By Nina Mandell
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
SOUTH STREET SEAPORT — Soccer may be growing increasingly popular on televisions across city bars and workplaces, but for a few soccer enthusiasts at the South Street Seaport, it became a part of lunch hour, too.
“Suits and Boots” a three-on-three winner-stays-on pickup game attracted local office workers as well as people who had come ready to play. Participants Thursday shed their dress shoes for a complementary trial of Puma cleats — or played in bare feet, socks, flip-flops or sneakers.
If there was anyone who doubted how competitive a lunchtime tournament could get, they were quickly disabused as players limped off with twisted ankles, sweaty shirts and took rifle-fired balls in their backs.
“These guys are obviously working hard,” said Rose Lee, a 23-year-old who helps lead soccer clinics for children in the mornings at the Seaport and stuck around to keep the games going.
The event was part of a month-long celebration called Puma City NY. To celebrate the World Cup, Puma, a popular sporting clothing brand, set up numerous foosball tables, ping pong tables, trailers full of merchandise and more for the entire month of the tournament.
Shawn Dooley, a consultant, stood with some co-workers as they cheered on their friend who was playing in his slacks and collared shirt.
“I’m just going to laugh because he got drenched [in sweat],” he said, as another one of his co-workers encouraged participants to slidetackle.
While it took a few minutes to start and participants often got to stay on for multiple rounds, the game proved popular among businessmen on lunch breaks, as well as soccer enthusiasts who had traveled past the festivities on previous days and came back to take advantage of the free fields.
Joey Beatris, a web site engineer, traveled from Brooklyn with his friend, Akwetey Ot, a musician, to participate in the fun. They wore suits especially for the occasion — even though they don’t normally have to wear one.
“Someone told me to put on a suit and come play,” Ot said. "Usually, no, I don't dress like this to work."
Ot and Beatris ended up playing for nearly 45 minutes, with Beatris getting nailed in the back by one ball and injuring his ankle on another play.
“There’s a lot of people that would play if they knew about it,” he said as he stripped off his sweat-drenched shirt.
