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Inside the Philippines’ amazing Street Child World Cup run

For Enzo Pinga, there was one small detail that made him realize that the 2014 Street Child World Cup in Rio was no ordinary football tournament.

“Only in this tournament do you see both teams celebrating one team's goal. It happened more than once, where one team scores and both teams celebrate together” said Pinga, one of the Philippine team's assistants. “You don't ever see that anywhere else.”

“It might sound like a cliché, but in the end everyone was a winner. Even in the awarding, it didn't feel like Tanzania (the boys' champs) came out on top and the other teams came out empty-handed. ”

Pinga, who also plays for Team Socceroo in the UFL, planed in from Rio on Tuesday and went straight to Emperador stadium to watch his club draw Pasargad 1-1. At halftime he was able to share tidbits from Philippine teams' fortnight in Brazil which saw the girls finish second to the hosts and the boys reach the quarterfinals.

There were no shortage of heroes for both teams. Agot, the girls' team's striker, won the girls tournament's Golden Boot Award as the top goalscorer. Angelica, at thirteen probably one of the youngest girls in the tournament, “bossed the midfield” according to Pinga. Mylene from Davao anchored the team's defense and came back from an ankle injury in the semi to play in the 1-0 final match loss to Brazil, the highlights of which can be viewed here. The Pinays went undefeated in the group stage up to the final, including a 6-0 rout of England.

(The Fairplay For All Foundation, which managed the team, prefers to withhold the last names of the players for privacy purposes.)

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The boys were spearheaded by Avin, a speedy attacker from a Gawad Kalinga community in Metro Manila, and Ronald, a defender from Leveriza Football Club. Benjamin, the team's goalkeeper, also shone, being adjudged Man of the Match twice, including the Philippines' 4-0 loss to Burundi.

The boys bowed out in the quarters, losing to Pakistan 3-2 in a penalty shootout after extra time saw the teams deadlocked at 1-1. Only three kickers were stipulated under tournament rules instead of the usual five, and while the South Asians found the back of the net on all their tries, the Pinoys missed the goal frame on one kick. The Pinoys could take solace in the fact that they were the only team to beat eventual champs Tanzania. They topped them in the group stage, 2-0.

The second SCWC is meant to raise awareness about the plight of street children from all over the world, while giving these kids an unforgettable time. For the Filipinos, it was all that and more.

“For the kids it was pretty much a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Aside from the Football, there were a lot of things to keep them busy” explained Pinga.

“It was a really busy schedule. By the end of each day the kids were knocked out.”

The Cup was mostly held in the grounds of the sprawling Lonier Hotel, which has several Football pitches. Aside from the matches, there were conferences, art sessions, music sessions, and plenty of opportunities to socialize with the street kids from all over the world. The teams were housed in dorms that could accommodate up to ten squads.

The conferences with the other kids, where they could share their life stories, were especially cathartic.

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“They could get all this negative energy out of them and share it with the rest of the team and the kids from the other countries as well” said Pinga. Many of the Filipinos had gone through some very harrowing times in their lives on the street. One Filipina player grew up scavenging for a living in the Payatas dumpsite, and another was raised in a shack in a cemetery.

Art was another outlet for the kids. Pinga says that all of the teams created artwork that depicted their struggles, as well as solutions that they themselves came up with. Apparently, the Philippine artwork will be presented as a gift to President Noynoy Aquino.

The kids also ventured outside the hotel to visit Rio's iconic Maracana stadium as well as the famous Christ the Redeemer statue. The teams also dropped by the Vigidal favela (slum area), which may have had a seedy past but has now gentrified into a trendy community that celebrates the arts. It even offers spectacular views of the sea.

The kids participated in some arts, theater, and dancing exercises with a cultural association called Nos do Murro in Vidigal. Nos do Murro had a facility there that included a small football pitch, playgrounds, and a basketball court.

“Every city should have one of these” remarked a very impressed Pinga.

The girls team became very close to the Brazilian team they would lose to in the final. Pinga said that the two sides hung out a lot and engaged in “playful girly things” that transcended the language barrier between them.

The boys, on the other hand, made fast friends with the South Africans, who spoke English well, and the Nicaraguans, who did not.

Natually, it wasn't just friendship that blossomed in Rio. One Filipina girl appeared to grow rather close to an English-speaking Egyptian player, while a Filipino boy and an Egyptian girl appeared to fall hard for each other.

“You'd just see them together smiling at each other all the time” said Pinga with a chuckle. The girl spoke only Arabic.

Pinga had nothing but praise for the indefatigable Roy Moore, who not only coached both teams, but took on many other tasks as well.

“You have to give it to Roy. He did almost all of the work. Getting the sponsors, doing the paperwork. It was a monumental task. During the tournament he was doing the press releases too. Roy hardly had any time for himself.”

Meanwhile Pinga was charged with chaperoning and translating for the kids, handling media requests and churning out updates on social media.

For sure, the players will cherish memories of their time in Brazil.

“It came out in the conferences that this is one of their biggest achievements in life. Getting selected and representing the Philippines in Brazil” recounted Pinga.

“Everyone has experiences to share and great stories to tell.”

Follow Bob on Twitter @PassionateFanPH. Check out Fairplay for All Foundation's Facebook page here.

Special thanks to the sponsors of the team, AgriNurture, Witsenburg Natural Products, Globe Telecom, Bootcamp, and The Camp.