Detroit World Cup
This is the story of the greatest soccer match never heard of. This is a game so spectacular the news and sports stations would’ve won ESPY’s just for airing it. It’s match where two of the biggest heavyweights in the game face-off, however; before the story dives into the game, we must first know how this magnetic game came about.
Montae was one of the students at the West “C.R.U.S.H” (Children Reached Using Self Help) Center on the Westside of Detroit. He was usually one of the first to show up at the center, so naturally, he had first dibs on the snacks. With a charm that only a child could possess, he manages to always finagle a third snack out of the center’s instructor.
Politely he asks, “Ms. Susan, what are we doing today?” With a witty response she retorts, “Homework!” At the door there’re three knocks.
“You must go to the other doors”, yells Ms. Susan.
“Who dat is, Ms. Susan?”
“You mean, who is that? But, I don’t know. It might be a volunteer.”
Soon after Ms. Susan let the words slip from her mouth, in walked a short statue of a man. He had the largest grin. When the door swung open all the way, Ms. Susan let out a camouflaged chuckle through a cough, as she glanced at the space between the man’s head and the top of the doorway.
“Who you?” Montae.
The man just laughed at the little child as he walked over to Ms. Susan. Extending his hand to hers, “ Hi, I’m Sheldon, and I’m here to help.” While being apprised of the ins and outs of the center, Sheldon took a look around the place. Right behind him, like a curious puppy along went Montae.
“I’m almost taller than you”, a quip that come from Montae as he reached his hand from his forehead to Sheldon”s. Laughing him off, Sheldon asks if Montae’s homework is finished. Expecting the “no” that Sheldon receives, he directs Montae back to the table where his homework rests.
After a few minutes go by while Sheldon is showing Montae the use of his fingers for math problems, Ms. Susan rises to open door. In walks, two little girls, and three boys, one of which was carrying a football. The kids all walked in with smiles that quickly turned to raised eyebrows once they recognized that they didn’t know who Sheldon was.
“Who are you?” comes from what seems to be the ring leader of the three boys that just walked in. “Who Are you?” Sheldon responds back. “I’m J.R., this Butters (pointing to the left), and this Marquise (pointing to the opposite). “Oh, ok I’m Sheldon, what’s up”, the kids nod their heads, in an almost unison welcoming gesture, before they ran off to the computer lab. Hip to their game Ms. Susan quickly got the boys before they could get a glimpse of the computers. “All three of you have homework, now get it out!” With guilty grins they respond, “Yes, ma’am”. Witnessing the instant swiftness of Ms. Susan, Sheldon was taken aback by a little girl tugging at his shirt saying “Ewwww”.
“Are you ok, Ms. Lady?”
“No, it’s a roach.”
“Where?”
“There!” She was pointing and squirming while still clinching Sheldon’s shirt.
Sheldon explained that the roach was already dead and that the little girl would not be harmed. She coolly told Sheldon that the roach was still on the floor and needed to be picked up, before walking away with a hand on her hip. With a laugh of disbelief Sheldon quietly sweeps the dead roach under the refrigerator.
He headed back over to check on the “three stooges”, as Ms. Susan would call them. He got there just in time. They were throwing the football inside the center, and a misguided pass was heading straight for the head of Ms. Susan. Jumping almost half his body size, Sheldon makes a one-hand lunge for the ball. The sound of Sheldon jumping to catch the ball startled Ms. Susan a bit, however; Sheldon just returned a smile in her direction. She went back to her business with a confused look but the boys were grateful. “What you boys know about real football?”
“This is real football, what u talkin bout?” JR responds.
“No, real football is known here in America as “Soccer”, but what the world calls soccer, is actually football.” replies Sheldon.
Trying to make sense of what Mr. Sheldon just told them, they asked if he would take them outside. Sheldon does and the kids race to get the only good basketball in the box. There were two basketballs, one bouncy-ball, three jump ropes and a soccer ball. Grabbing the lonely soccer ball, Sheldon lets out “ahhh Yea”; in a playful tone that captures the stooge’s attention.
Laughing at Sheldon, the boys make jokes about the sport. “Soccer is boring, all you do is kick the ball, and kick the ball, and kick the ball some more”, comes from Butters. Causing the group to laugh, joining in the joking, JR responds, “what you know about soccer?”
Sheldon tried to convince the kids that in many ways soccer is one of the best sports. Having a biased opinion, he shared a few stories with the kids of his high school days playing the game. “Basketball is still better. Watch this Mr. Sheldon.” Montae says while missing a shot. Setting up the cones that were around the building to form a goal, Sheldon challenges the boys to a game.
“How you play?”
“I’ll teach you, look . . .”
Explaining the rules of the game, Sheldon tells how he works with other kids the same age as JR, Butters, Marquise, and Montae. Sheldon told them that the other kids he works with play soccer with the kind of hustle they use to play basketball. “Some of the kids taught me this . . .”, showing them tricks with his feet and the ball that shocked the kids.
“What the teams?” comes from the direction of Marquise.
“I’m with Mr. Sheldon.” yells Montae.
“Ok, you’re goalie, Montae.”
“What’s a goalie?”
Teaching the game, while playing was a bit awkward for Sheldon. By the time the boys were really getting into the game, it was time for their after school meal. The kids seemed to really take to the game. They broke out a good sweat and were laughing at how they scored goals on Montae. They asked if they could to return outside but Sheldon came up with a good excuse since he was tired. “Let’s throw the football out front while we wait for your parents.” Like the flickering burn of a lamp lighting, a spark went off in the mind of Sheldon, an idea that had the potential to snowball into something great for both organizations and the community.
With the idea stuck in his head, he presented it to Ms. Susan. She was hesitant at first but still directed him to the director of the center. While walking behind Ms. Susan, it seemed that time had frozen. He collected his thoughts as they walked, making sure he could properly generate and express his idea to the director, Ms. Pearl.
As they walked into her office, “Ms. Pearl, you busy?” casually said from Ms. Susan, showing her southern roots in the emphasis on her use of the R-sound in “Ms. Pearl”. On the phone, Ms. Pearl waves Sheldon to sit down while she finishes her conversation. Ms. Pearl was a kind looking lady who wasn’t scared to shock you with her realism. “What happened? The boys threaten you?” Taken aback from her question as she hung up the phone, Sheldon responds:
“No, actually I was wondering if I could bring a couple kids from the other center I work with, to come with me and teach some of the kids here soccer. We just got finished playing and they seemed to really enjoy the game.” Trying his hardest to sell the pitch, so the idea would go over, and get accepted, she stopped him before he could continue to ramble on about the idea. “That’s fine, but you’re responsible for those kids.” Nodding in excitement Sheldon exits her office with a master plan that seemed to be unveiling right before him.
A game like this, with all its glimmer, and grandeur, wouldn’t come up out of normal circumstances. Anything great never does, it takes a little bit of awkwardness, confusion, and most of all, luck. But, before we get too far into that, we must take a look at the other side of the spectrum.
Entering “El Puente”, an organization geared towards the advancement of the Latin-American community in Detroit, Sheldon walked into the center with an expected smile on his face. Today was different. Today he was going straight to Ms. Rose to ask if he could take a select group of kids to the center with him. He came up with a great sales pitch, preaching diversity, cultural understanding, and a different experience for the group of kids selected. He was feeling the same type of hesitation and anxiety he felt when going to ask Ms. Pearl for permission to take the kids.
With the office in sight, Sheldon took a deep breath and started to make his way. On the fourth step, the reciting of the speech in Sheldon’s mind was abruptly stopped when he felt something attach itself to his back. It was Julio, one of the students at El Puente, who is known for being the ringleader of the “los vatos locos,” as Sheldon likes to call them, or “the crazy guys”. Wrestling Julio off of his back, Sheldon tells him that he has to have a word with Ms. Rose.
“What you got to talk about?” Julio said, while following Sheldon down a hallway that seemed to stretch a mile longer than usual.
“Well, for a class of mine, I have to volunteer for another organization similar to ours. I want to take some of you guys with me to meet the kids. They’re black, and it’ll be a good cultural experience for the both of yall. Plus, I want you to teach them soccer. What you think? Would you go with me?” asked Sheldon.
“No,” says Julio.
Laughing, Sheldon asks “Why? It’ll be fun!”
“I guess I don’t like black kids though,” slips out the mouth of Julio. Trying to catch the words and push them back in his mouth, he covers it with his hands.
“Oh, so you don’t like me?” snaps Sheldon jokingly.
Explaining himself, Julio tries to defend his statement. Just to be shut down when Sheldon replies, “Well, that’s why this will be good for you.”
Finally arriving to the door at the end of the hallway, Sheldon enters the office of Ms. Rose. Ms. Rose was a lady with the biggest heart in the smallest frame. She was no taller than four feet, eleven inches, and that was giving her a compliment. She had a small office, but it was just right for her. When Sheldon walked in, she was on the phone so she motioned to Sheldon to have a sit. Sitting there nervously, Sheldon waited for Ms. Rose to finish. Amongst the laughter of the telephone call, Sheldon looked around at all the posters that lined the walls of the office. There were posters of influential Hispanic Americans that ranged from educators like Richard Tapia, who is a member of the National Science Board, dancers like Augie and Margo Rodriguez who were famous in the fifties, and intellectuals like Fray Angelico Chavez. “What can I help you with Sheldon?” asks Ms. Rose, startling Sheldon a bit.
“Well, I wanted to ask if I could take a select group of kids with me to the center, where I volunteer. I think it would be good for both groups of kids to interact with each other,” said Sheldon.
After pondering the idea, Ms. Rosa answered no. Taken aback by the answer, Sheldon was silent. “I feel that the kids need to have their parents notified if they leave the center for any reason,” said Ms. Rose.
“No problem, I understand Ms. Rose,” replied Sheldon.
“How far is the center anyway?” asked Ms. Rose.
“It’s about ten minutes from here over on the Westside of town.”
“Oh… ok, well maybe you can try and bring the kids here or something. I’m sure it would be nice.”
Sheldon exited the office, with a bit of discouragement. At the middle of the hallway there was Julio, with his older brother Jose and a buddy of theirs named Luiz. They were waiting to hear what Ms. Rose’s answer was. Apparently, Julio must’ve have prepped the other two on the idea that Sheldon had. With a bit of excitement on their faces they crowded Sheldon pulling and tugging for the answer he got from Ms. Rose.
“I thought you didn’t want to go,” said Sheldon, teasing the kids.
“I didn’t, but they (Jose and Luiz) do,” said Julio.
“Well, she said no,” responded a disappointed Sheldon.
While Sheldon explained the circumstances of why they weren’t allowed to go to the other center, Jose made his way to the Ms. Rose’s office. Jose was the oldest of the group, being thirteen. He was the silent one of the group but the more sensible as well. While Julio and Luiz are trying to find trouble, Jose was the one to actually do his homework and would even get a kick out of helping the adults find and control the kids.
Jose came back to Sheldon and the kids, with a big bright smile on his face. “Let’s go” says Jose as he tried to escort Sheldon to the door leading outside.
“Go where?” says Sheldon with a confused look on his face.
“I talked to Ms. Rose and she said we can go.”
“What . . .”
Sheldon started making his way to Ms. Rose’s office to get a handle on what just transpired. Walking with José tugging at his arm, they both stop just before arriving at the door. The door started to open slowly like in a scary movie scene with Ms. Rose stepping out, arousing gasps from both Jose and Sheldon.
“Ok guys, I’ll see you tomorrow”, said Ms. Rose as she waved her hand and walked past them.
“Ok . . .” slowly escapes from Sheldon as he watched Ms. Rose leave his view.
Trying to figure out what happened, Sheldon held Jose in a headlock to see what his secret was to turn Ms. Rose. “What did you say?” said Sheldon as he sat in his car. Without making eye contact, Jose contained a smile and said, “I just asked and said please, and she said ok and be good.”
“That’s it?” questioned Sheldon.
As they made their way to the C.R.U.S.H the kids were a bit excited as always when riding with Sheldon. He played the music they liked, and he played it loud, which they also liked. They felt like the singers and rappers they see on YouTube, bobbing their heads to the sounds with the windows down. As they entered into the neighborhood where the center was located, the kids were talking about the different houses and how it reminded them of their own neighborhoods.
“Sheldon, that house looks like ours,” said Julio who was riding up front.
“Wow, look at the house over there!”
“Where?” said Luiz.
“There, with all the windows busted,” said Jose while pointing out the window.
“We’re here guys,” says Sheldon as they pulled up to what looked like a regular house. The “El Puente” after-school program was located in a very polished Catholic Church, which had various classrooms, computers, and even a gym. The locos expressed their disposition, with the weird scowls on their faces.
“Uhh…. Sheldon, I really told Ms. Rose that you were taking us home,” said Jose.
“You said what?” said Sheldon as he turned in Jose’s direction.
In a nervous rage Sheldon was about to flip out on Jose, but Ms. Susan and Montae were in the doorway ready to greet them. Waiting on them to get closer, Ms. Susan stood holding the door open with a large smile. Hesitantly, Sheldon guided the kids towards Ms. Susan.
“Hey yall, Ms. Pearl and I have been expecting you all,” said Ms. Susan.
As they walked into the center, they saw the room was filled with kids coloring and doing homework. When the Los Vatos locos entered with Sheldon, all of the commotion came to a halt. At first, the locos were a bit uneasy, with the attention they were receiving.
“Ms. Pearl is on her way back, she had to make a run”, said Ms. Susan.
“Ok, we won’t be here too much longer though, they got to get home”, replied Sheldon.
Talking to Jose, and telling him that he is in big trouble when they leave the center, he is interrupted by JR. “Let’s go outside”, he says putting Sheldon’s original plan back in motion. Taking a deep breath, Sheldon heads in Ms. Susan’s direction. Advising the locos to follow him, JR runs outside, and they all follow suit.
“Hey, I’m gonna take them out, ok?” asked Sheldon.
With a heavy sigh, Ms. Susan replies “thank you!”
The kids ran outside following the two crews who escaped the center. Trying to get control of the rowdy bunch, Ms. Susan ran out to settle them. Sheldon followed her lead, and waited for directions. The way the kids from the center ran to the door was like watching a wild herd..
“I’m JR., this is Butters and over by the basketball hoop is Montae”, said JR.
“I’m Jose, this is my little brother Julio, and this is Luiz” replied Jose.
“You’re Louis, like St. Louis”, asked Butters in the direction of Luiz.
“No, Lou-ezz . . . Luiz!”
Walking in the direction of the kids with a soccer ball in hand, Sheldon tells JR to get the cones. He tells Julio to help JR properly set them up. The Los vatos were excited to see the soccer ball. It was something they could relate to in the midst of so much abnormality in the routine of their lives. Julio was the first to shout, followed by Montae, “Pass it here, here,” shouted Julio. With Montae running in the direction of Julio in hopes of intercepting the pass, Sheldon rolls the ball down to the feet of JR, “Pass it”.
“Matter of fact let’s make a big circle”, said Sheldon as he directed the two crews.
“No, lets pick teams”, said Jose.
“I want to get in a circle to practice kicking the ball to each other first, we have to get the basics, then we can play.”
Among all the sighs, groans, and grunts, the crews formed a circle. Sheldon asked if Julio and Jose, who were some of the better players at their center, could teach the “stooges” the proper way of kicking the ball. Sheldon was attempting to show the kids that kicking the ball full force with the toe of the shoe was not always the best way. The kids of El Puente taught, well, tried to teach the kids of C.R.U.S.H. the proper technique of kicking with the shoes laces, and side of the foot for better control.
After the instructional pleasantries, the kids were more than ready to get the greatest soccer game in the history of Detroit sports underway. In true competition, Butters says “It’s us versus them!”
“Are you sure you want to do that, maybe we should mix the teams up a bit?” suggested Sheldon.
“Naw, we bout to beat them”, said JR as he gave Butters and Montae a fist-bump.
Speaking in Spanish to the other locos, Luiz trotted to the goal he was set to defend. “English,” said Sheldon in a sarcastic tone of voice.
“Now you know you’re supposed to speak English with me, and I hope you know, I understand a little bit of Spanish, and all of what you said”, said Sheldon who was glaring a hole through Luiz.
“Come on let’s play!”
Just before the game started there was an awkward silence, similar to the calm before a storm. There was a moment where everything surrounding the make-shift field in the back of the center was in slow motion and the only thing that mattered was the action that was about to take place inside it.
“Go!” said Sheldon to start the game, as he rolled the ball to the feet of Julio. Butters and JR wanted to argue about who gets the ball first but like the international soccer rules; the visiting team gets the ball, which had to be explained by Sheldon.
Julio kicks the ball to Jose, and like roaches scattering when the light cuts on, the kids were everywhere chasing the ball. Quite funny, at first glance, however, the Vatos were just a bit too much for the Stooges. After, about three passes, Julio had room for a shot. He kicked it, though it went wide right. The power in that kick made the kids of the C.R.U.S.H. stop dead in their tracks.
“How you kick the ball that hard”, said Butters, with an estranged look on his face.
“I don’t want to play goalie anymore”, said Montae.
“I don’t know, I guess practice”, said Julio
The game continued. The Stooges took the ball out. JR, who was the fastest of the crew, took off running. With the ball in his view, he saw Jose coming up from the corner of his left eye. In a rash reaction JR kicked the ball, sailing it far above the goal. As the locos took the ball back out, Montae rushed to the other half of the field where the action was. Jose threw the ball back inbound to Julio, who then faked like he was going to try for another shot and passed it back to Jose. Being older, Jose could let his brother outshine him. Realizing that Montae had cleared his goal, Jose took a step back and kicked the ball with the sound of a thunderous clap. The ball sailed in the air for a second before falling and bouncing into the goal of the Stooges. Trying their hardest to hit Montae, the score is 1-0.
This would soon change, for the worse, some may argue. Overall the interest of both parties was at hand. The kids were starting to show a little fatigue, and the Stooges were looking more and more frustrated. The score was now 5-0. There was almost nothing the Stooges could do. The locos were bigger and they were experienced.
“Look at those clouds brewing”, said Sheldon, who was pointing to the sky.
The game went on as rain drops started to fall with more and more frequency. “It’s about that time guys, next goal finishes it,” said Sheldon. The kids were frantic as they tried harder and harder to get control of the ball to score the last goal. As usual, Julio stole the ball, this time from Butters, and started racing down toward the goal. Meeting him in stride was JR. Julio tried to pass the ball but JR got a foot on the pass altering its path. The ball rolled to the feet of Montae, who took off running with the biggest grin on his face. With Jose in tow, Montae kept running, getting closer and closer to the goal, where Luiz was defending. Amongst all the yells of “Pass the ball,” Montae kept running and kicking the ball. Just when Jose tried to step in front of the ball, Montae kicked it. Not with the same great force that Jose and Julio had, but it was still well kicked. The ball didn’t lift off the ground. It was a low strike that was heading straight for the left cone of the goal. The ball was met by Luiz’s foot but managed to slide through the goal between Luiz’s legs.
“GOAL!” screams Sheldon.
All the stooges gathered around Montae. It was a fitting end to the game. Though they had no idea how to play the game a week ago. They managed to at least score a goal against a much better team.
“Luiz!” bellowed Julio raising his hands in disbelief. Jose fell to the ground laughing. Even though Julio was mad, Luiz didn’t say anything, just shook his head laughing in stride to retrieve the ball.
“Come on guys, the rain is starting to really fall out here now”, said Sheldon.
Opening the door to greet the boys and Sheldon was Ms. Pearl. “You better get them boys in here Sheldon,” said Ms. Pearl with a large smile on her face. “It’s snack time, and we have plenty for you guys too.”
“That’ll be to go, I gotta get these guys back home,” said Sheldon while cutting his eyes at Jose.
“Oh ok, well I hope you guys plan to come back,” said Ms. Pearl.
While walking out the door, Sheldon took hold of Jose neck taking a tighter grip, as he told him that Jose was in his debt. Jose clinched his shoulders to quell the pain, though to no effect, and abruptly agreed. After letting go of Jose’s neck, and saying their goodbyes to the kids and employees at the center, Sheldon reached for his phone.
Cutting his eye at Jose once again, Sheldon dialed the number to Ms. Rose’s cell. After a nervous three rings, Ms.Rose answered. Sheldon proceeded to tell Ms. Rose, “We gotta talk . . .!”
