Cuenca women champs will play 2004 Cuenca men’s team in exhibition game

Fresh off Saturday’s national football championship victory over Quito, the Deportivo Cuenca Lionesses face off Friday night against the 2004 Cuenca men’s team, the last men’s squad to win a national title.

The Deportivo Cuenca Lionesses celebrate Saturday’s victory.

Dubbed the “Duel of Champions,” the game kicks off at 7:30 in Alejandro Serrano Aguilar stadium.

“We’ll be a little out of shape but we believe we can still give the ladies a serious challenge,” says Pablo Bravo, who was a member of the 2004 coaching staff. “We are putting out the call to members of our championship team and they are coming in from as far away as Argentina. We are very proud of the women and believe we will have great fun competing against them.”

Bravo says the game is a “last minute idea” of the Deportivo Cuenca front office which will sell tickets for $3 and $5 beginning Wednesday morning. “They are not trying to make a lot of money from the game, they just want to showcase two of the greatest teams in Cuenca football history,” he says.

Among members of the 2004 men’s team who have committed to play Friday are Javier Klimowicz, Raúl Noriega, Segundo Matamba, Jhon Cagua, Jhonny Pérez, Jerson Stacio, Marcelo Bohórquez, Giancarlo Ramos, Walter Calderón, David Valencia, Pablo Arévalo, Marcelo Velazco, Damián Lanza, Israel Álvarez and Raúl Antuña.

In addition, Bravo says he believes Carlos Quiñónez and Carlos Hidalgo will also be available for duty.