scheduled today at Gillette Stadium for July 25th.  The New York Times is reporting that AC Milan and Inter Milan will be a part of a summer tour that will also see Inter and Jose Mourinho take on Chelsea in San Fransisco.   At first glance it seems like it could be a great match.  Both of those teams have some of the best players in the world and greatest history in European soccer.

So the question I’m sure you’re all asking now is: “So I should grab my flares, my fat friend Tony from Revere and meet you at the stadium?”

My answer to you depends on the type of fan you are.  All I can really do is lay out the full story and you can make the decision.

The Conferations Cup, with Italy and Brazil both competing, is wrapping up only five days before Inter and AC are scheduled to appear in Foxboro.  Will the players competing in that tournament be expected to make the grueling trip from South Africa to Foxboro? Doubtful.  With the prices that are sure to be charged at the gates you would expect to see both teams at their absolute best, not in pre-season form with only half of their influential players.

If we are lucky enough that Brazil doesn’t make it out of the group stage in South Africa perhaps a few of those top players will make an appearance at Gillette. Although Ronaldinho is a shell of his former shelf he thrives in these exhibition matches and knows what it takes to put on a show.  Another, far less touted Brazilian who I would be excited to see is Maicon.  Pictured above, the dominating right back plays the position better than anyone else in the world right now.  He runs like a locomotive and couples that athleticism with great creativity.  Unfortunately, you can’t expect either of these players to fly half-way across the world to play in Foxboro, Massachusetts.

From the formidable group of Italians that would likely miss this match, I would love to see Andrea Pirlo pulling the strings for Milan but his inclusion is just like the others, very much in doubt.

The only player worth the price of any Gillette admission that won’t be competing at the Confederations Cup and therefore has a better chance of getting a run out in Foxboro is Zlatan Ibrahimovic.  Look him up on youtube if you don’t already know, but he’s a man capable of the incredible and often unbelievable and you could reason that any price would be worth paying to watch him play for the true fan of the game.  Inter will be in the second leg of their cross-country road trip when they arrive in Foxboro, however, and there is no guarantee that he will even play which would leave many of the reigons more casual fans feeling hard done much in the same manner they did when they showed up to see Beckham play the Revs two years ago but he didn’t pass the fitness test.

With all that said I will probably go see the derby, as a packed Gillette stadium for a soccer match is usually a pretty fun time.  Not that my opinion on the match really matters.  Plenty of tickets will be sold to a bunch of really tan, “Italian” dudes with blowouts and their orange-tanned girlfriends.  They’ll fill the seats and buy the beer while pretending that they’re big fans and really Italian.

See you there Camille Toes.