Courtesy: Guam Pacific Daily News


Futsal quickens the pace

Looking to watch something intense and fast-paced? Head down to the Guam sports complex gym, where you will find the 2011 Bud Light Women's Futsal League going on.

The league started June 26 and will have games every Sunday until Sept. 11. All the games will be played at the gym.

According to Guam Football Association's website, futsal on Guam was started by the women's football committee a few years back. Initially, the league was comprised of six teams from the women's adult outdoor league. It has now grown to nine women's clubs: Orange Crushers; dck Masters; Subaru WRX; Pretzelmakers Bombers; Guahan.com; Lady Strykers; Quality Distributors; Guam Shipyard; and Hyundai.

Futsal, more commonly known as indoor soccer, is a "much faster-paced game, you get more touches on the ball, and it helps improve your first touch and dribbling skills" said Kristin Thompson, captain of the Orange Crushers.

According to the website futsal.com.au, a futsal ball has low-bounce qualities and therefore spends more time on the floor, which allows football players to practice ball control and other skills. Additionally, because indoor courts are much smaller than the regular field, futsal demands quicker and more versatile players.

Rhoda Bamba, who plays for the dck Masters, said, "The main concept of the game is the same (as soccer) ... but it requires more control. You have to be skilled in controlling the ball, your footwork has to be more precise and your passing has to be right on."

Futsal.com.au emphasizes that futsal is a safe sport, as slide tackling is not allowed, which limits players from jumping and bounding, thus putting less stress on players' knees and ankles.

"There's less contact and there's no shoulder-to-shoulder charges," Bamba added.

Her teammate, Christine Simard, began playing futsal in Guam last season.

"I like that it's a quick pace. You need to have better skills, ... but it's fun. ... You have a small target and you can shoot from way back," Simard said.

When asked if she would recommend futsal to others, Simard replied, "Sure, if you have experience with soccer and you're better in small spaces. ... It improves your skills and handling. ... It's something you can do off-season, something different."

Whisper Dela Cruz, who has been playing soccer since she was in high school and now plays futsal for Guahan.com, added, "I love it! It's quick, fast-paced, different, and it's not in the sun."




Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com