Futbol

I went to Faelledparken today to play some pick-up soccer. I heard that there was a game at 11:00, so I showed up a few minutes later hoping to find a game. Instead I found a bunch of people kicking a ball around getting ready to play a game. I asked one of the men if I could play when they started – he said he didn’t mind. I put on my cleats and headed out towards the field to kick the ball around with them. When I walked out, a bunch of the men started talking amongst themselves. After several minutes, one came out and told me that I could not play because I was a girl. They were Muslim, and their religion would not allow it. I said that I understood, but I think my emotions were visible because the man that had originally said that I could play walked off of the field with me and to talk. I told him he should play. He said he wouldn’t and that some of his friends would be coming soon to start a new game.

I waited and they came. The crowd was almost entirely South American – everyone was speaking Spanish and I could understand some of what was being said. It ended up being a huge game – about 15 per team. We would play for 45-minute periods, then take “water breaks” where the players would drink a beer and smoke a cigarette. The group was really fun and nice and the soccer wasn’t bad either. I am planning to go back next week. Hopefully I’ll be able to find some other games before then!