Courtesy: NJ.com


National title was always in Lazerz's scope

Saturday, August 22, 2009

by Mary Ann Tarr

There are a couple of Z's in their name, but there is nothing snooze-worthy about their game.

The game of choice for the Central Jersey Lazerz is futsal, and they play it so well they captured a national championship in the sport also known as five-a-side or mini-soccer.

"As much as I love soccer, I'd say futsal is my passion," said Lauren Ullmann of Princeton, a member of the U-14 team that won its division at the United States FUTSAL Federation national championships that took place July 9-12 in Baltimore.

FUTSAL is the international term used for the game that can be played indoors and out, without the use of walls and can be traced back to Uruguay in 1930. It is derived from the Spanish or Portuguese word for soccer -- futbol or futebol, and the French or Spanish word for indoor -- salon or sala. The term (especially as all-capital letters) was adopted by U.S. Futsal since it includes the initials USA.

Lazerz teammate Lauren Budzinski of Robbinsville enjoys it so much that a two-hour futsal practice session goes by much quicker than expected on a Friday night.

"I can just keep practicing and practicing," Budzinski said. "It's over so quickly."

By nature and by design, futsal is a fast-paced game. The futsal ball is smaller than one used in outdoor soccer and is made with a low-bounce material that encourages it to stay on the ground, and the game is played on a gym surface about the size of most basketball courts.

All you have to do is ask Christian Sanje one question about the sport, and he is off and running as fast as a game of futsal.

"The game is faster than outdoor soccer, so it requires a great deal of skill and quickness," said Sanje, a former NY/NJ Metro Stars player. "The speed of the game forces players to make quicker decisions on the ball as they don't have much time before they are pressured by an opponent. (Less players on the field) allows for more quality touches on the ball, further improving their skill and confidence."

Budzinski, who will begin her sophomore year at Robbinsville High next month, is a newcomer to futsal and already is devoted to the sport that has played a key role in her progress in outdoor soccer.

"The sport is faster-paced (than soccer) and is in a tight area, so you use your ball skills," said Budzinski, a forward in futsal and a midfielder/defender in soccer. "It helps my footwork a lot, because you get the ball a lot more, and you have to have faster feet. All of this absolutely applies to the outdoor game."

Ullmann, a goalie, also credits futsal in her evolution as a soccer player.

"Even me, as a goalie, I kind of direct the team, because I see everything," said Ullmann, who will soon begin her freshman year at Princeton High. "In futsal, it's so fast-paced it has helped me control the field better, because I have to see everything faster.

"All the girls on the team have seen their footwork improve, and this can carry over into the outdoor game."

All of this is music to Sanje's ears.

"I suggest that every player who is really serious about learning the game of soccer take up futsal immediately," he said. "In South America, predominantly Brazil, it is the prerequisite to soccer. Brazil has won five World Cups -- more than any other country -- and has produced multiple FIFA players, both on the men's and women's sides. The best players have all started in futsal."

A former All-American high school player, Sanje brings his enthusiasm to every game and practice.

"He's really interactive; he jumps in and takes our training level a lot higher," Ullmann says.

"He's a phenomenal player," Budzinski says. "We always try to get the ball from him, four or five us, and we never could."

Sanje is almost as passionate about music as he is about futsal and soccer.

"I've started teaching the game to music, which helps my players relax and enjoy the training," said Sanje, who has coached for the MLS Red Bulls, Match Fit Academy, Manalapan Soccer Club and Piscataway Soccer Club where his teams earned prestigious tournament and league championships.

"The sessions are very intense leaving every player spent but happy at the same time."

And then the Lazerz can think about getting some zzz's.






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