Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Crusader fans can catch incoming freshman Alvaro Betancourt (Caguas, Puerto Rico/Colegio San Ignacio de Loyola) as part of the Puerto Rico national team as it takes on 2010 World Cup and EURO 2012 champions Spain in a friendly from Bayamon, P.R. this afternoon at 3:30 p.m. CT.  The game can be seen live on ESPN3.com.

Betancourt will be looking to earn his third senior cap for the Puerto Rico setup, having debuted last November in a World Cup qualifier against St. Lucia.  Last month, Betancourt captained the Puerto Rico U-20 side as it advanced to the final round of Caribbean qualifying for the CONCACAF U-20 Championship.

Today’s friendly marks the first time Puerto Rico has ever taken on a defending World Cup champion on the pitch.  Spain’s 19-man roster features 18 players who were part of the EURO 2012 championship squad.