The Philippines hold strong in the first round of the 2011 Homeless World Cup
August 25, 2011
The Philippines team is doing well in the early stages of the 2011 Homeless World Cup. They, along with 23 other teams, have advanced to the second group stage after defeating Croatia eight to five in Paris, France, The Inquirer reports.
The Filipino team has also defeated Switzerland (8-2), America (4-3) and Ghana (3-2) during the first round of matches that took place over eight days at the Champs de Mars. These victories solidified the Filipino team's place in the next round, even though the Netherlands defeated them 2-5.
The Homeless World Cup is not a tournament for professional players. Rather, the teams consist of people who are actually homeless and otherwise excluded from society to give them the chance to represent their countries and change their lives. The tournament's website states that after the event, an average of 73 percent of the players go on to quit drugs, get jobs, pursue their educations and reunite with their loved ones. Some players even wind up as players and coaches for professional and semi-professional teams.
Football fans can use international calling cards to make calls to the Philippines to talk about the games as they unfold. Last year, the team finished 22nd out of 55 countries, but they might finish higher this year.