2022 World Cup

In 2008 Dave Bidini accompanies Homeless Team Canada to the Homeless World Cup in Melbourne, Australia. As he watches team members play and shares their disappointments, frustrations, joys, and triumphs, he comes to care deeply about the players—45-year-old Billy, who is a former addict; the quick-footed 24-year-old Moroccan immigrant Juventus, who refuses to talk about his past; and most of all, the endearing teenaged Krystal, who carries a photograph of her long-dead mother and dreams of a better life.

Bidini gets to know the other teams at the World Cup and describes the games themselves, culminating in the final between Canada and Malawi and a chance for the talented Krystal to join a soccer team in Holland. Bidini also begins to understand what this tournament means to people. He sees firsthand the power of sport to transform the lives of those on the edge—how the decision to play this game can mean the difference between survival or heading down a road of addiction, poverty, or crime. Home and Away offers a powerful look at the poor and dispossessed, and illuminates the renewed meaning that these homeless players find in the beautiful game.

This lively illustrated survey captures the spirit of the sport that has entranced fans across the world. A celebration of the players and soccer's rich history, the book contains in-depth profiles coaches and reps as well as world-renowned North American athletes like Mia Hamm and Brandi Chastain (U.S.); Christine Sinclair and Kara Lang (Canada); Birgit Prinz (Germany); Sun Wen (China); as well as anecdotes, stats, and schedules. It also covers the teams, from more than 130 countries, from such perennial powerhouses as the U.S. and China to emerging headliners from Brazil and Japan. Here too are the international competitions, the Olympic Games and the Women's World Cup, that have served as proving grounds for these athletes and their teams. The book includes highlights from the history of the sport, from the first golden age of modern women's soccer in the late 19th century to the spectacular triumphs of professional players in worldwide competitions at the end of the 20th century.