Soccer enthusiasts from around the region paid homage to the World War I Christmas Truce on Wednesday by participating in the sixth annual Truce Tournament hosted by Sporting Club, the National WWI Museum and Memorial and The Soccer Lot.
Approximately 200 participants from 30 teams in the area competed in a 3v3 soccer tournament, including MLS All-Star Kei Kamara, while hundreds of additional soccer fans attended the English Premier League Boxing Day Watch Party on large screens inside the National WWI Museum and Memorial.
MWFC Reserves claimed the Truce Tournament title in the Competitive Division. The Miracles of the Marne (pictured above) won the title in the Recreational Division, while Fools on the Field took the Beer Division crown.
The Truce Tournament is a tribute to the Christmas Truce of 1914 in which the battles of World War I on the Western and Eastern Fronts temporarily subsided. Members of both sides laid down their arms in a time of war to celebrate a day of peace by venturing out to “No Man's Land” to exchange gifts, sing carols and play soccer.
“The Christmas Truce was a remarkable event during the world’s first truly global conflict,” said National WWI Museum and Memorial President & CEO Dr. Matthew Naylor. “There are substantial lessons to be learned from those soldiers who displayed an unbelievable amount of humanity in the midst of horrific warfare and the Truce Tournament allows us to recognize and understand how the Great War continues to effect the global community to this day.”
In addition to Sporting Club, the National WWI Museum and Memorial and The Soccer Lot, event supporters included State Street, the Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund of Kansas City, Mo., Central States Beverages, The Roasterie and Sports Radio 810 AM.
About Sporting Club
Sporting KC is owned by a group of local Kansas City business and community leaders comprised of Neal Patterson, Cliff Illig, Pat Curran, Greg Maday and Robb Heineman. The club prides itself on its commitment and vision to provide high-performance entertainment and consumer experiences. Sporting Club purchased the team from the Hunt Sports Group in 2006, and under its direction has opened the world-class Children's Mercy Training Center at Swope Soccer Village and state-of-the-art Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas, while investing in the Sporting KC Academy for developing local youth into homegrown talent. Sporting KC was crowned MLS Cup champions in 2013, claiming a second league title in the team's 20-year history as a charter member of Major League Soccer, and is also a three-time winner of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (2004, 2012, 2015).
About the National WWI Museum and Memorial
The National World WWI Museum and Memorial is America’s leading institution dedicated to remembering, interpreting and understanding the Great War and its enduring impact on the global community. The Museum and Memorial holds the most comprehensive collection of World War I objects and documents in the world and is the second-oldest public museum dedicated to preserving the objects, history and experiences of the war. The Museum and Memorial takes visitors of all ages on an epic journey through a transformative period and shares deeply personal stories of courage, honor, patriotism and sacrifice. Designated by Congress as America’s official World War I Museum and Memorial and located in downtown Kansas City, Mo., the National WWI Museum and Memorial inspires thought, dialogue and learning to make the experiences of the Great War era meaningful and relevant for present and future generations. To learn more, visit theworldwar.org.
