I love soccer. I love the sport, the strategy, and the intensity it brings out in others who have a mutual love and respect for the game. Soccer is like free style dancing- there are no set moves, you just do what feels right. There are no set plays, you just flow with the game as it unfolds. It allows for creative plays that make the spectator say,"Wow!"
Soccer connects cultures. You do not need a common language to understand soccer. You don't need to know all the right words to complain about the refs or to celebrate a goal. You don't need to know the person next to you to grab their arm on a shot that was way too close to being a goal. The game almost creates a language and a family all on its own.
I'm thankful that I started playing the game at an early age. My first team was named "The Wild Things", and at some point in our teams career we wore neon green jerseys and matching socks. I'm reminded of those days when I see kids play soccer. I love seeing the kids in our neighborhood play with a plastic ball in the street outside of our home. Their faces light up when we join in their game.
Soccer is life in Indonesia. They know of the famous international players. Indonesians (and expats) will wake up (or not sleep all night) at 3:45 am to watch the finals of the EuroCup. They will choose teams to root for. The finals of the World Cup were shown from a projector onto a white bed sheet. The Spainish fans were on one side, and the Dutch fans on the other. Flags of their team of choice will flow from their cars or motorcylces. They are passionate about the game.
In the past two weeks, I've gone to two soccer games. Sentani has a local team named "Persidafon". Jayapura, the capital city, has a team named "Persipura". Persipura has played friendly games with Thailand, and they are known to be a strong team. Both games ended with a win for the home team.
Here are some photos, and things MAY seem a little different:
The local team (Persidafon):
 |
| This girl was in the first class I taught at HIS. |
 |
| The rowdy and loud crowd. |
 |
| Two kids from our group with the team |
 |
| A win for Persidafon 2-1 |
A trip to the big city of Jayapura (Persipura):
A big thanks to Craig and Cheryl for inviting us to come along!
 |
| Buying tickets- no box office here |
 |
| The Pitch |
 |
| A half time relay race |
 |
| Security |
 |
| I tried to sneak a picture of this cute kid, but I'm pretty sure I was caught. :) |
 |
| A win for Persipura 4-2 |
No comments:
Post a Comment