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CLERICUS-NAC Apr-22-2008 (450 words) xxxi
North American College loses in Clericus Cup semifinals
By Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service
ROME (CNS) -- The Pontifical North American College Martyrs lost 4-0 in the semifinals of the Clericus Cup soccer tournament to last year's champions, the Redemptoris Mater team of the Neocatechumenal Way's seminary.
The Martyrs will play the UCRO team made up of Ukrainian and Croatian seminarians and priests for third place May 3. It is the first time the NAC players have had a chance to capture third place.
The undefeated Redemptoris Mater team will face the Legionaries of Christ's Mater Ecclesiae for the Clericus Cup championship the same day.
While losing to "Red Mat" April 19 was a disappointment for the Martyrs, trainer and co-captain Daniel O'Mullane of Paterson, N.J., said the defeat was made even more bitter by what he called the aggressive play and poor sportsmanship displayed by the opposing team.
"We're still trying to digest the experience," he told Catholic News Service April 21.
"We're not overly discouraged by the fact we lost a tough game," he said.
"We're going to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off," he said. "We're not quitters and I think that's a very good witness for our people to see that. That we work hard and we don't give up."
He said that during the April 19 match, opposing fans displayed a sign, written in Italian, that read: "American, you taunted me and I will destroy you; I'll eat you up."
While the sign is a play on a quote from the protagonist from the Italian film "An American in Rome" directs against a plate of spaghetti, O'Mullane said the sign was "in the wrong spirit" and "it's not what it should have been."
O'Mullane said he was shocked to see "Red Mat" players grab the ball after scoring a goal, huddle together, slam the ball to the ground "like a bomb and then they all fell to the ground" playing dead.
"It was an embarrassment and goes against the objectives of the game," he said.
The priestly soccer series was created in 2006 to be an example of ethical sportsmanship and fair play in the hopes it could influence a wider world of sports often marred by violence and exploitation.
O'Mullane said he recently told a journalist from the BBC that "I'm not sure the tournament is accomplishing its objectives anymore."
While everyone is "prone to make mistakes" and get caught up in the heat of competition, it is still important that players, coaches, referees and organizers "keep the sport in proper perspective," O'Mullane said.
He also said a big crowd of NAC supporters turned up April 19, and one fan came with a trumpet and belted out "The Star Spangled Banner" before the game.
END
Copyright (c) 2008 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed.
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