Street Soccer Striker

I love this shot I took in Old Havana and it’s not only for the frozen action of the moment before a strike. It’s the footwear that makes it for me. The primary defender, airborne and all, has but one shoe on what appears to be his non-dominant foot. Sneakers for the striker and flip-flops for the other boy. It wasn’t very common to see soccer being played in the streets of Havana. Far more than not, we would see stick-and-cap baseball, but matches appeared down side streets and in parks like this. Can’t say who won the game, but I’m hoping the young man in the middle has another “pair” of shoes at home.

La Habana Vieja, Cuba, 2011.