Homeless Soccer Tournament Kicks Off

The 2009 Street Soccer USA (SSUSA) Cup kicked off in Washington, DC at the Washington Kastles stadium. The tournament consists of 16 teams, all comprised of homeless individuals, ranging from New York City to Los Angeles. Some of the teams have been practicing several days a week in order to prepare for the tournament, while others have never played as a unit before. The Finals are played Sunday afternoon at the Kastles stadium, and the winning team receives the Leonsis Trophy which is named after Ted Leonsis, a sponsor of the SSUSA Cup. The top eight players in the tournament showing tremendous leadership, sportsmanship, and skill, will be chosen to represent the USA in the Homeless World Cup. Forty-eight countries will send national teams to the Homeless World Cup this September in Milan, Italy. The organizers provide employment opportunities to those who havent proved lucky by this tournament.