Portland United Soccer League kicked off its season again yesterday. It started with a one day tournament in honor of James Oryem Angelo and Wilfred Okot Omal, which was won by the reformed North Atlantic. Angelo and Omal were members of the refugee community in Maine, and both were tragically killed in recent years.
It was great to see the teams running out again, to be down at KP and to be around all the players again. Not only does it speak to my love for soccer but also, it reminds me how much I love being in the multicultural setting. It is nice to hear all the languages around me and to see the great, and growing diversity here in Portland. I’ve spilt a lot of ink on the paradox of soccer as a force for social change, but when you witness the level of fun people were having on the field, when you see the Somalis buying food from the Latino stall, when you see old friends coming together to have a good time and tell stories, it is impossible not to be moved and feel that on some level, that this is worth investing in.
The question here is, how do we take this raw energy and get some of it dedicated to giving back to the community; how do we break down the national divisions in the team compositions?
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