23 August 2013 - The Philippine Team in the 2013 Poznan Homeless World Cup scored five wins in this year’s football tournament.

The team’s coach Mr. Rudy del Rosario informed Philippine Ambassador to Poland Patricia Ann V. Paez on August 21 that the team won over South Korea (4-2), Canada (3-1), Greece (6-5), Finland and India.

Initially, the Philippines tied with in its separate games with Finland and India (both at 3-3) but Philippine team member Mr. Juan Paolo Santos scored the winning goal in the tie-breaker penalty shootout in the match against Finland and India. Mr. Santos is 18 years old and is with the  orphanange Manila Boys’ Town.

Coach del Rosario also said that the teams from Finland, Romania and England became good friends with the Philippine team that the members of these country teams would always cheer on the Philippine team in all its games when the se three country teams were not playing. Ambassador Paez herself witnessed the Finnish team chanting “Philippines!” when she watched the Philippine team’s game against Austria.

The Philippine team arrived in Warsaw and were welcomed by Ambassador Paez, Attaché Ariel Gonzales and Mr. Edwin Gonzales at the Warsaw Central train station. After breakfast, they all proceeded to the Philippine Embassy where the Philippine team sang “Bayani Ka,” which coach del Rosario himself composed for the team which competed in the 2010 Rio de Janeiro Homeless World Cup.

It was made into a music video directed by Mr. Manny Magbanua, Jr. featuring the past lives of the 2010 Philippine  team members as street vendor, jeepney “barker,” shoe shine boy, newsboy, garbage collector, loafer, etc. before they were recruited and trained to play football for the Homeless World Cup in Rio.

After checking into their hotel, the Philippine team went on a city tour of Warsaw, including visits to Old Town and to the Royal Castle, followed by a Chinese lauriat dinner where an advance birthday celebration for Daryl Fernandez was held (his birthday is tomorrow, 21 August) and a drop-by at Zapiekce for pierogi and more photo-taking.

The Philippine team is due to leave Warsaw this afternoon for Manila via Dubai. END