Score!!!

Former pro soccer players from Latin America help the Farolito team dominate an amateur league.

A A A Comments By Lauren Smiley Wednesday, May 14 2008

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Torres comforts his flock: "It's okay, it's okay, you played well. ... Good first half; second half it went down a little bit. But with Farolito, it's not just any team."

After the game, Lopez talks about Farolito's future. He claims he'd sell his taqueria chain if his kids didn't want to run it, though that's unlikely, given that both his son, Santiago, and Guadalupe say they want to keep it in the family and expand past the current locations. But Lopez drops his nonchalance when talking about the team. In a rare expression of pride toward his soccer empire, he says he'd consider turning over the coaching to someone else, but Farolito will stay on the field. "Forever, as long as I can see and walk," he says. "We're always going to be there. This is like eating. You have to eat every day or work, the same."

Paul Trapani

Trophies at the El Farolito bar.

Paul Trapani

Salvador Lopez, the owner of Taqueria El Farolito restaurant chain, is the unofficial king of the Papy Soccer League.

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With that, Lopez destroys the gossip that someday he'll tire of pumping out cash to win in a league few outside it care about. A day that "a lot of people are going to cry," his over-50 league teammate Ricardo Rodriguez says.

On the Alianza Lima sideline, forward Armando Ostorga complains about unfair refereeing. He claims a fist to the back from a Farolito defender sent him to the ground, but the ref didn't call a foul.

Not that Ostorga wouldn't consider deserting to Farolito if they'd invite him. He'd have to see about the price.