United boosts squad with Chilean pair

Press, 19 February 1986, Page 68

United boosts squad with Chilean pair

By

DAVID LEGGAT

Christchurch Brother United has broken new ground in strongly boosting its squad for this year’s Rothmans Soccer League by signing two Chilean first division professional players.

Carlos and Agustin Villazon, 26-year-old twins, have come to New Zealand — and United — on two-year coaching contracts. In addition, United has a 21-year-old English striker, Chris Riley, for the 1986 season.

Riley spent four years as an apprentice professional with Sheffield Wednesday and last season was with Scunthorpe United, whose playing staff until recently included the English cricket star, lan Botham. The Villazons, who have been in Christchurch several days but kept under wraps by the club, will be the first South American soccer players to appear in the national league. The Villazon brothers made an initial. contact

with the United club through their brother, George, who lives in Christchurch. “Obviously any player who has played at that level interested us,” said the United coach, Laurie Blyth, yesterday. Although both players spent much of their professional careers in Chile as full-backs, Mr Blyth intends using Carlos Villazon as a central midfielder and his brother, Agustin, as an attacking flank player. The brothers began their careers at junior level with the Union Espanola club, which is now third in the Chilean first division. Agustin has also played for San Felipe, San Antonio, Union Espanola — at top

level — Concepcion and Arica in the first division: Carlos spent two years with the Rangers club, four years with Magallanes and a season with Naval, again all first division clubs.

While with Magallanes, Carlos Villazon played in the team which won the national championship, helping it into the Copa Libertadores de America, South America’s equivalent of the European Cup. Agustin Villazon was a member of the Chilean under-19 team in the world youth championship side several seasons ago, playing against such outstanding performers as the Argentinian, Diego Maradona.

Although their English is very limited, Mr Blyth

does not envisage many difficulties in communication on the pitch. According to George Villazon, his brothers have no intention of returning to Chile, a climate politically far less stable than New Zealand.

“They want to project themselves in a different soccer direction,” he said. “They have come with the idea of applying themselves in a new situation and have no thoughts of looking back.” Mr Blyth said the club intends setting up coaching clinics, five 10-week courses, starting in April, with the brothers involved in the coaching. The Chileans paid their own way to New Zealand, and Christchurch United, which yesterday confirmed it will be spon-

sored for a second year by Brother Distributors, obtained sponsorship to bring Riley from England. Mr Blyth expects the brothers will take a short time to adjust to a vastly different style, and standard, of soccer to which they are accustomed. Once those initial problems are ironed out, United should have a side capable of putting out a strong challenge for its first league championship since 1978. Paul Harrison, the promising Cashmere striker, has also joined United. “He has certainly proved he is a better than average Hertz League player. He is very confident in his own ability. He certainly has ambition and drive, said Mr Blyth.