Photo: Kyle Bray/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Forty teams representing 35 different nations gathered at Carter Field for the sixth annual Boston Unity Cup on Saturday.
The World Cup-style soccer tournament featured teams composed of residents of Boston and surrounding communities. According to Caroline Foscato, founder of the event, the 7-on-7 adult tournament celebrates the diverse communities that exist in the Bay State.
"By bringing this tournament together and having people play against each other and interact on the field together and get to know each other, it really creates these unifying moments so that you're part of something bigger," Foscato said.
Founded in 2016 with 16 teams in a co-ed division, the Boston Unity Cup utilizes soccer as a means to unify and build community through camaraderie and competition.
"Those moments on the field where you see like Uganda and Pakistan hugging at the end of the game," Foscato said. "You see people laughing. You hear about people playing pick-up with each other because they met here."
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Hosted in collaboration with city officials and local leaders, the tournament runs until early August, when they'll host a men's and women's finals. City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune believes soccer is the perfect conduit to bring people of all nationalities together.
"Soccer helps to explain the world. And it's beautiful to see countries — everyone from Argentina to Haiti, where my parents are from. From Guinea to Mexico to Cuba. There are people who are able to continue a sport that they played at home or learn a sport that reminds them of their culture."
WBZ NewsRadio's Kyle Bray (@Kyle BrayWBZ) reports.