Source: Team_Talk
Battle of the Evertons at Goodison
Goodison Park hosts a match Everton cannot lose on Wednesday night - but the victors may not be from Merseyside.[LNB] The reason is because the latest pre-season opponents for David Moyes' side are also called Everton, a namesake club from Vina del Mar, Chile.[LNB]The two teams are meeting for the first time to celebrate a shared history now dating back more than a century.[LNB]The Chilean club was founded in 1909 shortly after the English Everton made a huge impression in a series of exhibition games in South America.[LNB]The Toffees had made a pioneering visit across the Atlantic with Tottenham to face teams from Argentina and Uruguay and their England forward Bert Freeman stole the show with 14 goals in five games.[LNB]Within weeks a group of Anglo-Chilean teenagers from the port of Valparaiso had formed a club and called it Everton.[LNB]The new club soon established itself and, after moving to nearby Vina del Mar, went on to become one of the mainstays of the Chilean domestic scene.[LNB]The two Evertons have communicated fitfully over the years and congratulated each other on their successes but a game has not been arranged until now, as part of the Chilean side's continuing centenary celebrations.[LNB]Efforts to stage a match were stepped up eight years ago when the Ruleteros Society - taking its name from the Chile club's nickname meaning 'Roulette Players' - was set up by supporters to forge greater links between the two Evertons.[LNB]The result of their lobbying will be seen on Wednesday night as the two clubs play for the newly-created Brotherhood Cup.[LNB]Aside from historical interest, the game should also provide English Everton with a good test ahead of the start of the Premier League season on August 14.[LNB]Chilean champions as recently as 2008, and with football in their country on a high after a good World Cup showing, the visitors are expected to give a good account of themselves.[LNB]Toffees captain Phil Neville told evertontv: "It is quite a unique fixture.[LNB]"We saw Chile in the World Cup and they are a much-improved footballing nation."[LNB]The match is also the Toffees' only home friendly during pre-season. After it they have just one more game at Wolfsburg before facing Blackburn in their league opener.[LNB]"We want to win the game, winning brings confidence and every player in the squad is back training now," added Neville.[LNB]"The boys are looking forward to being at Goodison and these next two games are the final pieces of our preparation."
