Gallant Pinays settle for Second in Street Child World Cup

Karl Decena, InterAksyon.com

Team Philippines yielded a 1-nil result to host Brazil to settle for second place in the 2014 Street Child World Cup girls’ tournament finals on Sunday (Monday morning Philippine time) in Rio de Janeiro.

The result capped an impressive performance for the Filipinas, who swept their earlier matches against South Africa (9-nil), El Salvador (3-1), England (6-0), and Mozambique (1-nil) to reach the tournament final.

It also capped an impressive performance for Team Philippines, with its squad in the boys’ division reaching the quarterfinals but fell short to Pakistan in penalties.

Meanwhile, Tanzania clinched the boys’ tournament crown for the boys’ division after beating Burundi, 3-1.

The tournament, played in the same year as the FIFA World Cup, aims to gather street children around the world to have their voices and concerns heard through football.

PH girls rise from bottom to Street Child World Cup finals

By  Ryan Songalia

MANILA, Philippines - Three of them had worked in the garbage industry of Payatas as young children, scavenging through trash to support their family. One was born in a cemetery. Many had lost a parent while several have lost both. One was left homeless after her family's home burned down and had spent nights sleeping on the street.

They are Team Philippines, the group that has risen from extreme life difficulties to take the Street Child World Cup in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil by storm. In its second installment, the World Cup pits over 200 youngsters from 19 countries around the world as the premier football tournament for underprivileged youth.
While the boys squad fell short to Pakistan in the quarters, the girls team is gearing up for the finals against host country Brazil, which takes place Sunday, April 6 at 11 p.m. PH time.
The squads, comprised of 9 per team of kids ranging from ages 13-18, represent the most vulnerable segment of the population. Though their stories are diverse and life circumstances vary, they are bound together by one common battle cry: “I am somebody!”

"Each of them have their own story. It's a very mixed group, and that's great because it represents the different kind of street children and child laborers in the country," Roy Moore, coach of Team Philippines, tells Rappler.

(RELATED: Filipino youth will make their names at Street Child World Cup)
The girls' squad, which is the only one from Asia, has torn through their competition so far, beginning with a 9-0 rout of South Africa on April 1, followed by a 6-0 victory over England. Their 1-0 victory over Mozambique on Saturday earned them a spot in the finals.
"It should be a really good game," said Moore. "Brazil are a strong side and it's probably quite even. I don't think there's a favorite for the game now, so it will hopefully be the best game of the whole of the girls division in the Street Child World Cup."

More Rappler link

RP bags special trophy in Street Child World Cup

MANILA, Philippines - Both teams played their hearts out and with the score tied at a goal apiece at the end of regulation, the Philippines scored in extra time to edge the host country to win the consolation pool of the First Deloitte Street Child World Cup in Durban, South Africa over the weekend.

More Philstar

Philippines beat South Africa

Philippines beat South Africa 2-1 today and won Shield Final in Street Child World Cup !

India beat Tanzania 1-0 and are Steet Child World Cup Champions.

Philippines beat Ukraine

Philippines beat Ukraine 3-0 today in Shield Semifinal in Street Child World Cup in South Africa . They will meet South Africa who beat Brazil 2-1 in the other semifinal.

India face Tanzania in the main final.

Philippines beat Brazil !

MANILA, Philippines -- The Filipino booters finally lived up to their “Miracle Team” billing with a huge 6-2 upset of Brazil last Thursday in the Deloitte Street Child World Cup indoor football tournament in Durban, South Africa.

Shrugging off a 0-2 loss to Tanzania 2 days ago, the RP squad, led by coach Jess Landagan, worked like a well-oiled soccer machine, surging to a 4-1 halftime lead before scoring two more goals in the next period in wrapping up the monumental win in front of a roaring South African gallery.

It marked the first time that the Philippines beat Brazil, a world football power, at the international level.

The victory boosted the team, co-managed by Craig Burrows of Britain, into the shield competition after finishing the Group B preliminaries with a 1-2 win-loss slate.

“We prayed for a breakthrough for the RP ‘Miracle Team,’ and it was answered in a big way with this win over the Brazilians,” said co-manager Ed Formoso, who again thanked British charity Angus Lawon Memorial Trust for making the stint possible.

Formoso also cited the Henry V. Moran Foundation, which staged the tryouts that led to the formation of a competitive squad to the South African soccer fest.

“It seems that Tinikling footwork beat Samba footwork,” noted RP women’s team skipper Marielle Benitez, when informed of the historic triumph Thursday night.

Benitez, a member of the world-famous Bayanihan dance troupe, earlier gave the RP members lessons in the popular folk dance that requires nimble feet between two bamboo poles as part of the team’s off-pitch extracurricular activities.

The Philippines next plays Ukraine on Friday (Saturday in Manila) with the winner taking on the victor of the other Shield semifinals between host South Africa and Brazil for the Shield Cup on Friday.

ABS-CBN News

RP street children absorb 2nd loss

By FRANCIS SANTIAGO

The Philippines’ bid for a berth in the Final Four was dashed late Wednesday when the Tanzanian booters outplayed the RP street kids, 2-0, in Day 2 of hostilities in the 1st Deloitte-Street Child World Cup in Durban, South Africa.

With their second loss in as many outings, the RP street kids were eliminated from the race for the World Cup, but still have a chance to take home a trophy as they were relegated to a battle for the SCWC Shield.

Still reeling from their 4-2 defeat against the towering United Kingdom booters last Tuesday, the RP street kids played their hearts out anew but it proved not enough to topple the Tanzanians, who had earlier stunned superpower Brazil, 2-0.

According to team co-organizer Craig Burrows, who joined the team in South Africa, the Pinoy street kids were very much in contention most of the way as they only trailed 1-0 for most part of the game.

But in the final minute, the RP team made a serious last ditch effort to salvage a draw as even the goal keeper joined the attacking Pinoys.

The bold move, however, backfired as the Tanzanians saw wide opening at the other end, allowing them to easily score the goal that accounted for the final count.

“They (members of the team) are all crying over the loss. But then again, we still have a chance to win a trophy. Let’s just move on,” co-organizer Ed Formoso said in a text message.

With the defeat, the Philippines, alongside Brazil, which also absorbed its second defeat at the hands of the Britons, 4-0, late Wednesday, were relegated to the bottom two of Group A.

The Filipinos and the Brazilians will face the bottom two of Group B – which have yet to be determined – in the semifinals on Saturday for the SCWC Shield.

Group A topnotchers UK and Tanzania, on the hand, battle the top two in Group B also on Saturday for the semifinals of the World Cup.

The Philippines and Brazil, meanwhile, were set to face each other in a no-bearing match late Thursday at the close of the Group preliminaries.


Manila Bulletin

RP street children bow to Britons

Team Philippines gave the United Kingdom some hellish moments before bowing out, 4-2, at the start of the preliminaries in the 1st Deloitte-Street Child World Cup in Durban, South Africa.

But there was something to cheer about in the defeat as the Filipinos managed to earn respect from their taller and heftier rivals.

Dubbed as the “Miracle team” for beating several odds to form the squad, the RP street did not fold up easily as the underdog Pinoy kids proved they have plenty of firepower as well, firing back-to-back goals courtesy of MonMon Elona and Noriel Pideones to push the Filipinos within 2-3.

With less than two minutes left, the Pinoy kids, sponsored by British charity Angus Lawson Memorial Trust, went on full attack, but left their defenses wide open as the English settled the final count with another goal, 4-2.

With the loss, the Philippines now faces a must win situation in all its remaining games in Group A – against Tanzania this Wednesday at 9 p.m., and superpower Brazil on Thursday – to make the Final Four.

Other results saw India blasting South Africa, 4-0, and Nicaragua thumping Ukraine, 8-2.

Team India project manager Bal Singh lauded the RP team.

“It has been a privilege to be part of the Street Child World Championship. The one that stood out in all the games today was the Philippines. I love the attitude, mannerisms and the way they play football; the right way, pure skill and fantastic style which is how the game should be played. The entire team, officials, players and the Philippine nation should be proud of them.”

Danny Moran, former national player and president of the Moran Foundation, the foundation which prepared the team for this competition, said: “That’s a pretty good score. I don’t think you can find a Philippine team that can come up with as good a score against an English team. We’ll just keep praying for our team.”


Manila Bulletin

Street children need another ‘miracle'

The Philippines needs another miracle after being bracketed alongside world power Brazil in the 1st Deloitte-Street Child World Cup which starts this Sunday in Dunbar, South Africa.

The team is known as a “Miracle team” after beating several odds to form the team but against Brazil which considers football as a religion, it has to pull off another trick to advance to the next round.

Aside from Brazil, other members of Group B are Tanzania and Ukraine. Entered in Group A of the 7-a-side indoor event for street children are South Africa, India, Nicaragua, and the United Kingdom.

A novel feature of the tournament organized by Amos Trust is the inclusion of girls in the game. There must be at least one girl in the pitch at all times and if she scores, it will count for two points.

Though the Philippines is ranked way below by Fifa at 167th, team officials are optimistic it can pull off a big surprise.

“My partner Craig Burrows (team co-organizer) and I have agreed to dub this team the “Miracle Team.” Why? Perhaps because we believe that miracles have already started especially in the formation of this team,” Formoso said during the squad’s despedida party on Wednesday in Tuloy sa Don Bosco in Alabang, Muntinlupa.

The send off party took an emotional turn after some of the parents of the street children like Erlinda Gaerlan, John Robert’s mom, cried when she saw her son donning the country’s colors after six years of being separated.

Manila Bulletin