Ronaldo vs. St. John's alum on Saturday

Widely regarded as one of the most skilled soccer players on the globe, star striker Cristiano Ronaldo is set to dazzle American fans when he and his Real Madrid teammates take on the Philadelphia Union at Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday night.

Then again, if Union midfielder and former St. John's star Stefani Miglioronzi has his way, Ronaldo may not be quite the offensive force fans are used to seeing. Miglioronzi, who played for the 1996 St. John's team that went on a stunning run to the NCAA championship, is set to go up against the renowned Ronaldo in the latest of a series of international exhibitions featuring Major League Soccer teams against some of the world's top teams.

There are few better than Real Madrid, and even less better than Ronaldo, who last year made more money ($38 million) than every soccer player in the world except David Beckham ($40 million). But Miglioronzi and his Union teammates will attempt to shut down the fancy-footed Ronaldo and European powerhouse Real Madrid.

"It might be a little daunting, because he's definitely one of the most, if not the most, skillful players in the world," said Miglioronzi, 33, a Brazil native who moved to White Plains, N.Y. at age 12 and then to nearby Port Chester a year later. "He can do some things with the ball that no other player can do. It would really be a tough task for anyone, and definitely a challenge, but it's one that I would welcome and enjoy."

Miglioronzi played a part in the most memorable season in St. John's history in 1996, when the Red Storm won its first and only national title. The midfielder was a second-team All-Big East performer during the championship run, and went on to become a two-time second-team All-American in his final two seasons at St. John's. In 1997, he led the Red Storm in scoring with six goals and 12 assists, the fourth-best mark in school history.

The stage is a lot bigger Saturday night, although Miglioronzi has certainly been used to highly competitive soccer since his days at St. John's. After being selected by the Chicago Fire with the last pick (36th overall) in the 1999 MLS draft, he turned down that offer to play for Portsmouth (England) manager Alan Ball after a three-month trial with Everton. He played three seasons for Portsmouth, which at that time was in the English Premier League, scoring twice in 25 matches.

Miglioranzi signed for Swindon Town of the English Division Two in July 2002, and played in 126 games, scoring nine goals in four seasons. He signed with the L.A. Galaxy of the MLS in 2006 and was eventually traded to the Columbus Crew, where he won an MLS Cup in 2008. Miglioranzi signed with the Union in 2009.

Throughout the process, he has seen soccer grow in popularity in the United States, both men's and women's.

"I think soccer has definitely made tremendous strides toward making the game as big as it is," he said. "The passion, especially in Philadelphia, has grown tremendously in such a small amount of time. You can't help but foresee the future being really big. And now we have these exhibitions against some of the top teams in the world, it gives us a chance to show a good face. At least we're not getting annihilated like we might have in the past. Now we have big-name players that ply their trade here. It makes us a lot more competitive with those teams from other countries."

Miglioranzi thinks the recently completed Women's World Cup, in which the U.S. team lost to Japan, a game that was decided by penalty kicks, also helps the sport.

"The interest level is very high," he said. "We trained right around the time their games were being played, and it was exciting to watch," he said. "It was a little disappointing the way they lost, but you have to have a soft spot for Japan and all they've gone through this year [with the March 11 earthquake and tsunami]."