Futsal World Cup [R]

[Guest Jeffery S.]

Spain retained the world title with a team not expected to do so well, after beating Italy 2-1 in the final on Sunday. Held in Taiwan, with poor publics and irritating local kids playing cheering sections in the stands. We were lucky to get a lot of games, not just Spain, on a new network of local public tv here in Spain.

The key match was the semi-final between Spain and Brazil, which ended 2-2 with Spain going through on penalties. Great quality match, Spain defending hard and building slowly, Brazil relying on long shots and quick attacks.

Italy was a bit of a surprise, but it should be remembered that 11 of the 14 on the squad were of Brazilian origin. Spain had one key Brazilian born player, goal scorer Marcelo.

In many ways Spain's success is due to the national league, best in the world, and a style that resembles Italy's in the outdoor game, not exactly catenaccio but controlled, good ball skills, and tough defence.

To their credit the States made quarter finals, a great result for them.

Let's hope that we do not continue with the ridiculous naming of Ongaro as national coach and the CSA sees fit to treat the game seriously, with a proper national futsal coach and real futsal players on the national side, not reconverted outdoor players. This is not done anywhere in the world anymore, and is insulting to the Canadians playing the game honestly and with dedication.

[beachesl]

Does anybody know if there are credible futsal programs or leagues in this country upon which to base a credible international futsal campaign?[?][?][?]

I got the impression, though it was only a vague one, that Ongaro got the go-ahead last winter because there were no other real credible options and CONCACAF wanted us to send a team. Hardly a serious approach (though playing even poorly in a preliminary qualifier in Panama, although we did win the opening leg, is hardly embarrassing) by the CSA, but what were the options? There are lots of "indoor soccer" board programs and teams in Canada, but it seems to me (albeit by extrapolation only) that reconverted outdoor players would be better for Futsal than those playing the North American boom-boom style (alien to many true soccer skills) played in hockey arenas.

Credible Futsal programs, now grabbing attention in England as a growing youth training method (especially with Clifford's Brazilian Soccer Schools), may be also be an important avenue in outdoor training and development in this subarctic country of ours, but I've heard very little of what is being done in this area.

Just thinking out loud.

[DJT]

Okay, so where was Sportsnet's coverage? As I said at the time, the press release was misleading -- they don't have rights to all those tournaments. (Not that I care so much about this tournament, because I've tried watching futsal and didn't like it, but I am interested in those other (outdoor) tournaments.)

[Guest Ed]

If the game used boards, I'd be all for Cdn representation. Otherwise, I'd rather see the beach football money go to the Cdn MNT, outdoor variety. Where exactly are these stalwart Cdn futsal players out there "playing the game honestly and with dedication"?

[Guest Jeffery S.]

I think we have heard about some serious competition in Quebec. My impression is simply that the CSA ignored them and went to Ongaro, as the general belief is that it is not a serious sport and you have to have some outdoor players in there to do the job.

I am surprised there were not complaints about the fiasco with Ongaro and the boys from Edmonton doing a job they have no idea about doing in the qualifying failure.

[Former Champ]

What is Futsal and why does anyone care? I may seem brash but I've never heard of or seen this sport anywhere until recently.

[beachesl]

quote:Originally posted by Current Champ

What is Futsal and why does anyone care? I may seem brash but I've never heard of or seen this sport anywhere until recently.

Futsal is a variety of indoor soccer (tho most of it is played outdor in submerged courts) that is very competitive in some countries. It incorporates as many of regular soccer rules as possible on a smaller surface, with necessary variations. It is apparently very critical in developing technical skills like ball possession and short passing. Most of the Brazilian greats, for instance, never stepped onto a grass field until they were picked up by clubs in their mid-teens, their skills having been honed in futsal matches (as well as on the street) before then.

We should care, buddy, because it may well be a way, if not the best way, for Canada to develop young players, especially given our long winters in most places. I was at a few elementary shcools in edmonton this week and saw from posters on the wall that it there are futsal clubs there. North Americans may prefer the boom-boom of "Indoor Soccer" played off the boards a la hockey, such as in the MISL, but such a variety does little to foster the skills needed to predominate on a real pitch. Your going to see Canada in a World Cup tournament in your life-time may depend on it's fuller introduction here.

See these excellent articles posted by Canuck Oranje on using Futsal to train kids:

http://www.futebolthebrazilianwayoflife.com/view.asp?ArticleId=9

http://www.futebolthebrazilianwayoflife.com/view.asp?ArticleId=13

For a fuller explanation of futsal, you could start here:

http://www.canadian-soccer.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5303

To conclude, here is an inciteful and insightful excerpt from a Post from Jeffrey ealrier this week about Futsal-type training:

"But getting back to skills. I have just enrolled by 5 year old in a school here in Barcelona, not one of the best, but a decent one. Senior team is close to promotion to Spanish 3rd division (4th tier).They train 75 minutes twice a week and play 5 on 5 in a futsal size field on Saturdays. Too young for official inter-club play. They never warm up or doing anything without the ball, in fact the first thing every kid does is get his own ball and dribbles around with it. Lots of passing and ball handling drills, even a bit boring. But they also have them working the ball behind the support foot, doing ups, heading, stepping on the ball and turning, what I would consider to be almost trick stuff for this age.

In games there are no long goal kicks, they have to pass out the ball to a defender, and no high balls are allowed, ball is always down if possible. For now all players on a team alternate as keeper, even little ones like mine. It is incredible to see them in their defensive zone passing the ball around to each other in short controls rather than hitting the ball forwards.

Discipline is excellent, all players shake all the coaches hands at the start and end of each practice, they put away equipment (cones, balls, etc). All dress the same, regulation practice wear, including socks. I am pretty happy about it, don't know though if this is much better than what kids get in Canada. In any case, what I do see the older kids getting, say from age 8-10 up, is a lot of tactical and positional play, movement off the ball, stuff like that. I think where Canada lags is in this area, how to move on the field effectively, ends up being learned too late."

[DoyleG]

quote:Originally posted by Jeffrey S.

I am surprised there were not complaints about the fiasco with Ongaro and the boys from Edmonton doing a job they have no idea about doing in the qualifying failure.

Or Keith Tozer and his boys from Milwaukee.

[Guest Jeffery S.]

quote:Originally posted by beachesl

Futsal is a variety of indoor soccer (tho most of it is played outdor in submerged courts) that is very competitive in some countries. It incorporates as many of regular soccer rules as possible on a smaller surface, with necessary variations. It is apparently very critical in developing technical skills like ball possession and short passing. Most of the Brazilian greats, for instance, never stepped onto a grass field until they were picked up by clubs in their mid-teens, their skills having been honed in futsal matches (as well as on the street) before then.

First off I think that what you say about Brazil technique is important, but any country with no decent fields and poverty is more inducive to a futsal type player, having to learn to step on the ball and hold off a defender, short passing game, and be ready to think before the ball comes. Ex-pat Brazilians are key on many national teams, like Italy, as I mentioned 11 of 14 of their players.

Just want to comment that to say futsal is a variation of indoor NA soccer is a bit backwards. The world plays futsal now and it is Canada that is lagging behind, once again, we are the soccer freaks. I personally prefer other sports to it, for me it does not give me the same boost as basketball or athletics or hockey. Meaning it must be a different game than the one I love.

If anyone was really keen to see a top level Spanish league game I'd send a video your way....Takers?

[beachesl]

quote:Originally posted by Jeffrey S.

I think we have heard about some serious competition in Quebec. My impression is simply that the CSA ignored them and went to Ongaro, as the general belief is that it is not a serious sport and you have to have some outdoor players in there to do the job.

I am surprised there were not complaints about the fiasco with Ongaro and the boys from Edmonton doing a job they have no idea about doing in the qualifying failure.

Well, there was some complaints, but the great majority of us had no idea what Futsal was last May:

here

There was some suggestion that there were supposedly good players in Montreal and ottawa left off, but nobody provided any details (and still hasn't) as to the programs there. Ongaro did go to scout players in Quebec in February

and here

and there was one on his roster.

I agree that we should not seriously compete in this sport until we have some competitive development, and we shouldn't have that until we direct enough resources to real football competitiveness. In the meantime, futsal seems a great way just to develop child and youth skills.

[Cheeta]

Not sure if I like the ideal of kids playing futsal or indoor for that matter. Great in that it allows for the players more opportunity on-the-ball and individuality but that's about it when it comes to simularities to the outdoor game. Just one small part of the formula. With such a short outdoor season in most parts of Canada, in some ways it may do more harm than good.

Do like futsal way more than indoor in some aspects. Indoor more than futsal in others. Maybe I'm just weird.

It dose bring variety or something fresh to the game, and that's allways a good thing as far as the wee ones are concearned.

[DoyleG]

Are you ready for some futsal???

There's a new game in town, and indoor soccer enthusiasts are loving it

Dan Carle

Freelance

Tuesday, January 13, 2004

EDMONTON - Futsal. It's an odd name for a game, and one you're not likely familiar with, but you or your kids may be screaming to play it soon enough. In short, there's a new game in town, a rage in the sports world, and Edmonton is ground zero in Alberta.

"In my opinion, futsal will at some point replace the indoor game as we know it because of the element of skill development and the lesser element of danger," says Barrie White of the Edmonton Interdistrict Youth Soccer Association.

The five-a-side game is played on hard indoor surfaces, similar sized to basketball courts, with no side walls in play and a heavier, less lively ball. The game has seized the soccer-playing public's fancy to the extent it is now played by some 25 million players worldwide.

"FIFA (international soccer's governing body) has recognized futsal as the only indoor sport," says Ross Ongaro, who coached the first Canadian men's futsal team to a surprise bronze medal at a December event in Anaheim.

Ongaro carries a large stick these days, banging the drum on behalf of the game that promotes skill development and is basically mini-soccer with no contact. "The nets are much smaller, there are no boards, the game is a small portion of the outdoor game ... with only 10 players on a field instead of 22."

White's Youth Soccer Association is the only group in Alberta currently offering futsal but he says he's received about 10 dozen calls from other sports groups and athletes looking for information.

"Last year, starting in November, we advertised just within our own program and we have 60 teams on the developmental aspect of futsal for the coming winter. Each team gets 10 games," said White.

"The game really promotes the use of skills. There are no boards, so the players keep the ball within the confines of the touchlines. We're finding the level of skill required is to a much higher degree than the indoor program," said White, a longtime local coach and administrator. He thinks by next year there could be as many as 100 teams playing locally.

In futsal, you can't be a goon.

"If you like to be rough and tough and be good in the air, this is not the game for you," Ongaro said.

"Any foul can be a red card and you're out of the game. When you accumulate fouls, like in basketball, you get a penalty shot," said Ongaro.

"So a dirty team will not survive in this game."

While futsal at the program level is new to Alberta and to a lesser degree Canada, the game itself has survived for some time. It began in Montevideo, Uruguay, in 1930 when a man named Juan Carlos Ceriani devised a five-a-side version of what is more commonly known the world over as football.

In Europe there are professional leagues with athletes dedicated to futsal full time. The actual term futsal comes from the Spanish or Portuguese word for "soccer," futbol or futebol, and the French or Spanish word for "indoor," salon or sala.

From a practical perspective, locals here are confident futsal will really catch on in an effort to keep soccer legs moving, rather than breaking, out there.

"We've had 14 broken extremities in the last year playing indoor soccer, and that's mostly because of the boards ... and the nature of the game. We haven't had one injury of any kind in futsal," White said.

"Insurance rates are going up due to litigation relative to indoor soccer."

The early returns are not only positive on the injury front. Athletes really seem to take to the game.

"Canadian kids grow up playing hockey, they play basketball, they play indoor soccer in gyms, they already have that concept (of the rules)," Ongaro said. "You have to be positional, you have to be technical ... you have to understand zone presses."

Ongaro, who played outdoors with the former Edmonton Drillers and also coached the indoor team of the same name, is quick to dispel the notion that futsal is somehow revolutionary.

"It is something that every outdoor coach has used in preparation for the outdoor game. Modified small-sided games. Every coach that I know has played small-sided games to keep things moving," he said. "You can identify the better players very quickly when they touch a ball more often.

"Outdoor soccer is basically a whole bunch of little futsal games going on within the game itself, and a team that is able to keep possession and move the ball from zone to zone normally is the better team."

White confirmed meetings with representatives of the two school boards in Edmonton to explore using their facilities for futsal.

"We're confident that by next year there will be approval," White said. "It's going to take a while to catch on for a number of reasons, political and otherwise.

"But the game is here to stay."

http://www.futsalplanet.com/news/news-01.asp?id=2313