Story filed 4-18-05

By Edward Lee Pitts
Military Affairs

The 278th Regimental Combat Team accepted defeat for the sake of international relations with a shutout loss to an Iraqi soccer team Saturday afternoon during a goodwill match played on the hard desert sand under soaring temperatures. "They spanked us," said Staff Sgt. Jeff McCroskey, 38, of Seymour, Tenn., who predicted the 8-0 shutout by a local team would be the talk of this village for days. "But this is what I will remember the most about coming here -- going out and playing soccer with the Iraqis."

More than 100 mostly male spectators gathered to watch the game the Iraqis call "football" in one of the few English words commonly used here. But the dominance of the Iraqi team, some playing barefoot, in their win had most of the 278th soldiers wishing the game had been a game of American-style football with an oblong pigskin rather than the round leather soccer ball.

"It was a morale builder for them," said Spc. Larry Lee, 28, of Madisonville, Tenn., referring to the victorious Iraqis. "And that was the purpose of us doing it. I didn't realize they were that competitive."

The sport is a passion for the country. Actual fields with goals are rare, but Iraqis kicking a ball around are a common sight both in the vast desert and around village streets.

The brightest moment for the Tennessee-based National Guard team occurred when the dozen or so soldiers-turned-players jogged into the stadium in single file wearing matching Army T-shirts and black athletic shorts.

Once the whistle blew, the Mandila team, wearing white uniforms with red stripes, controlled the ball throughout the game with crisp, on-target passes that had the 278th players spending most of the afternoon playing chase. The team of younger Iraqis quickly proved more accustomed to the unusual bounces the soccer ball took on the uneven sand sprinkled with just a few splotches of grass. The game remained close, with a 3-0 halftime score, until the 278th team wilted in the second half from the reported 110-degree temperature.

One of the few Iraqis on the field slower than the Americans was the match's referee, who hobbled around using one crutch because of a foot deformity.

TIGHT SECURITY

The match played inside Mandila's soccer stadium, about 15 miles east of Camp Caldwell, gave 278th soldiers the odd sensation of being off base without wearing their Kevlar helmets or body armor.

Sgt. 1st Class Monty Larson said he felt "violated" without his protective gear on, but the gesture sent a message to the Iraqis.

"We've crossed a barrier we've never crossed," said Sxx0gt. 1st Class Larson, 40, of Athens, Tenn. "We entered their grounds. We were with them on the outside. We showed them we could be just like them."

But the regiment provided plenty of evidence Saturday that this is still a dangerous combat zone. A convoy of more than 10 armored Humvees made a ring around the stadium with gunners manning the mounted machine gun on each vehicle.

In addition to the armored firepower, Iraqi army soldiers lined the stadium's walls, additional U.S. soldiers patrolled around the field and a lone 278th sniper peered through the scope of his high-powered rifle from the roof of a building overlooking the stadium.

Just 24 hours after the game, attackers fired upon Mandila's Joint Coordination Center on Sunday night, wounding one U.S. soldier in the arm.

BUILDING RAPPORT

The cheers following every goal Saturday only briefly interrupted the loud Arabic music blaring into the stadium through speakers mounted on a U.S. Humvee normally used to blast messages up and down village streets.

After the game players said the language barrier that so often gets in the way of building rapport among the Americans and the Iraqis disappeared on the soccer field. During the match players from both sides patted one another on the back and slapped high fives after good moves or hard slide tackles.

"The younger Iraqis were able to see a side of America they've never experienced before," said Sgt. Nathan Martin, 24, of Cleveland, Tenn. "They've been told their entire life Americans are evil, and this shows them our humanity."

Once the match ended, everyone gathered for a group photo and some spontaneous applause.

"When they see a Humvee roll up, they won't think we are here just to shoot them and kill them," said Army medic Spc. Caleb Martin, 20, of Englewood, Tenn.

But good will and decorum soon evaporated into a melee when the Americans tried to hand out soccer balls and other gifts to the Iraqis. Locals of all ages, including the Iraqi police, crowded around and fought for the thrown items with teenagers and men pushing and shoving the younger boys.

The 278th players consoled themselves with the fact they gave up fewer goals than in a 13-3 loss two weeks ago during a scrimmage with an Iraqi army unit.

After that practice game an Iraqi army soldier summed up the problem for a couple of U.S. soldiers as they walked off the field.

"U.S. Army football. No good," the Iraqi soldier said. "U.S. Army baseball. Good."

Some Iraqis talked rematch after Saturday's shutout, but Spc. Lee said 278th commanders seemed reluctant to sit through another soccer game.

"I asked (1st Squadron commander Lt. Col. Mark Hart) if we could do it again," said Spc. Lee. "But he said no because we need to play something we can win next time."

E-mail Lee Pitts at lpitts@timesfreepress.com

On the Web: Photos by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Russell Lee Klika of the 278th Regimental Combat Team are available on the Times Free Press Web site. Visit http://www.timesfreepress.com/kp

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