When Penn freshman Christian Barreiro turned down a youth team position with Celtic FC of the Scottish Premier League, he forfeited the chance to experience the "Old Firm," a bitter and long-standing rivalry between Celtic and Rangers.
Instead, Barreiro chose a rivalry with Princeton that, while fierce, has historically led to significantly less violence.
"Well, when we played Princeton [on Saturday] in a scrimmage, I really felt the rivalry already," Barreiro said. "The game was really intense, and the pace was really fast, so I really liked the atmosphere."
That's high praise from Barreiro, considering his wealth of international experience with regional and national teams, including matches in England, Scotland, Spain, Brazil and Argentina. Those exploits tempted him to accept offers from Celtic and Middlesbrough FC in England.
"I really want to get back there and pursue them, maybe in the offseason some time," Barreiro said. "But Penn is going to be first right now, so we'll see what happens with that."
Barreiro's decision may have been easier thanks to the presence of fellow freshmen Jake Levin and Thomas Brandt, who were all long-time teammates on the Baltimore Casa Mia Bays club team. Barreiro and Levin, for instance, have been playing together since they were 12 years old.
"We can always discuss the practices together, we can discuss schoolwork together," Barreiro said. "I just think knowing that I have such close people around me, it really helps me on and off the field."
Those three are joined by Eric Guo and Nick Unger, forming a 2012 class that was ranked 36th nationally by CollegeSoccerNews.com.
Although Barreiro is talented and experienced, with 12 seniors on the roster, his role for this season is unclear, and cracking the starting lineup is not a given.
"We're going to try and see how he fits into what we have and how he can help us be successful," Penn coach Rudy Fuller said. "I'm interested to see when we get into the real games how he holds up and how he performs."
That's fine with the unassuming Barreiro, who said he wants to help the team however he can while learning from the experienced leaders around him.
As a dynamic forward, Barreiro could give a boost to an offense that averaged 1.24 goals per game last season. But Levin, who plays on the back line, says that Barreiro also helps keep pressure off the defense.
"He keeps the ball well, and any time they're not coming at the defense, it's a great thing for me," Levin said. "But Christian, as an attacking player, he defends really well. . He's a total team player."
By all accounts, Barreiro is as good a person off the field as on it. Barreiro earned a 4.0 GPA at Calvert Hall high school, where as a senior he also founded Vida Alegre, a non-profit organization that distributes sports equipment to impoverished sections of Brazil.
"He's a great kid, he's very hard working, he's humble, he respects the older guys on the team and what they've done," Fuller said.
Levin added: "He's gotten a lot of respect on the team, and that's been the case on any team that I've been on with him."
