DaCosta Article on Hume and Pesch

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I'll post it and let you all check it for errors.

Hume lights up FA Cup; Brampton native getting compared to soccer's elite Peschisolido also leaves his mark on English league

NORMAN DA COSTA

Toronto Star

642 words

17 February 2004

The Toronto Star

Ontario

E08

English

Copyright © 2004 The Toronto Star

Move over Wayne Rooney, there is another young Liverpool-based striker making his mark on the English soccer scene.

On the weekend, Brampton's Iain Hume scored a spectacular goal from 20 yards to give his Second Division Tranmere Rovers a 2-1 victory over Swansea and a place in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup competition.

The 18-year-old Rooney made waves with Everton two seasons ago and before long, he was capped by England. Like Rooney, Hume's goal-scoring prowess did not go unnoticed - he has represented Canada's senior team on three occasions.

Some of England's newspapers compared Hume to Rooney for his cannonball shooting.

"Those are certainly big boots to fill," Hume said yesterday from Tranmere, across the Mersey River from Liverpool. "It's nice to see they are putting me in the same category as Rooney.

"He is the type of player I would like to be even though I am older than him," said the 20-year-old Hume.

Hume was born in Edinburgh before moving to Canada when he was barely a year old. He was signed by Tranmere just before his 16th birthday and became the youngest player to make his debut for the club at the age of 17 in the 1999-2000 season.

Hume has made a habit of scoring spectacular long-range goals and he now has two in the storied FA Cup. In the previous round he scored a thunderous drive for the lone goal that knocked Premier League club Bolton Wanderers out of the competition.

"My parents travelled from Brampton for that game and it was the first time my dad (Eddie) had seen me score professionally. He was thrilled and so was I scoring against a Premiership club."

In Dubai at the world under-20 youth championship, Hume scored four times in leading Canada to the quarter-finals where its run was ended by Spain.

Hume is looking for Tranmere's fairytale run to continue as it meets First Division Millwall in the quarter-finals.

The other matchups: Arsenal is away to the winner of the Portsmouth-Liverpool replay, Manchester United is at home to either West Ham or Fulham and the winner of the Birmingham-Sunderland replay is at home to Sheffield United.

Hume, who has 30 months left on his contract, said the team fancies its chances against Millwall. "We are going into the game knowing that it is winnable," said Hume. "It would be tremendous for a Second Division club to get into the semis."

Hume, who is enjoying celebrity status on Merseyside, would like to stay in Tranmere as he became a father on Boxing Day. His girlfriend Christine delivered a girl, Keira.

Also enjoying his place in the limelight after the weekend is Paul Peschisolido, a veteran Canadian striker, whose header against Colchester gave Sheffield United a 1-0 victory.

Peschisolido's phone started ringing off the hook immediately after the draw yesterday as Sheffield could meet Birmingham City if it wins its replay against Sunderland.

Peschisolido's wife, Karren Brady, is managing director of Birmingham.

"We have been hounded by the media," said Peschisolido. "They are talking about war in the household and the husband versus wife thing. Karren has just laughed it all off. This won't be the first time I have played Birmingham."

Brady has already devised a plan to throw Peschisolido off his game if the clubs do meet. "I will just have to keep him up all night, nudge, nudge, wink, wink," she said.

"I hope to get a couple past her team to get back at all her nagging at me at home," added Peschisolido.