Roman holiday an eye-opener
Niagara teen returns home from soccer showcase in Italy with more confidence
Soccer has already taken Marco Primerano across southern Ontario with his club team, to Thunder Bay with his high school team and to Italy with a Canadian all-star team.
Before the summer wraps up and the 17-year-old returns to A.N. Myer Secondary School for Grade 12, the game will be taking him to Pennsylvania.
That’s where the Canada Selects, the team that went 2-2-1 at the Lazio International Cup in Rome, will be playing as many as three exhibition games against U.S. universities.
Like many of his teammates on the Selects, Primerano will be using the games as full-dress, full-contact rehearsals for soccer scholarships. Another opportunity to showcase their skills under the watchful eyes of coaches and recruiters from Division 1 soccer programs in the U.S.
All told, that’s a lot of soccer in any one year, though not for the son of Mark and Maricela Primerano of Niagara Falls.
“No, not when you love the game as much as I do,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s just something that I like to do, and something I’ll continue doing.”
Primerano’s love affair with The Beautiful Game has been requited time and time again over the years. Among the immediate returns is the feeling that comes from “scoring a goal when team needs it.”
This year that feeling has not been an uncommon one for the standout strike, especially at the club level. In the two games prior to this interview, Primerano scored four goals each time.
Though Myer withstood Waterdown and Denis Morris to advance to the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations championships for the first time in years, the highlight of his year so far was going to Italy.
The chance to compete against some of the top 16- and 17-yearolds in a hotbed of soccer was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for Primerano.
To say the least, it was also an eye-opener in terms of increasing his knowledge of the game.
“Your touches on the ball have to be quicker than anyone else’s, you have to be thinking two steps ahead,” he said. “The players are faster, and the play is faster.
“The players are a lot taller, stronger, things like that.”
Primerano, who was among the 18 players selected from upwards of 100 hand-picked prospects who attended an evaluation camp in Vaughan, said the action on the pitch in Italy was non-stop.
“You always have to be on your feet, ready to go.”
Canada’s training for the Lazio International Cup was highlighted by playing five exhibition games against men’s teams before flying to room.
“That was definitely better preparation before Italy because all those guys are bigger and faster and stronger,” he said. “It would have been more of a surprise when we got to Italy.”
Mark Primerano, who accompanied his son on the trip to their ancestral homeland, wholeheartedly agreed.
“They were so used to playing these big, older guys, it was good.”
Each team in the 20-team field in Rome was guaranteed four games. While the Canada Selects played only more before being eliminated, the younger Primerano nonetheless regards the trip a success.
“We considered ourselves getting good results,” he said, “because teams that are overseas are usually better teams, have more possession of the ball and pass the ball better compared to Canadian teams and American teams.”
In their games in Italy, the Canadians spent much of the first half getting a feel for the other
“We considered ourselves getting good results because teams that are overseas are usually better teams, have more possession of the ball and pass the ball better compared to Canadian teams and American teams.” MARCO PRIMERANO Under-17 Canada Select striker
team and adjusting to the increased pace of play.
“But eventually, later in the second half, we would be able to keep up with them and press them.”
Mark Primerano pointed out Canada blanked an Italian team 3-0 and played Italy’s national under-17 team to a scoreless draw despite being out together at the last minute.
“They’re ranked No. 2 in Italy, which was huge for Canada Select,” the father said of the Italian U17 team.
“Our boys only trained for two and a half months, played five exhibition games before they went.”
Knowing he was able to compete against some to the top players in Italy boosted the younger Primerano’s confidence. He said the experience made him a better soccer player.
Primerano, who was selected most valuable player at a regional high school showcase hosted by Niagara College, will also have fond memories of Myer going to OFSAA when he looks back on 2018.
At Thunder Bay, the Marauders finished third in a pool that sent the first- and second-place teams to the championship final.
“We had to win our last game to move on, but we tied,” he recalled. “We would have finished second.”
He said while the Marauders were hoping for a better result, they weren’t too disappointed returning home to Niagara Falls empty-handed.
“Just to make it there was a great accomplishment. We hadn’t been there in something like 20 years for Myer.”
The Marauders qualified to represent the Southern Ontario Secondary Schools Associations at provincials by beating Denis Morris and Waterdown at the regional qualifier. Myer used nine shooters against Waterdown in a tight game that came down to penalty kicks.
Primerano, who is returning for a fourth season playing high school soccer at the senior level, said the future looks bright for boys soccer at Myer.
“I think we have players coming back to do it again,” he said. “Some younger players coming up are pretty good, too.”