The soccer ball that brought us together

by Adrian Mas (Spain)

Making a local connection Colombia

After enjoying a stunning sunset from the top of San Felipe de Barajas Castle, we walked through Getsemaní neighborhood, in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. The famous Cafe Havana was our final destination that evening to enjoy the live music, salsa dancing and fancy cocktails, but before we wanted to deep dive into those colorful colonial streets. In our way to Santísima Trinidad Square to delight our taste buds with cold beer and some street food, we passed by five kids playing a street soccer match. One of them was wearing the T-shirt of the team I support (Valencia CF) and he was celebrating a goal like at World Cup final. The ball arrived at my feet and after a car run over the makeshift soccer pitch, I passed back to them with an easy shoot. Good goal buddy! Are you a Valencia fan? Yes, replied him with no hesitation. Me too! How is that? What's your fav player? I don't know, my dad brought me this 'playera'! I like it. It's orange and has a bat on the shield. Oh, do you like the bats? It's the symbol of my city. Would you mind if we join you? We can make 4 to 4 match. Okay, it's fine, but you are in my team, we are Valencia fans, we are bats! Sure! I'm Adrian, what's your name? I'm Radamel! Hope you are as good as Radamel Falcao! I joked. High five! Let's win this! An old man sat in a small homemade wood chair in front of his door was designated as referee by one of the kids: 'Jacinto, you are the arbitro for this game. Be fair!'. Jacinto was afro-colombian, with grey air and a white smile interrupted by the absence of a couple of teeth. He laughed after the kid appeals him and then put two fingers in his mouth and whistled indicating the start of the match. Me and my friends spent the next 10 minutes receiving kicks in our shins caused by the extremely intense action over the pitch. Radamel, Diego, Matias and I agreed in to play tiki-taka, that very attractive soccer style of pass the ball many times. The plan failed and we start losing 3–0. Radamel was a small kid but really fast, so we modify our plan: long passes to him and shoot to goal as soon as possible. With this strategy we trace back the score, and we ended up winning 5–4 with a goal in the last moment, I assisted, he scored, we hugged, and we celebrated together. Jacinto announced the end of the game with three short whistles and shaking our hands between each other we celebrated the fair play. Exhausted, we all sat on the curb beside the old man, sharing our cold bottles of water and making bubbles with chewing gum. 'Mijo, take a shower now. The dinner is almost ready', said a woman from inside a house terminating our conversation about Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar. 'Yes, mum I'll be there soon', replied Alberto, one of the kids, with solemn tone. The gold light of the sunset was closing the day while we were discussing about soccer and Alberto's mum elevates the tone: 'Alberto, last time I call you. The dinner is on the table!'. This marked a dead point in our friendship. We shake our hands, we took a photo together and we wished luck each other for future soccer matchdays. We start walking down Pedregal Av, feeling the sea breeze and heading the Santisima Trinidad Square to take our well-deserved cold beer. My thoughts were flying away to those kids and how soccer brought us together. Soccer was our lace but there are infinite laces between human beings. No matter where people is from, their social class or how much money they have in the pocket. We should be able to help each other, to establish a positive relationship anywhere in our planet. Colombia is an amazing country, with delicious food, impressive natural landscapes and historical sites, but the most valuable is their people as anywhere else. People make our travel, our adventure. People make our life.