THE FUTSAL CORNER

by Steven Torres - CONCACAF Director of Information Services

Several CONCACAF teams have begun their preparations for next year’s Futsal Championship which will also qualify four nations to the FIFA Futsal World Cup Thailand 2012 … Here is a look at what they are doing …

CONCACAF TEAMS TO COMPETE IN 2011 GRAND PRIX DE FUTSAL: Costa Rica, Guatemala and USA will compete in the 2011 Grand Prix de Futsal in Brazil … This is first time three CONCACAF teams will take part in the seventh annual invitational tournament that will run from 17-23 October.

COSTA RICA TAKES TWO OF THREE AGAINST CUBA: Costa Rica played its first matches under newly appointed technical director Francisco Vallejo by winning two of three friendlies against the host Cuba at La Habana’s Polideportivo Kid Chocolate from 14-16 September … After losing for the first time to the Leones del Caribe in the opening encounter (5:0) on 14 September, the Ticos rebounded posting victories of 3:2 and 2:1 on 15 and 16 September, respectively.

USA HOLDS FIRST ID CAMP: The USA held its first player identification camp at South Coast Soccer City in Torrance, California from 12-15 September … Under the helm of Keith Tozer, 42 elite players from across the USA were invited for the four-day event at the state-of-the-art facility … The final selected players will return for the USA’s first official training camp scheduled for 24 September – 1 October.

GUATEMALA DROPS PAIR OF FRIENDLIES IN SPAIN: Defending CONCACAF champion Guatemala traveled to Spain and dropped a pair of friendlies to the host earlier this month … After losing the first encounter 10:0 at the Santander’s Palacio de los Deportes on 6 September, The Chapines, under technical director Carlos Eduardo Estrada, fought hard but came up short in the second encounter as they were beaten 4:3 by the Furia Roja at the Pabellón Peru Zuballa de Castro Urdiales in Cantabria the next day … It was the first time in five meetings against Spain that Guatemala loses by a single goal after being outscored 38-4 in the previous encounters.

Friendlies
06.09.2011: Santander, SPAIN; Palacio de los Deportes (A: 300)
SPAIN – GUATEMALA 10:0 (6:0)
LOZANO 7’, 23’; LIN 7’; AICARDO 12 dp; RAFA USIN 14’, 25’, 27’; MIGUELIN 17’; POLA 19’; TORRAS 38’

07.09.2011: Cantabria, SPAIN; Pabellón Peru Zuballa de Castro Urdiales
SPAIN – GUATEMALA 4:3 (2:1)
MIGUELÍN 5’; SERGIO 18’; RAFA USIN 22’; TORRAS 31’ - Miguel Angel SANTIZO 16’; Pablo Andres ESTRADA 33’; Gerson Giovanni MATTA 37’

14.09.2011: La Habana, CUBA; Polideportivo Kid Chocolate
CUBA – COSTA RICA 5:0 (3:0)
Fernando CHAPMAN 1’, 4’; OG (Erick BRENES) 8’; Jorge Yasser PEREZ 28’; Isven ROMAN 29’

15.09.2011: La Habana, CUBA; Polideportivo Kid Chocolate (A: 3000)
CUBA – COSTA RICA 2:3 (0:2)
Isven ROMAN 37’; Leonel STANLEY 40’ - Saulo CERVANTES 6’; Johan MIRANDA 8’; Jorge VILLALOBOS 29’
Sent offs: TD-Francisco VALLEJO (CRC) 38’

16.09.2011: La Habana, CUBA; Polideportivo Kid Chocolate (A: 3000)
CUBA – COSTA RICA 1:2 (0:2)
Reinier SOCARRAS 29’ - Daniel CARRERA 14’ dp; Jorge VILLALOBOS 15’




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