December 16, 1999

DANIEL ALVAREZ SELECTED FOR UMBRO SELECT COLLEGE ALL-STAR CLASSIC

GREENVILLE, SC -- Furman senior Daniel Alvarez was selected on Thursday to play in the Umbro Select College All-Star Classic on Feb. 3-6, 2000, at Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Alvarez will be a member of the East Squad and will also have a chance to showcase his talent in front of Major League Soccer teams.

Alvarez is one of 40 men's college seniors selected to the participate in the weekend's activities. Alvarez, a first team NSCAA All-American, is one of 23 All-Americans on the two teams and one of seven midfielders on the East Squad.

"This is a tremendous honor for Daniel Alvarez," said Furman head coach Doug Allison. "Daniel was one of my first recruits at Furman and he is certainly one of the best players I have ever coached. This will not only give him the opportunity to play with some of the best players in the country, but it let him showcase his talent in front of Major League Soccer scouts. I really beleive Daniel has the ability to succeed at that level."

The East-West men's game will be played Saturday, Feb. 5 at 6 p.m. That contest will be followed by a special match featuring the hometown Miami Fusion (MLS) versus the United States Under-23 National Team. Other events during the weekend include a banquet for the players, a Major League Soccer player combine, along with the Major League Soccer (Division I) and A-League (Division II) professional player drafts. The East-West women's game will also be played on Sunday, Feb. 6, following a nationally televised international match between the World Cup Champion U.S. Women's National Team and the national team of Norway.

Alvarez, Furman's all-time leader in career assists, is a strong candidate to be the first Paladin to play Major League Soccer. Several former Paladins, including '96 and '97 first team All-American Pete Santora play professionally in the A-League.

Furman's all-time leader in career assists with 41, Alvarez broke Furman's single season assist mark and finished first in the nation in assists with 16 on the year. Alvarez is an NSCAA/adidas first team All-American, a first team All-South Region selection, the Southern Conference player-of-the-year, and a first team All-Southern Conference member.