Footballers for world peace
2006-07-20
Footballers for world peace
World Cup soccer may bring fans of the Beautiful Game together from across the globe but a group of globally minded Tokyoites is scoring points for "international friendship through football" in its own backyard. Twice monthly FC el Matador men's soccer club and FC Poco Poco women's club take to the pitch for practice or play. Their goal is a little cross-cultural camaraderie as teammates.
They play hard and they play to win. On July 16, el Matador held its own against rival FC Docomo (0-0), while evoking a hardy 'Ole' with its 2-0 victory over FC Scratch. The ladies of Poco Poco, whose Japanese name, "little by little," may understate their achievements, racked up yet another win, beating FC Zero, 2-0. But as el Matador team leader and manager Norio Takeda explains, the group's main claim to fame is, "we're a real international football team."
Takeda, aka DJ Norio, 48, is a music producer by trade. He says that in addition to his love for the game he had an agenda in starting the amateur-league team that he named in honor of his Spanish grandfather: "There was no real international football club in Tokyo," he insists. "I mean some 'international' teams are all the same color or nationality. So I thought a real international football club was needed (to promote cross-cultural) friendship - kind of like an NPO for world peace."
With Poco Poco's 20 women and twice as many men playing for el Matador, these footballers aim to live up to that reputation. Takeda says while only about 10 percent of the women are non-Japanese, 80 percent of the Matadors are foreign born. More importantly, he adds, the "gaikokujin" on these teams herald from all over the globe.
To be sure, international non-pro football in Japan is far from a novel idea. The International Football Friendship League has been orchestrating amateur-team matches since 1977. Then there's the not-quite pro Tokyo Metropolis League whose fiercely competitive teams are not shy about their recruiting ambitions.
"We invite (new players) to see what skill level they have - it may be mid-range or it may be high-level. Then I'll have a quick word with them," says William Kollias, 32, of TML's second division club, Maritizio FC. While the new team captain gives a nod to the club's diversity, he makes no bones about raising the competitive bar - and unspecified membership fees - to get desired results. "We cannot only lift the standard of the club but we can lift the standard of the league." El Matador's Takeda, however, prioritizes things a little differently.
"Members can play with us whenever they like," he says, adding There're no club fees just a per-person charge that can range from 100 yen to 800 yen to use public fields. "We have beginners and those who are very good. They are friends from the United States, Canada, England, Scotland, France, Spain, Norway, Turkey, Australia, Mexico, Argentina, Columbia, Chile, Peru, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Kenya, Japan and more. There're no borders in our club." But the bragging rights don't stop there.
El Matador has so far taken the championship in three tournaments. While Poco Poco has proven capable of doing a lot more than just a 'little by little' by coming out on top in five - including a special Kawasaki Frontale tournament that pitted amateur teams against pros in February, Takeda says.
Both teams meet two Sundays a month for practices or matches on public grass pitches in Tokyo's Futakotamagawa, Shibuya and elsewhere. They usually square off in 5- or 11-aside games against other international and Japanese amateur teams. Football, however, is not the only way teammates foster friendship.
When They're not kicking around a ball they're wont to have a ball kicking up their heels. "Because we love to party we have many socials," Takeda says, adding that it goes way beyond hitting the bar after matches. "Six times a year we have birthday parties for members - and New Year's and year-end parties." Festivities also include annual spring and summer barbeques and an overnight camping trip in Yamanashi every July. Takeda adds that on occasion, el Matadors and Poco Poco even take to the streets to wave their multinational banner: "Sometimes, if needed, we have demonstration parades for world peace."
"All nationalities are welcome," Takeda says. The only requirement, he adds, is an appetite for socializing and belief in a world - or at least a society - without boarders.
For more information about FC el Matador men's soccer club and it's female counterpart, FC Poco a Poco, e-mail Norio Takeda at: djnorio0417@yahoo.co.jp. Want to know more about the International Football Friendship League? Check out: http://home.att.ne.jp/sun/iffl/. For info on Tokyo Metropolis league visit: http://www.footyjapan.com/tml/index.html . And if you want to try out for the semi-big league's Maritizio FC e-mail queries to: avill02@attglobal.net.
