MISSION VIEJO : A Game Between Friends

A dozen youngsters came from Tijuana on Wednesday to play soccer with their Orange County counterparts in the inaugural Friendship Games.

The teams did not compete against each other, instead sharing players and shaking hands after each game at James G. Gilleran Park.

Although many of the participants did not speak the same language, they communicated on the field, executing passes at just the right moment to guarantee a goal.

“It’s amazing that they’ve learned to pass to each other without practicing,” said Gary Brown, whose two sons, Josh, 12, and J.B., 11, were among those playing. “They’re learning some of life’s lessons here.”

It was the second trip to the United States for the young players from Mexico, according to Adolfo Delgado, sports coordinator for the city of Tijuana. Two years ago the youngsters, with passports in hand, traveled to San Diego to play teams there.

The youngsters made this week’s trek by train to San Juan Capistrano, where they were met by a limousine supplied by a local business.

“The opportunity to come here is important,” Delgado said. “For them, the reality is, they might not be able to return again, ride a train or take a limo ride.”

Delgado said the boys were amazed to be on a grass field like the ones used by their favorite professional players. The boys play on dirt fields in Tijuana.

Ten more Mexican youngsters were expected to arrive later Wednesday. A trip to Knott’s Berry Farm is planned for today, and soccer games between individual teams will cap the event on Friday.

“We’re trying to develop some relationships among the boys in the two countries,” said Tom Busby, a member of the Lake Forest Rotary Club, which organized the three-day event. “We’re hoping that they will form some long-lasting relationships.”

The Friendship Games were arranged by Rotary clubs from Lake Forest, Newport Beach, Mission Viejo, and Otay Mesa in south San Diego County.

The Mexican players are staying with the families of 40 Orange County boys who play in Mission Viejo soccer leagues and a Corona del Mar soccer club.

One of the Mexican players, Miguel Soria, scored three goals in a game Wednesday. He sipped a can of soda during a break between games.

“Everybody has a good level of play,” said Soria, who called the trip “excellent.”

A December trip by the Orange County players to Tijuana is already in the works, said Daniel Greve, president of the Lake Forest Rotary Club.

“This event promotes international understanding,” Greve said. “It builds friendships.”