The beautiful game turned a little ugly at times Saturday as tempers flared in the adult soccer tournament of the State Games of America.

At the Air Force athletic fields, shouts could be heard from hundreds of feet away — some directed at referees and others at opposing players. Spanish players were overheard cursing loudly in their native language.

When two area teams — the Hustlers and the Colorado Springs Casuals — squared off, the play got so physical in the first half that it eventually led to a shoving match among multiple players.

“It’s just competitive spirit,” Hustlers forward Evan Neufeld, 26, said after the teams played to a 1-1 draw. “We’re out there being physical and trying to win every ball, but after the game we all still shake hands.”

The players are familiar with each other and are even quite cordial — off the field.

“Everybody basically knows everybody here so it’s always a good time — win or lose,” said Neufeld, who scored in the 19th minute of the first half. “We’re still going to hang out with each other and in between games.”

Casuals coach Nathan Orta, who spent most of the game criticizing the referee, was quick to put it out of his mind once the game ended.

“It’s just about being out in Colorado in the summer and enjoying beautiful weather and beautiful football,” he said. “You play the soccer game and because there’s a lot of other games going on, you can sit and watch other games. You can sit and have a little barbecue — it’s just a beautiful day to be out.”

A total of 278 participants raced in the State Games of America triathlon Aug. 1 at Memorial Park. Photo by Kevin Kreck