Operation Soccer Ball

This month, while my platoon and I were in Al Kut, I was able to witness history in the making. I saw a soccer match played between former enemies, people who, just a few months ago, were in firefights with each other. They put down their weapons and played the world’s game in the middle of the city. Former insurgents on one side, Iraqi Police on the other, and right there in the middle was our US Military Police Company. As a sign of good faith we took off our ballistic armor, dropped our weapons and watched our Iraqi Police counterparts and our former enemy battle it out on the soccer field. Operation Soccer Ball took part in this historic event as we handed out dozens of brand new balls to the local kids who came to watch this historic match. The game was great, a 0-0 game until the very end when the Iraqi Police lost in penalty kicks. In the end, we all won because this was more than a soccer match, this was progress and hope for a new Iraq. I was there and, in a way, so were all of you. Operation Soccer Ball has been making Iraq a better place one soccer ball at a time, I truly believe that this program keeps my soldiers safe by spreading good spirit, winning hearts and minds and simply spreading the joy of soccer (The World’s Game). Once again, thank you for contributing. Keep spreading the word, and please keep the balls coming. - Daniel

On Thursday, Sept. 11, the New England Revolution will proudly participate in Operation Soccer Ball, a humanitarian effort to spread universal goodwill by distributing soccer balls to children in Iraq. All
fans attending the Revolution’s Sept. 11 match against Chivas USA are encouraged to bring deflated soccer balls for donation at the Gillette Stadium gates. Each ball will be delivered to an Iraqi child who does
not have the means to obtain a ball to play the world’s game. With this effort, Operation Soccer Ball aims to spread camaraderie and friendship between nations and provide hope to the people of Iraq through the
‘universal language’ of soccer.

Craig Tornberg
General Manager
New England Revolution