PHILADELPHIA -- During Bawitha Tlings tumultuous journey fleeing war and forced labor under Myanmars dictatorship -- first to a Malaysian refugee camp, and eventually to Philadelphia -- one of the few constants in his life was soccer.We played every day in our country at school ... in recess time or after school, Tling said. I came here, and play every day, every weekend. Soccer is my favorite way to relax myself, to escape depression.Tling, 18, now a business major at a community college, is one of around 800 players participating in a newly created soccer tournament for immigrants organized by the city of Philadelphia. The first match, between Vietnam and Mexico, is scheduled for Friday.The 32 teams represent countries from India to Ireland, Cambodia to Congo. In the months running up to the tournament, named the Unity Cup, theyve been practicing several times a week and holding dozens of friendly matches.Interest in the inaugural event was strong. Within five days of opening registration, all the team slots were taken, with captains delivering commitment letters by hand to the citys Office of Immigrant Affairs.There were people waiting outside the office before they opened at 8 oclock in the morning, said Bill Salvatore, Unity Cup organizer with the citys Department of Parks and Recreation. It was pretty intense.Philadelphias foreign-born population has been booming, growing from barely 100,000 in 1990 to over 200,000 this year -- about 13 percent of the population, according to a report by the Pew Charitable Trusts. Still, the citys professional soccer team, the Union, gets only a fraction of the attention showered on its football and baseball franchises.The Unity Cup championship will be held Nov. 5 at Citizens Bank Park, home of Major League Baseballs Philadelphia Phillies, and city officials expect at least 5,000 people to attend. The winning team will receive a trophy modeled on the National Hockey Leagues Stanley Cup, with names of the victors engraved each year.Organizers are planning an international festival in the stadiums parking lot, with food trucks, craft stalls and performances.The Unity Cup is the brainchild of Mayor Jim Kenney, who says he got his inspiration from the World Cup.Remember, soccer is in every neighborhood, said Kenney, the descendent of Irish immigrants fleeing famine. The trash talking and the competitions already started between Mexico and Italy, between the Irish and the Polish, the Germans are calling out the Senegalese -- I mean its awesome, its going to be fun.The teams arent restricted by nationality, either. The Indian team has players from Uzbekistan, Bangladesh, Morocco and Egypt -- giving Indian players a chance to build comradery with other immigrants, not just play against them.I really enjoy meeting new guys, forming new networks. The game is a really beautiful game for bringing people together, said Thorne Holder, a Trinidadian living in Philadelphia and the goalie for team Germany. Soccer is a team sport. I think thats what gives it its allure -- friends, friendship, common interests.Immigrants have long played soccer through grassroots organizations, but the Unity Cup appears to be the first immigrant soccer tournament organized by a government body in the country, according to city officials and U.S. Soccer, the countrys governing body of soccer.Demand has been so high that plans are already being drawn up for next year, with the potential for knockout preliminary rounds by continent -- Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas -- in order to accommodate more teams. The city envisions the Unity Cup will become a yearly event, Salvatore said.Players are enthusiastic about the chance to chat with people from ethnic enclaves all over Philadelphia whom they never would have met otherwise.Its like family, said Indian team captain Matthew Varughese, an engineer who moved to the U.S. as a child. Were not competing for money ... Were like brothers. Its good, its fun, you know -- its family. Custom Mavericks Jerseys . Ashley Youngs cross was inadvertently headed by Chester into his own net in the 66th minute, allowing United to claim a third straight league win. "We had to dig deep with our fighting spirit and weve done that," United striker Wayne Rooney said. Mavericks Jerseys China . The defence is doing its part, too. 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WASHINGTON -- For the second time in four days, a right-handed pitcher with 15 wins will be scratched from making a start in the Beltway Series.Baltimore ace Chris Tillman (15-5, 3.76 ERA) was slated to start against the Washington Nationals in the finale of the two-city, four-game series.But Tillman went on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday with right shoulder bursitis. That came after Washington right-hander Stephen Strasburg was pulled from making a start Monday in Baltimore as he went on the DL with elbow concerns.The Orioles will start Ubaldo Jimenz on Thursday against Washington right-hander Max Scherzer, who is 13-7 with a 3.05 ERA. Jimenez is 5-10 with a 6.94 ERA in 22 games (18 starts).We think he is the best option, Orioles manager Buck Showalter said of Jimenez, who began the season in the rotation but was removed due to ineffectiveness. Everyone has a choice. A lot of things factor in.Hes probably the most equipped. Hes pitched well here and against these guys. We looked at our options and felt like he was worthy of getting another opportunity. Actually, it probably makes our bullpen work a little better, too, the other four days.Have the Orioles considered using Vance Worley, a long reliever, as a starter this year?A guy who can give you long innings in the American League is extremely important. It allows you to keep your bullpen healthy, Showalter said. And when you dont have a maneuverable bullpen with options and stuff, youve got to do it from within.Jimenez was signed to a four-year contract as a free agent prior to the 2014 season.He hasnt started for us in a long time, Showalter said. We felt he was the one.It will be a tough test against Scherzer, who may be want to be careful against Baltimore center fielder Adam Jones.Jones is 11-for-22 against the right-hander, and three of those hits are home runs. Scherzer is 8-3 with a 2.32 ERA in his last 15 starts and is 4-2, 3.81 in eight career starts against the Orioles.Jimenez doesnt havee much of a track record against Washington hitters.ddddddddddddBen Revere is hitting .333 in 12 at-bats against the right-hander while Daniel Murphy is 3-for-11 with one homer. Revere did not start Wednesday in a 10-8 loss to the Orioles but came off the bench and hit a pinch-hit double to left in the seventh.Chris Davis is hitting .381 with one homer in 21 at-bats against Scherzer.Jimenez will have to deal with Washington center fielder Trea Turner, who had singles in his first four at-bats Wednesday to give him eight hits in a row. That tied a Montreal/Washington franchise record as Andre Dawson had eight hits in a row in 1983 for the Expos. He also made a diving catch for the first out of the game on the warning track in center.That was big. He just outran that ball, Washington manager Dusty Baker said. Treas been playing great. He had a great night at the plate. Hes also a very determined young man. That determination and youthful exuberance I think has rubbed off on the team.Turner was finally retired for the first out in the top of the ninth Wednesday. Later in the inning, Murphy hit a grand slam to make it 10-7 and Anthony Rendon had an RBI double to make it 10-8 before Zach Britton got the final two outs to nail down the win.The Nationals have lost four straight.Physical puts wear and tear on your body and mental puts wear and tear on your mind, Baker said. If youre bodys weak and your mind is strong, that makes your body strong. Like I said, these guys showed a lot of mental strength tonight because they could have just rolled over and just wrote the game off, but they didnt. We were a hit away from walking away with that game, and that would have been probably one of the greatest comebacks of all-time because I talk to them all the time about the old comeback, and that was almost the old comeback, so well get there. ' ' '