Aug. 2–LOWELL — Huddled in clusters on the sidelines of Cawley Stadium, they speak German, Portuguese, Spanish, English, Khmer, Somali.
Once on the field, they speak a common language — soccer.
Yesterday morning, 16 teams showcasing players from all over the globe laced up their cleats to take a shot at victory, all vying for the title of champion of ONE Lowell’s third-annual World Cup Soccer Tournament.
Late in the fourth quarter on the turf of Cawley Stadium, intense Brazilian forward Alex Alves, who had scored earlier in the game, hit his stride, breaking away from midfield toward the open Irish goal. A stunned Alves, expecting to hear “GOOOAAALLLL!” as the ball sailed from his foot and into the net, was instead denied
by Irish defenseman Paddy Shields.
Shields, a native of the Emerald Isle living in Dorchester, seemed to appear out of nowhere, flying into the goal and sweeping away the ball. Irish fans cheered. Brazilian fans groaned. A look of disbelief flooded Alves’ face. He turned, shouted an expletive and headed back to the fray, prepared to try again.
Though impressive, Shields’ athleticism was not enough for the Irish to top the Brazilians, who ran away with a 4-2 victory on the hot foot of Rafael Santos, 20, of East Boston, who was responsible for two of the teams’ four goals.
Following the match, the Brazilians were feeling strong, convinced that they have what it takes to run away with the cup. They took off their shirts and
rested in the shade of a tree, resting up for a 3:30 p.m. game against Team USA.
“This tournament is better than others I have played in,” said Brazilian goalie Fernando De Pieri, 24, who came to Boston from Brazil five years ago.
“It is fantastic,” added Santos.
Proceeds from the tournament benefit ONE Lowell, a nonprofit agency dedicated to increasing the integration and self-sufficiency of city immigrants and refugees.
“We wanted to create a fundraiser that includes
the people we service,” said ONE Lowell Executive Director Victoria Fahlberg. “It furthers our mission, to bring together all of the diverse immigrant groups with those who are already established so they can get to really know each other.”
And what better way to do that than through soccer? In most countries, the sport — or football, as it is known abroad — carries a passion unseen in the United States.
“In Germany pretty much everyone plays soccer, but it is not taken quite as seriously there as it is here,” said Gabrielle Crueger, a native of Germany living in Lowell. “In Germany, it is just natural, like language.”
Crueger attended the tournament last year for the first time. This year she is back as a volunteer along with her son, Finn, 9, and daughter, Ailsa, 7. Both play soccer, as does her oldest son, David, 11.
“The kids here are very serious about the game,” Crueger said, adding that she thinks in time the sport will reach the same level of enthusiasm here that it enjoys globally.
Earlier in the morning, Germany fell to Vietnam in a 2-1 heartbreaker. Finn said they were robbed.
“Germany should have won,” he said. “They took more shots.”
The family was planning to catch the Germany-Ghana match later in the afternoon.
“Yes, I am from Germany, but I am rooting for Ghana,” admitted Gabrielle Crueger, explaining that Finn’s soccer coach, Sam Bonsu, is coaching team Ghana, which had just as rough a morning as the German team, losing 3-1 to Honduras at Varsity Field.
Falhberg said she hopes to continue the fundraiser and community builder, which includes ethnic food, music, and crafts, but attracting corporate sponsorship for the event has become increasingly difficult.
“As the event grows, we need to be able to attract more sponsors,” she said. “That is our focus moving forward.”
Play continues today at both Cawley Stadium and Varsity Field at 8 a.m. The final is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Cawley Stadium.
Tickets are $5, with children ages 12 and under free. For information, go to www.onelowellsoccercup.org.
Source: lowellsun
By Jennifer Myers
Image: onelowellsoccercup
