CINCINNATI — The FIFA Women’s World Cup soccer tournament kicks off in just a few days, but there’s another international soccer tournament already underway and it’s happening in Ohio.
What You Need To Know
- The International Soccer Tournament of Cincinnati is happening July 15-16 and 22-23
- The tournament brings together local teams that have players from different countries
- The hope is to create a community of all different cultures
- For players and coaches, soccer is a common language between them all
Putting on his cleats, Motaz Marashdeh is ready for practice, gearing up for this weekend’s International Soccer Tournament of Cincinnati.
Motaz Marashdeh puts on his cleats ahead of practice (Spectrum News/Katie Kapusta)
“It feels good, it feels really, really good,” Marashdeh said. “Getting excited.”
The Jordan native is participating in the tournament for the second time with his team Clifton Mosque FC. The sport was something that made him feel welcome in the U.S.
“I was 13 when I came here, I basically grew up here,” he said.
Marashdeh grew up in Jordan playing soccer (Spectrum News/Katie Kapusta)
The tournament is a way for teams like Clifton Mosque FC, which has players from all over the world including India, Togo and Ghana, to meet other immigrants and bond over the game.
“You see how each culture plays,” Marashdeh said. “And honestly, I used to think hey, soccer is soccer, there’s only one way of playing it. But each culture kind of has its own different style.”
For Ibrahim Amidou, the co-organizer of the tournament and coach, he hopes teams see this is about more than just soccer.
Players from Ghana, India, Togo and Jordan are represented on Clifton Mosque FC (Spectrum News/Katie Kapusta)
“The main objective for our team or any team participating is to experience the beauty of being together, building the bonds.,” Amidou said.
Amidou hopes that players across teams will bond and make friendships, especially with people that are new to the country and Cincinnati community. For Marashdeh, he says soccer is a way to bring cultures together under a unified language.
“Even though sometimes we don’t all speak the same language, we still understand what’s needed,” Marashdeh said.
The International Soccer Tournament of Cincinnati started this weekend, with additional rounds next weekend at Dunham Recreation Complex.
