Photos: International students, many refugees, come together through soccer

Paulos Gurmu from Ethiopia, left, Cesar Sesimit from Guatemala, Adam Kifle from Eritrea and Yonathan Melesie from Ethopia in a team-building exercise before soccer practice.   (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Eyuel Melisew, from Ethiopia, takes part in a May Day march from school to UC Berkeley.  (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Longuele Dieudonnee from Congo, left, Solomon Kamara from Liberia and other excited students participate in a May Day rally in the school cafeteria.   (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Graciela Bibiano from Mexico, center, shares a light moment with Aye Htoo, from Karen, during breakfast at Oakland International High School.  (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Soccer coach Ben Gucciardi, center, with his team at the end of practice.  (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Soccer players take a break. They have to practice on asphalt after losing access to a field they’d shared with another school.   (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Denis Escalante from El Salvador, left, and Ravis Mubiangata from Democratic Republic of Congo go at it in soccer practice on an asphalt surface.   (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Eritrean student Mical Tesfay, left, Colombian student Omar Benitez and Yemeni student Sakhr Sharafadin share a light moment.   (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Denis Escalante from El Salvador leaps to head a ball during soccer practice on asphalt.   (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Student leader Bolor Erdenebat started a petition drive for a new soccer field after Oakland International lost access to a field they’d shared with another school.   (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Dominic James Pablo from Guatemala, in face mask, and others gather in the cafeteria decorated with flags from the students’ home countries.  (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Bolor Erdenebat, right, and her sister Lkhagvasuren, who share a small room rented from another Mongolian family living in the apartment, watch as 5-year-old Mathew Eric jumps from the bunk bed in imitation of Spider-Man.   (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)