Fundraiser for fallen firefighter wins with a tie

It was a day Sergio Villanueva would have loved to be a part of.
In front of 2,148 at St. John’s University’s Belson Stadium, the sunny, soccer-filled day brought with it Olympic Gold Medalists and Women’s World Cup Champions Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy, Kristine Lilly and Joy Fawcett, who teamed up with St. John’s women’s soccer alumni to play the FDNY Soccer Club - comprised of firefighters from all five boroughs - to a 3-3 tie in the Best Women vs. Bravest Men charity match.
Fawcett scored twice and Foudy added a goal for the ladies team, while Thomas Meagher had two goals and Thomas Hunt found the net once for the FDNY side.
The fundraiser’s intention was to raise funds for the Firefighter Sergio G. Villanueva Soccer Foundation. “He’d be playing, he’d be out on the field if he was here today,” Villanueva’s brother, Stephen, said.
Philips Electronics North America hosted the match as part of its ongoing commitment to U.S. Soccer. Shortly afterwards, they sent the FDNY team to Germany to take on their peers during the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
On Tuesday morning, Sept. 11, FDNY Firefighter Sergio Gabriel Villanueva, a vital member of the FDNY soccer team, responded with his company, Ladder 132, to the World Trade Center and tragically lost his life. Police Detective Jonathan Kanovsky and the FDNY Soccer Team has since collaborated to celebrate the life and memory of Sergio through the creation of the Sergio G. Villanueva Memorial Scholarship endowment at Hofstra University.
At halftime, the organization announced a new $1,000 scholarship for a high school student. They gave Holy Cross $25,000 that will help fund the scholarship. The recipient will be the son or daughter of a firefighter or police officer in their junior year of high school with a soccer background - “the kind of kid who exemplifies who Sergio was,” FDNY Coach Joe Brozi said.
“It’s been almost five years and it’s amazing his legacy continues,” Stephen Villanueva said.
Raised in Flushing on Northern Boulevard and 149th Street, Villanueva, a native of Argentina, was a soccer enthusiast. He played for the FDNY, scoring a goal two days before 9/11. Although he has since passed, he is still remembered fondly. “He was a very good kid,” Holy Cross Principal Joseph Giannuzzi said. “There was
never a day when he wasn’t smiling.” The importance of the occasion was more than enough for such greats like Hamm, Foudy, Lilly and Fawcett to travel to Queens for the day. “It’s [for] the Fire Department, it’s for Sergio, it’s for what these guys do everyday,” Foudy said. “These guys are heroes and anything we can do to help raise funds for their foundation, we’re more than happy to help.”
Added Hamm, “First and foremost, the cause is unbelievable. … We all could do it and we were just excited. We’re thrilled to be here.”
“We were lucky they wanted to be a part of this event,” said Brozi, referring to the U.S. Women Olympians. “This event really happened because the U.S. Women found out about this and wanted to part of it. The event took on a life of its own [after that].”
Afterwards, the entire women’s team, including the Olympians, and the FDNY Soccer Club, signed autographs. Stephen Villanueva walked away with his brother’s No. 10 red framed FDNY jersey. And an organization that started because of tragedy enjoyed, perhaps, their most rewarding and memorable day.