Castle Rock – It was a painful sight to behold.
The soccer ball was kicked high into the air Sunday, where it was grabbed by gale-force wind and pushed wildly out of bounds. Seemingly on auto pilot, the ball raced down a hill, hopped over a small fence, hung a right at the Port-O-Potty and scampered to safety in the tall weeds.
With their jerseys snapping in the biting wind, the 22 players could only wait. And many of them couldn’t help but smile.
“We do it for the fun of it,” said Jesus Carrillo, 22, of Denver. “Like right now, it’s windy and we’re just here to play and have fun. Basically, it’s for the love of the game.”
That was the underlying sentiment driving the sixth annual Copa Tecate tournament that finally kicked off at Fairgrounds Regional Park after two weekends of weather delays.
Billed as the premiere adult Hispanic amateur soccer tournament in the country, the Copa Tecate features more than 43,000 players from 2,700 teams and 22 cities competing for a slice of immortality and recognition.
After weeks of round-robin games, the 22 city champions will advance to a regional tournament next month before a televised final in Houston in August. Winning teams receive cash prizes and possibly could meet the Mexican national team, earn a scrimmage against a professional team or get noticed by a professional scout.
Of course, that pipe dream seemed eons away Sunday. Most of the players probably would settle for being recruited by another local club that might promise better teammates, new jerseys or shoes.
“It’s amateur, but it’s like you’re playing professional,” said Carrillo, a midfielder with club Deportivo Potosi. “Right now there could be two or three guys sitting there from another team, dressed normal, not trying to make a big deal, and after the game they come down and talk to you.”
Sunday’s conditions weren’t doing any players any favors, and the usually vibrant crowds associated with the tournament were reduced to handful of huddled onlookers.
Beto Mendez, president of local tournament organizers Soccer Tapatio, said the growing enthusiasm behind the Copa Tecate comes from the level of talent.
“It’s a competition between the best,” he said before pulling on a yellow shirt and rushing to officiate the next match.
No Denver-based club has won the Copa Tecate, and organizers say no club is the favorite to win Denver’s lone berth. That parity was evident Sunday as last year’s representative, Juarez, saw its 2-0 lead become a 2-2 tie against an opposing team with the wind at its back.
Still, no one was complaining. Especially goalie Raul Mena, 30, who said a day playing soccer kept him away from any tempting vices he might face hanging out around the house.
“It’s the only passion I have right now,” Mena said.
