Two wins from three: The Germany team have had a successful start to the Homeless World Cup in Chile. After a 5-3 win against Costa Rica and a 9-5 win against Finland on Monday, manager Jiří Pacourek’s team were defeated 8-6 by Lithuania in the second match of the day. Germany will face Czech Republic in the last group match on Tuesday evening.
42 national teams will battle it out until Sunday on two pitches in the area surrounding the presidential palace in Santiago, Chile. The winners from last year, Chile, are looking to defend their title.
“Homeless World Cup” staged since 2003
The Germany team led the “Homeless World Cup 2014” opening parade through the sunny streets of Santiago at the weekend. Germany had “the most thorough preparation in the history of German street football.” After an international tournament in Breslau in June, the eight German players took part in a workshop in Dutch street football. Shortly before their departure to South America, the team also took part in a traditional training camp in Hamburg. HSV-captain Rafael van der Vaart was there to wish the team luck and give away shirts.
The “Homeless World Cup” has been staged since 2003 and is sponsored by UNO and UEFA. More than 200,000 homeless people from all over the world have taken part in the World Cup qualification stage since the start of the tournament eleven years ago in Graz.
Homeless “benefit by being allowed to represent their countries”
Studies have shown that around 80 percent of participants have improved their lives after the tournament, by not taking drugs, finding a place to live, landing a work placement or first job, or volunteering at a football club. “They benefit from their experience and are able to represent their country after completing a training camp,” said Mel Young, President and co-founder of the tournament.
Players are only allowed to take part in the “Homeless World Cup” once. Above all, it allows them to find a way out of poverty, isolation and drug addiction, which is a route that many others have the opportunity to follow as the teams are interchanged before every tournament.
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Two wins from three: The Germany team have had a successful start to the Homeless World Cup in Chile. After a 5-3 win against Costa Rica and a 9-5 win against Finland on Monday, manager Jiří Pacourek’s team were defeated 8-6 by Lithuania in the second match of the day. Germany will face Czech Republic in the last group match on Tuesday evening.
42 national teams will battle it out until Sunday on two pitches in the area surrounding the presidential palace in Santiago, Chile. The winners from last year, Chile, are looking to defend their title.
“Homeless World Cup” staged since 2003
The Germany team led the “Homeless World Cup 2014” opening parade through the sunny streets of Santiago at the weekend. Germany had “the most thorough preparation in the history of German street football.” After an international tournament in Breslau in June, the eight German players took part in a workshop in Dutch street football. Shortly before their departure to South America, the team also took part in a traditional training camp in Hamburg. HSV-captain Rafael van der Vaart was there to wish the team luck and give away shirts.
The “Homeless World Cup” has been staged since 2003 and is sponsored by UNO and UEFA. More than 200,000 homeless people from all over the world have taken part in the World Cup qualification stage since the start of the tournament eleven years ago in Graz.
Homeless “benefit by being allowed to represent their countries”
Studies have shown that around 80 percent of participants have improved their lives after the tournament, by not taking drugs, finding a place to live, landing a work placement or first job, or volunteering at a football club. “They benefit from their experience and are able to represent their country after completing a training camp,” said Mel Young, President and co-founder of the tournament.
Players are only allowed to take part in the “Homeless World Cup” once. Above all, it allows them to find a way out of poverty, isolation and drug addiction, which is a route that many others have the opportunity to follow as the teams are interchanged before every tournament.
