Sports are played worldwide and regardless of the environment or circumstances, we can see that sports are something that unites communities. One obvious way we see that is in the Olympics as countless countries join together to compete across many different sports. This also occurs on a smaller scale in various communities everywhere. In this photograph, Street Football in Havana, taken by Dotan Saguy, a group of men play soccer (known in other countries as football) on a makeshift field in Cuba. Through analysis of the color, focal points, and subjects, we are able to see the sport of soccer and how it brings together people regardless of their community. 

The colors in a place can say a lot about its history and its citizens. The colors that stand out the most in this picture are in the architecture and wall mural. The bright colors of the buildings indicate a region most likely in Central America while the mural of a woman is an art piece typical of that region. It can be assumed that the three buildings we see are homes as they are pink and yellow. Both colors are associated with calm. Pink has more of a caring and loving feel to it while the yellow is more often associated with happiness. The faded colors show time and aging of the buildings. They are older homes that haven’t been renovated or redone in many years. Weathering has aged these homes and coupled with the rusty metal and the worn colors in the windows and doors we can assume this to be a city without much wealth. While we can’t assume it to be an area in poverty, we can assume this to be a working class. Soccer for these men could mean more than a game to them. It may mean a break from the stresses of their daily jobs or families. Another aspect we can note when looking at color is that the clothing of the players does not share a common theme. Viewers cannot identify two individual teams which could give us an insight further into this moment. By noting this, we can use that to assume that this game is not an official or a serious game but most likely a pick-up game between friends. 

There are many focal points in this photograph. Since the audience is not at the scene of the photograph, the viewers are at the mercy of the shot that was captured at to base our interpretation and understanding off of. This photograph is captured with every player looking to the bottom right of the image; likely following the path of the ball. The picture doesn’t allow us to see where the ball is, leaving us wondering if the soccer ball made it into the net or not. The players are faced towards us, seeing the action behind the camera including the path of the ball. The audience can only see the game; we are able to see the players and their expressions and make our assumptions based off that. The emotion we see is most curious and waiting, there is no look of defeat or of celebration so we can guess that most likely the soccer ball is in the air and has not yet landed either in the goal or out. The audience viewing the photograph can see all the way back to the buildings and homes giving us an indication of setting and culture. The image allows us to get an insight to where the players are and possibly where they are living. Based on the lighting, the viewer’s focus is drawn to the top half of the screen but the normal line of sight draws the eyes to the two players faces in the front. Following the lines of the players faces, our eyes are drawn down to the goalie who is falling trying to save the ball. From him, we are then drawn to the corner where we assume the ball has gone.  We can only draw meaning of this image from what we can see in the shot. 

Each player adds to the image and gives it more meaning. The players are the main subjects as they are the focus of this photograph. They are the first thing the viewer’s eyes are drawn to and what the image is based around. The three main players that we see in the image are the two front most men and the goalie. From their positions and expressions, we can interpret the most about this photo. All eyes are directed to the right corner where we assume the ball to have gone. We can also guess one of these players to be the one who shot the ball and the other to be the defender. We can see them all playing together yet we cannot assume anything about their backgrounds and where they live, work and were raised. If we want, we can choose to believe in the buildings behind the players but we are not given enough information in this shot to assume. For these men, this soccer game could be enjoying a sport they grew up playing. Or maybe they work together and play a game after work as a stress reliever or just to have fun. 

Whether it be a game formed from men within the neighborhood, a game with friends, a break from work or daily stresses or even a game within a family; there are so many reasons for sports to be played and so many benefits. We can only interpret so much meaning from a photograph but we can see that no matter what the setting, sports such as soccer bring people together.
