Refugee Soccer Game

I finally brought my camera to a game, the last game it turns out I would be able to get to, of Hassan's Multicultural Refugee Coalition soccer team. I was forced to leave at halftime because of prior engagements, but the first half was fraught with tension and action, as our guys went down 2-1 by the end of the first forty-five.

Players on the MRC team have cards that give their country of origin, a picture, and a registration number. The team manager, Casey, keeps the cards so none will be forgotten or get lost, and the cards are what get presented with a long team roster sheet to the refs before the game. This is supposed stop any perceived notion of bringing along a ringer. Sometimes it might happen. At this game I guess a guy was getting suited up for the MRC team that their opponents knew was from Africa but also knew he wasn't on the team, so they pressed the reluctant ref to ID everybody.

Here's Casey and a Congolese player pointing out players to the ref:



Here are some action shots of the game:



The opposing goalie making a risky decision, but it pays off for them...



Here's Hassan and me. The next day an article ran in the Austin newspaper about the MRC team, and among pictures of Hassan and the guys, there's a picture of me, jogging with the group on the day I went to play with them.



I do miss those guys, and I plan on eventually taking Alaa up on his offer of a guided trip to Iraq and Lebanon.