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The Pacific Pearl sponsored soccer team has just begun its first season
with Omar Pasqualato of Pacific Pearl as coach. "It is a good way to take
kids, who have been in not so nice areas, off the streets for a while,"
says Pasqualato. "Instead of staying at home on Sundays, these kids can
go out and have fun, and say they did something." The Mazatlán soccer
league, that the Pacific Pearl team belongs to, is called Dominical, which
means "Sundays" in English. This name is significant because the games
are held each Sunday, the first game starting at 11:40 a.m. and the last
game starting at 3:20 p.m., at Fútbol Rafaga. Since the Pacific Pearl
team and the nine other teams in the league are opened to anyone, it is
a good opportunity for sponsors, such as Pacific Pearl, to support the
community and the youth of Mazatlán. Each team´s sponsor puts together
the $150 inscription fee that goes to the costs for the whole year, such
as competitions, and uniforms. For Pacific Pearl, supporting the soccer
team is an all win situation. The newspaper is able to support Mazatlán´s
youth and at the same time recieve publicity. Pacific Pearl´s name is
on the front of the team´s blue
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and yellow jerseys.
Pasqualato says that playing with this team is challenging because the team
is new and most of the teammates have never played with one another before.
"This is the first time this team has ever played together and it is hard
to learn each other´s style of play," says Pasqualato. The players range
in age from 16 to 28, but they quickly learned how to play as a team. In
the beginning of the season, Pacific Pearl started in sixth place but after
the 11th game they were already a close second. Pasqualato thinks it is
safe to say that they will reach first place soon. There are 10 teams in
the Dominical league, and after the 20 game season there is a league championship
that is broadcasted on a local television station. Following the league
championship there is also a state and national championship, all sponsored
by Tecate. Pacific Pearl hopes to make it as far as possible in their first
season and by the looks of it they are on the right track. Out of 11 games,
the team has won eight, tied one and only lost two. Pacific Pearl supports
its soccer team and looks forward to the rest of the rookie season. |
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