Their world cup runneth over

• Source: Global Times
• [11:22 June 18 2010]
• Comments

A player from Azzurri FC gives the ball a boot.

Many voices, many nations, one passion

The players competing in the SIFL Cup and End of Season tournament, as well as the crowd that came to watch them, were numerous and diverse; there were players from all six inhabited continents, some of whom have lived here months and others almost two decades, ranging in age from the early twenties to the sixties, and belonging to many different religions. When asked about their experience playing in the SIFL, they seemed to speak with one voice - they love football, and they don't know how they would have gotten along here without it.

"Saturday is sacred for me. It's not just a simple football match, it's a major social function for myself and many others," said Bus, who has lived in Shanghai for 18 years.

Jesper Rasmussen has only been in Shanghai for five months for a web design internship, and will return to his native Denmark within a few months but the SIFL has had a major effect on his visit. "I definitely think I would have had a harder time integrating in Shanghai if it wasn't for the SIFL and my team, the Vikings. It is my social life; everything I do on the weekends, I do with my team the Vikings … It has also helped me network, meet new friends, and even helped me get more professional experience because through it I met people who I have ended up building websites for."

Nikola Zuin has been living in Shanghai for about three months. He first came to Shanghai last year for a few months and played for his current club Azzurri, "If I hadn't played with Azzurri before, I might not have come back to Shanghai."

"It's important to be able to get away from the hubbub of work and life in Shanghai. I'm a bit old for playing football now but supporting my team lets me get out every weekend, put my feet on some real terra firma, and enjoy the camaraderie… The league offers something for everyone. You don't see a lot of beer bellies on the guys running around out there now; but that's what's great about two leagues: for the guys who want to go out there and win what they can, and the guys who just want a more relaxed, just-for-fun type game can find that too," said Bartholomew Delaney of Zimbabwe, who has been involved with the league variously as a player, coach, cheerleader, and sponsor for eight years.