Courtesy: The Record


Young players heading to Puerto Rico showcase

Jan 24, 2017

by Justin Fauteux

For most athletes, the chance to play in an international competition is a rare opportunity.

Playing abroad at nine years old? Now, that's something even rarer. But a group of local soccer players will be living out that opportunity this weekend.

The under-10 IFA Madridistas, a Waterloo Region-based branch of the International Futsal Academy, will be the lone Canadian team at the Global Premier Soccer Caribbean Showcase in Puerto Rico.

The squad, mostly made up of nine-year-olds and a few players who just turned 10, isn't quite sure what to expect from the competition at the international tournament, but the team's head coach, Sean Holmes, says his young players can't wait to get down there.

"They're full of excitement but tons of nervous energy, too," said Holmes. "It'll be tough, for sure. I'm sure the first game will be a bundle of nerves until they open up a little bit. It'll definitely be a great experience."

The team that includes players from Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge took shape in September 2016. A few of the players had previously played together in other programs.

The Madridistas play futsal, a version of soccer played on a smaller field with a smaller ball and slightly different rules to the standard game. In contrast to the 11-on-11 game, futsal can be played with anywhere from three to seven players a side.

"It's highly technical," said Holmes, explaining why futsal can be good for the development of a young soccer player. "It's really our grassroots training, getting them to learn how to control and move the ball around quickly.

"It's a tighter environment that really focuses on skill set. If they can make it work in the small-sided game, playing on the big field comes easy."

In Puerto Rico, the matches will be played seven-on-seven with 30-minute halves, a slight change from the 25-minute halves the Madridistas usually play.

The players will adjust to some rule changes such as playing with offsides and a ban on headers — a rule instituted after a child in the U.S. was injured heading the ball last year. They will also have to deal with the Puerto Rican heat.

Holmes is confident his team will adjust quickly. He says the group has come together quickly in a few short months, showing great team chemistry, not to mention a ton of talent.

"They're fun to watch, for sure. They can pull off trick moves, they're really confident on the ball, they can really handle one-on-ones. Defensively, they'll put everything in front of the ball.

"When kids that size can move the ball and play the way they do, it's really remarkable."

At the tournament in Puerto Rico, the Madridistas will find themselves in a pool with two Puerto Rican teams and the possibility of taking on a squad from the U.S. Virgin Islands. They'll have to finish first in their group to qualify for the championship game.

The U10 IFA Madridistas are: Parker Andrade, Kaden Callaghan, Kieran Callaghan, Daniel DeSousa, Jinoi Garcia, Owen-Dillon Holmes, Damian Paul, Luca Scirgalea, John-Ryan Sexton, Emerson Stolper, Logan Todoroff and Luca Viola. They are coached by John Callaghan, Sean Holmes and Jason Stolper.



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