FIFA World Cup expected to give metro Atlanta soccer leagues a boost
· Yahoo Sports
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Cemetery Field in Norcross is alive and kicking, thanks to a thriving soccer league.
“In Atlanta, the soccer is real, real strong,” Roberto Vargas said.
Roberto is the founder of La Liga (Spanish for the league) in Gwinnett County, one of metro Atlanta’s largest soccer leagues.
He started it to help bring Gwinnett’s Hispanic community together. Nearly 30 years later, it’s bringing every community together.
“We’ve seen little kids since they were 5 years old, and now they’re teenagers,” league marketing director Yasel Vargas said.
Vargas says La Liga got even more popular when Atlanta United came to town. It now has 120 teams.
Goalkeeper Crystal Caltempa believes the World Cup in Atlanta will give it another boost.
“The way they show the passion for soccer in the World Cup is really huge,” Caltempa said.
But what Vargas is most proud of is the number of league players who played well enough to earn college scholarships.
“Right now, these people are lawyers and doctors. This is a lot of good for me inside. It’s good for me and my community,” Vargas said.
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