The lanky 16-year-old in a fluttering tank top tapped a red soccer ball every few strides as he streaked toward the goal. With a defender in pursuit, he set his feet and launched a shot that missed by a mile.
But it was the chance that counted.
For Mazen Abdulwahab, it's been a traumatic path from his native Iraq to this lush field in Northeast Baltimore, where he and eight other Iraqi boys were joyfully scrimmaging on a breezy June afternoon.
Abducted by militants at age 13, he endured two weeks of captivity in Baghdad until his family scared up $20,000 in ransom. Earlier this year, as a refugee still adjusting to Baltimore, he suffered a broken nose and bruises after fellow students from Patterson High jumped him, landing him in the hospital overnight.
Here on the soccer field, life was more carefree. Mazen and his refugee pals from Iraq were starting a team; the scrimmage was part of their preparation. Even as they assimilate to life in America, these one-time strangers have formed a tight bond cemented by common culture, language, dislocation - and love of soccer.
All they needed now was a league, or at least some opponents.
But that was easier dreamed up than done. One issue was the lack of summertime youth soccer in Baltimore City. Most kids play baseball. The Iraqi boys' age range (12 to 16) posed another problem. Any league they might find would likely have two-year age groups. Beyond that, they had bad timing: Summer was already under way.
Unaware of these hurdles, or maybe just undeterred, the boys plowed ahead with planning.
"We just want to make a fun time for us, make a good team," said Mazen, who has a wide smile and bright inkwell eyes. "Soccer is the first sport in the world."
By mid-June they had made Rawan Mumayiz their captain. The 14-year-old with a raspy voice and an open face hatched the team idea, inspired by Iraq's revamped national squad.
They had also agreed on a handful of position assignments: Rawan, Mazen, Sary and Haroon at midfield; Hisham and Laith as strikers; Marwan and both Mustafas on defense; Mohanad in goal. All told, the roster included over a dozen players.
At that Monday practice, they settled on a name after ditching "Iraqi Refugee Team" (one of the players, U.S.-born Mustafa Abdulrahman, is not a refugee) and the Lions. They would call themselves the Tigers. "We are active, energetic," Rawan explained.
