There was an excellent article in the Chicago Tribune about the National Soccer League that is worth a read.

Chicago’s ethnic soccer teams bring national pride

June 13, 2010|By Oscar Avila, Tribune reporter

As a Mexican defenseman passes to a Palestinian teammate who attacks the goal for the greater glory of Croatia, the world converges on a Cicero soccer field.

Through such teams as the West Indies Jets and Albanian Stars, Chicago’s rambunctious ethnic communities clash and co-exist on the lakefront and in parks, a tradition older than the World Cup, the championship tournament that will draw billions of viewers after opening Friday in South Africa.

While the World Cup’s four-week run will captivate the city’s ethnic enclaves, the international battles in Chicago stoke their passions each and every week. Though the names and languages change with the years, it remains a rite of passage for a young immigrant to find his first job and his first soccer club, not necessarily in that order.

Read the full article here >>