Futsal/Indoor Soccer World News
December 26, 2001

NORTH AMERICA

MISL TO MERGE WITH WISL
The Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) announced on Dec.
19, that it will merge with the World Indoor Soccer
League (WISL) to form a single coast-to-coast entity
beginning in the 2002-03 season. The merger marks the
first time since 1983 that the sport has featured a
single professional league. The WISL´s Dallas Sidekicks,
San Diego Sockers and St. Louis Steamers have all agreed
to join the MISL as founding members and will begin play
during the 2002-03 campaign, while future of the remaining
WISL franchises (Utah Freezz, Sacramento Knights) has yet
to be determined. The MISL, which is based in Westport,
Conn., currently has six active teams in the 2001-02
season: Baltimore Blast, Cleveland Crunch, Harrisburg
Heat, Kansas City Comets, Milwaukee Wave and Philadelphia
Kixx. The Detroit Rockers and Toronto Thunderhawks are
not currently active in the MISL, until they meet the
business and organizational standards set forth by the
Commissioner. For more information on the MISL-WISL
merger check www.misl.net.

SIDEKICKS CAPTURE WISL TITLE WITH TIEBREAKER WIN OVER SOCKERS
Prior to merging with the Major Indoor Soccer League
(MISL) next season, the World Indoor Soccer League
(WISL) concluded the 2001 campaign as the Dallas
Sidekicks captured the league's final championship
with a 2-1 victory over the host San Diego Sockers in
the mini-game tiebreaker on Dec. 22. The Sockers forced
the tiebreaker match after leveling the championship
series at 1-1 by posting a 5-4 win, in game two, over
the Sidekicks earlier in the evening. After the
10-minute mini-game tiebreaker ended tied at 1-1, Mexican
midfielder Armando Valdivia notched the game-winner in
sudden-death overtime for the Sidekicks. With the WISL
ceasing operations, the Sidekicks, Sockers and St. Louis
Steamers will renew their indoor soccer rivalries as
they join the MISL in the 2002-03 season.

2001 WISL Championship Final Series Results
Dec. 15
Dallas Sidekicks 6, San Diego Sockers 3 in Dallas
Dec. 22
San Diego Sockers 5, Dallas Sidekicks 4 in San Diego
Sidekicks win tiebreaker mini-game (2-1 ot)

U.S. FORWARD'S HAT TRICK LEADS COMETS PAST BLAST
U.S. Futsal National Team forward Wes Wade (9 goals,
13 caps) notched a hat trick to lead the Kansas City
Comets (7-8) of the MISL to a 22-21 victory over the
visiting Baltimore Blast (6-8) on Dec. 22. Wade's
three tallies, including the game-winner with 9:29
remaining, capped a fourth quarter seven-point comeback
to give the Comets the victory. In another match, the
Harrisburg Heat (6-8) posted a 12-6 road win over the
2001-02 MISL leading Philadelphia Kixx (9-4) on Dec. 22.

CANADA DEFEATS OTTAWA WIZARDS IN EXHIBITION MATCH
Canada's Futsal National Team concluded 2001 with a 6-4
victory over the Canadian Professional (outdoor) Soccer
League Champions Ottawa Wizards in an exhibition match
played at the Centre Pierre-Charbonneau in Montréal,
Québec on Dec. 22. Midfielder Gabriel Gervais led the
offense notching two goals, while defender Patrick Leduc,
forwards Justin Coelho, Kyt Selaidopoulos and midfielder
Djamel Laarabi each added a tally in the win for Canada.
The Canada-Ottawa match was followed by Sélection Haiti
topping Sélection Peru 9-4 in the nightcap.

EUROPE

GREECE SWEEPS CYPRUS IN TWO-GAME SERIES
Greece's Futsal National Team swept a two-game international
friendly series over visiting Cyprus on Dec. 21-22.
Both games were played at the Sport Hall in Vrilissia,
Greece as Cyprus was outscored 13-7 in the twin-bill.
Greece took the first game 6-2 on Dec. 21, and then
completed the sweep the next day (Dec. 22) with a 7-5
win. Greece will now host a four-nation tournament in
Athens from Jan. 8-11, 2002 that includes France Hungary
and Ukraine.

PORTUGAL TO HOST 2001-02 UEFA FUTSAL CUP
UEFA announced on Dec. 20, that Portugal will host the
first UEFA Futsal Cup from Feb. 25 - Mar. 3, 2002. The
Portuguese Futsal Federation will determine at a later
date the venue for the UEFA clubs tournament. The
eight-team competition will have two groups of four
competing in the first round. The top two clubs from
each group will advance to the semifinals. The semifinal
winners will meet for the 2001-2002 UEFA Futsal Cup on
Mar. 3.

2001-02 UEFA Futsal Cup - Qualified Clubs
Action 21 Charleroi (Belgium)
AS Roma RCB (Italy)
Clearex Chorzow (Poland)
CSO Montage Budapest (Hungary)
MNK Kaskada Gracanica (Bosnia Herzegovina)
MNK Split 1700 (Croatia)
Playas de Castellón (Spain)
Sporting C.P. (Portugal)

CZECH REPUBLIC ANNOUNCES 2001 AWARD WINNERS
The 2001 Czech Republic Futsal Award Winners were
announced on Dec. 20, with midfielder Roman Mares,
leading the way, taking "Player of the Year" honors.
Mares, who was part of the Czech Republic Futsal
National Team at the 2001 UEFA Championships last
February, splits his playing time with the clubs Pramen
Havlíèkùv Brod (Czech Republic) and Dina Moscow (Russia).
Also winning awards were Michal Striz (Head Coach -
Czech Republic), as "Coach of the Year," while Petr
Krayzel earned "Goalkeeper of the Year" accolades. The
national team 'keeper led Cigi Caga Jistebník to the
2001 Czech Futsal Cup.

ITALY GOES WINLESS IN TRIP TO POLAND
After a strong showing at the 2001 Singapore Tiger 5's
Tournament, Italy's Futsal National Team went winless
in a two-game international friendly series against the
host Poland on Dec. 18-19. Poland took the first game
8-5 in Legnica on Dec. 18, while the second match ended
in a 3-3 draw in Glogów the next day (Dec. 19).

PERU

BOCA JUNIORS WINS SECOND STRAIGHT TORNEO INTERNACIONAL
DE FUTSAL INTERCLUBES
For a second consecutive time, Boca Juniors of Argentina
won the Torneo Internacional de Futsal Interclubes held at
the Estadio Deporcentro Casuarinas in Lima, Peru from Dec.
11-15. The six-team tournament, organized by Promociones
Deportivas Ilimitadas, saw Boca Juniors defeat Chepita
Royal of Peru in the finals 3-0 on Dec. 15. Prior to
the championship, Boca Juniors hammered Sao Paulo of
Brazil 9-1 in the semifinals on Dec. 14. The Argentinean
club, which won the first-ever Torneo Internacional
Interclubes in early 2001, began first round play with
back-to-back victories over Atlético Peñarol of Uruguay
(4-0) on Dec. 12, and then Chepita Royal (6-2) on Dec.
13. For more information check the Futsal Peru website
at www.futsalperu.com.

II Torneo Internacional de Futsal Interclubes 2001
Group A (GP, W-L-T, GF:GA, PTS)
Boca Juniors-ARG (2, 2-0-0, 10:2, 6) *
Chepita Royal-PER (2, 1-1-0, 8:8, 3) *
Peñarol-URU (2, 0-2-0, 2:10, 0)

Group B (GP, W-L-T, GF:GA, PTS)
Deporcentro-PER (2, 2-0-0, 7:1, 6) *
Sao Paulo-BRA (2, 1-1-0, 8:4, 3) *
Espe-ECU (2, 0-2-0, 1:11, 0)

*Advance to Semifinals

First Round
Dec. 11
Chepita Royal 6, Peñarol 2
Deporcentro 4, Espe 0

Dec. 12
Boca Juniors 4, Peñarol 0
Deporcentro 3, Sao Paulo 1

Dec. 13
Boca Juniors 6, Chepita Royal 2
Sao Paulo 7, Espe 1

Semifinals
Dec. 14
Chepita Royal 8, Deporcentro 6
Boca Juniors 9, Sao Paulo 1

Placement Matches Dec. 15
Fifth Place
Peñarol 5, Espe 2

Third Place
Deporcentro 8, Sao Paulo 5

Championship
Boca Juniors 3, Chepita Royal 0



Information was researched and compiled by Steven
Torres, who is currently the P.R. Coordinator/Futsal
Press Officer at the United States Soccer Federation.

Futsal is a sport that is a derivative of soccer and
played with five-man teams on a basketball style court,
with no walls and a low bouncing ball, unlike the
traditional sport of U.S. indoor soccer played with
six-man squads and walls. Great soccer superstars such
as Pele, Zico, Ronaldo and Diego Maradona grew up playing
the game and credit Futsal with developing their skills.
FUTSAL® is a registered trademark of the United States
Futsal Federation.