…SIXTEEN to SIX…
These numbers are of GREAT significance to my teammates and I up here in the mountains of La Cama. So far we have played three soccer/futbol games against the Guatemalan’s, and team USA is prevailing! That’s right! We spanked them twice, and tasted defeat once. In our defense, the third game we only had four American’s that would play so the Guat’s gave us their WORST player (a drunk guy) and we picked up a goalie who was SMOKING a cigarette while we played! Ha but it has been a great way to break the language barrier and bond with the local people.
The “field” we play on is a dirt plateau on the top of a mountain. There are small ditches and cracks running all throughout the field, which makes it awesome to run on. About every 3 to 5 minutes the ball LAUNCHES off the side of the mountain, and seconds later you see about 3 kids drop off the side of the mountain in pursuit. How they are still alive, I HAVE NO IDEA!
The “futbol” resembles an American basketball, so of course we love heading the ball and kicking it as hard as we can! I think the locals have more fun playing because they are ALWAYS laughing when we trip in the ditches as we chase the ball, or try to slow down when we are near the edge and fall off!
I‘m so thankful for the opportunities we get at night to interact with the men of this community, it has been such a BLESSING breaking the language barrier through “futbol.” We OWN Guatemala in Futbol, and now we are ready to bring our A-game in Nicaragua. Beckham would be proud! U.S.A! U.S.A!
