'Groundbreakers' rooftop event, where soccer meets soul

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- Luna Rios-Cruz trains for soccer with fancy footwork and pure focus. Now 17, she's been playing soccer since she was a young kid. Most recently she's played with Portland Street Soccer, the non-profit that uses the game to fight poverty and connect low-income kids with meaningful opportunities.

"I feel like it can bring anyone together," Rios-Cruz told KOIN 6 News. "No matter what the background is, or no matter what, soccer is a good way to have that bond and have that chemistry with those people."

On this night, she was playing in a soccer tournament on the rooftop of Industry One -- two players per team with the city as a backdrop.

Portland Street Soccer teamed with Industry One, 415 SW 10th, to bring the game from the streets to the roof in a celebration of Soccer City. Julian Alexander, the director for Portland Street Soccer, is turning that passion into a platform.

"Basically if you want to play soccer we're going to try and find a way for you to do it for free," Alexander said. "It is so amazing to be able to bring all of those different people, all those kids, together."

Though it looked like a rooftop party, the event was actually part of a larger art exhibit called Groundbreakers. The free Groundbreakers exhibition, which runs through mid-September, celebrates Portland's unique soccer culture through art, storytelling and community events.

It highlights 3 key areas: fandom, soccer innovation and the city's grassroots scene.

"I think it's important that we celebrate the city," Groundbreakers Art Director Pete Hoppins said. "We don't do that enough."

Whether you're a die-hard fan, a street player or just love Portland, Groundbreakers is where soccer meets soul.

"The city," Alexander said, "really shows up for soccer."