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New Zealand's first soccer team at a Homeless World Cup has taken a battering in two of its first three games, in a tournament tinged with sadness for the Kiwis.
The "Street Whites", who have all been homeless some time in the past two years, lost 3-8 to Ethiopia when the event opened in Melbourne on Monday, and lost 3-9 to Hungary yesterday. But they beat Sweden 12-5.
A record 56 countries are taking part in the unique week-long event in which four-person teams play 15-minute games on small 22m x 16m courts marked out on paved city squares.
New Zealand has never taken part before because all previous Homeless World Cups have been in the Northern Hemisphere. This time Air New Zealand has flown eight team members, two reserves, a coach and a manager to Melbourne, Canterbury has provided uniforms and adidas has supplied boots.
New Zealand is now fourth-equal with Ethiopia in its six-country group, behind Poland, England and Hungary and ahead of Sweden. They risk being knocked out of the tournament when they play Poland and England today.
Lesley Mynett-Johnson of the Methodist Mission's Lifewise service said the Kiwis' five players from Auckland and three from Wellington had only one weekend's training together at Otaki last month before flying to Melbourne on Sunday.
Former soccer international Wynton Rufer and ex-All Black Norm Hewitt provided training and inspiration.
Team member Everitt Johnson, who has been living rough in Auckland in the past 11 months, wrote in a blog last week that the Street Whites would wear black armbands in Melbourne in memory of Auckland City Mission social worker Gail Denton, who died suddenly on November 10 aged 56.
City Missioner Diane Robertson said Ms Denton worked at the mission for 11 years.
"At Gail's funeral last week there was a huge turnout of ex-staff members of the City Mission and a lot of clients of the City Mission because she was just a fantastic worker who worked with a range of people and was held in incredibly high esteem," Ms Robertson said.
"I think people showing that mark of respect for her [in Melbourne] is wonderful."
