Player Spotlight: Thaeer Araje (Joyful FC)

[Translated from Arabic original text]

Our field is next to a road, so sometimes cars honk at us when the ball rolls away. We just wave and keep playing. The field isn’t big, but we know every spot — where the ground dips, where it bounces funny. That’s part of the game.

When I came to Jeju, I couldn’t stop smiling the first time I ran on the grass. It felt soft and made a sound when you stepped. I fell a few times because it was too smooth, but it was funny. Everyone laughed.

I like both fields now. Here it’s rough, there it’s quiet. But in both places, when the ball moves, everything feels right.