Junior midfielder Abdullah Ramadan crosses borders every time he plays soccer for Sandburg.
Two years ago, Ramadan arrived in Orland Park from Amman, Jordan, using the sport to establish his identity in a new country.
“When I first got here, I didn’t really have any friends,” said Ramadan, whose teammates call him Abood. “I didn’t speak English very well. I was playing alone all the time in Centennial Park.
“When you’re on the field, you talk to other players and that helped a lot with my language and helped me get better as a player.”
Ramadan showed off that improvement Wednesday afternoon, scoring a goal in the 17th minute to spark the Eagles to a 3-0 win over T.F. United in a Class 3A Joliet Central Regional semifinal.
Senior forward Mahdi Azabin scored a goal early in the second half and sophomore defender Rayyan Balouta followed up several minutes later for fourth-seeded Sandburg (11-8).
Sophomore goalkeeper Ismael Sanchez made seven saves and senior midfielder Hector Castellanos created several strong scoring chances for 13th-seeded T.F. United (9-10-1).
In scoring his eighth goal of the season, Ramadan underscored the international flavor featured in his game.
“My favorite player is Neymar, the Brazilian forward, and I try to play like him all the time,” he said. “I always try to take the ball, cut and shoot it and take it to one side and make my run.”
Senior midfielder Abed Hmeidan is also from the Jordanian capital of Amman. Along with Azabin and Balouta, they represent several crucial players for the Eagles who are fluent in Arabic.
“We speak a language together that not a lot of people know and that develops chemistry,” Hmeidan said. “We understand each other and that just helps us connect more.
“Helps me see how he likes to play.”
Abazin also plays club with Ramadan. The two have a natural and intuitive affinity on the field.
“Abood’s always hard working and he is determined to win every ball,” Abazin said. “With all the time we’ve spent together the last two years, everything just adds up for us out there.”
Ramadan started playing the game at age 7.
“My uncle was a soccer player who was on the World Cup team, the U20 team,” he said. “He’d always take me to the field with them and play with me.
“I used to make him practice two or three hours every single day with me, and that made me so much better.”
Still, Ramadan spent his freshman year acclimating to a new country and a new language.
Soccer was the emotional line that connected everything. He bonded with the players who spoke his language and he made new friends.
He has two older brothers who are five and four years older, respectively.
“They also played,” Ramadan said. “When we were growing up, they always wanted to see who was the best player. I always beat them.”
With each passing day, everything becomes more comfortable for Ramdan, including an expanded role on the team.
“He’s such a dynamic player,” Sandburg coach Desi Vuillaume said. “He started last year on the varsity as a sophomore, but he has grown so much. He has put on a lot of size.
“He put in a lot of time and effort in the offseason. It has really paid off.”
The game has opened up his world and helped with his assimilation. Ramadan is always looking to give back. He coaches youth travel teams.
He was inspired by the example of his uncle, who taught him the game.
“I have a dream,” Ramadan said. “I want to play the sport because of my uncle. I want to play in college, and even farther. My ultimate goal is to play in Spain.
”The game is everything for me. It’s how I stay with my best friends.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.