The ever-expanding schedule of international friendlies set to take place this summer has just added its first Brazilian club.
Powerhouse Cruzeiro will take on the New England Revolution on Sunday, June 13, at Gillette Stadium.
Cruzeiro, founded in 1921, was in 2009 named the top club in Brazil by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics. They have won the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A title once, in 2003, and the Minas Gerais state championship 36 times. Internationally, they have lifted the Copa Libertadores twice, in 1976 and 1979, and lost in the finals of the 2009 tournament.
“We are very excited to bring Cruzeiro to Gillette Stadium,” Revolution Vice President of Business Development Craig Tornberg said in a club statement. “There is a tremendous Brazilian population in the New England area that hails from the Minais Gerais region of the country, and also claims Cruzeiro as their club. We expect a tremendous atmosphere for this match.”
The current roste for the Raposa (Fox) features such Brazilian stars as Gilberto, Roger, Kleber and Fábio. Past players include three-time FIFA Player of the Year Ronaldo, Barcelona defender Maxwell, AC Milan goalkeeper Dida, and Chelsea defender Juliano Belleti.
