ClevelandSoccer brings cultures together

CLEVELAND, Tenn. — What began three months ago as an idea to hold a friendly soccer game among Cleveland’s Hispanic community has transformed into a 10-team league with more than 250 players, more waiting to join and the first championship game coming up this Saturday.

“We wanted to offer the guys a place where they could play here in Cleveland instead of driving every weekend to Dalton,” said Ruben Soto, president of the Christian soccer league La Victoria, or The Victory.

For a couple of years Mr. Soto, his team and many other Hispanics in Cleveland traveled to Dalton just to play soccer, but he said it was very hard to arrange transportation because many players don’t have a driver’s license.

“It turned out a local church (the Tennessee Christian Academy) had a soccer field they weren’t using and they were willing to let us play on it,” he said.

Although it’s a Christian league, not all the members are Christians, but Mr. Soto emphasizes a main goal is to be a sort of support system for the players as well as offer them counseling.

“Many of them are here alone, they don’t have anyone to pat their backs, to tell them, ‘Please don’t drive if you drink,’ ‘Save your money, especially during these hard economic times,’” said the Mexican native who has lived in the United States for almost 10 years.

Eduardo Canseco, who coaches the Chelsea team, said this league is different from others.

“I’m Catholic, and I like that we pray briefly before each game; it gives me a sense of security,” the 32-year-old said.

But once on the field, La Victoria is just like any other league, Mr. Soto said.

“They’re competitive, they get angry at each other,” he said.

Mr. Soto said there are tree main rules at games: no drinking, no smoking and no bad words.

The league has attracted Cleveland natives and members from countries all over the world, from Mexico to countries as far as Nigeria, Kenya and Yugoslavia.

Omar Chavero, a member of the league’s disciplinary committee, attributes the rapid growth and diversity of the league to the popularity of the sport.

“Soccer is a worldwide sport,” he said, “it’s what people here were waiting for, that’s what they wanted.”

Just learning about the different cultures makes being part of the league worth it, Mr. Canseco said.

“Even if you don’t win the tournament, just being part of the league makes you a winner because you get to know people you didn’t know before, learn about their culture and their customs,” he said.

Right now the group sees the league as an adventure.

“We are learning from our mistakes as we go,” said Juan Antonio Maldonado, league secretary. “By no means is everything perfect, but we are just starting.”

In Dalton, organized Hispanic soccer teams have played for more than 15 years. There are three leagues and more than 250 teams, organizers have said. Chattanooga recently formed its second league, totaling 43 teams.

“The long-term goal is that people talk about our league in the region, that we compete with the leagues in Dalton and Chattanooga,” said Mr. Maldonado, also originally from Mexico.

Mr. Soto said in the near future a team from Cleveland will play against a team from Dalton.

“It’s something we are currently looking into,” he said.