We all have our dreams, some of which we feel we might never be able to realise. It could be a bigger house or a nice car, but it can also be something we want to see changed in our surroundings. Sons of Ben is a documentary which tells the story of a couple of men who had a dream which seemed impossible: To make sure there town had a soccer team which would play in the National League. There was only one problem, the town didn’t even have a team which could enter and they weren’t planning on playing themselves.
When MLS (Major League Soccer) started there wasn’t a team from Philadelphia and the people living there didn’t want to be supporting a team from New York or DC. Over some beers they started brainstorming and the name Sons of Ben was thought up (which also describes “what others think of Philadelphia fans” when you shorten it according to one of the founding members) and a logo were created. Their first goal was to mobilise fan hood. How do you get people to support a team which doesn’t exist yet?
They kept going at it though and started gaining traction and doing interviews for the big stations and magazines, steadily growing their numbers. Would they be able to realise their dream?
As I’m personally not a fan of football (or soccer as it is called in the US) I didn’t know the story of the Sons of Ben, but this documentary gives a complete rundown of what they have done. It is a compelling one, a story of deep passion and drive, but also the necessary drama and personal stories. It’s clear from the interviews that these men are passionate about soccer and want to cheer for a team they can call their own.
The film has been edited well, slowly revealing the various events. It has a story arc which keeps you interested, cheering for this group and feeling their disappointment when their dream seems to shatter. You don’t need to be a fan of the sport to be entertained and moved by their struggle to realise their dream. A good documentary manages to make you care, even if the subject matter is something you are normally not interested in. In that respect the Sons of Ben goes for its goal and scores.
