Futsal/Indoor Soccer World News
April 9, 2003

News and information on Futsal/Indoor Soccer from around the World

ASIA

JAPAN MEETS AUSTRALIA IN THREE-GAME SERIES
Japan’s Futsal National Team will travel to Australia to meet the host in a three-game international friendly series from Apr. 18-20, in Brisbane. This will be the first meeting between the two since Japan stunned Australia 2:1 at the 2001 Singapore Tiger 5’s International Tournament. The Japanese side will also face the Queensland Vikings of Brisbane twice from Apr. 19-20.

EUROPE

SIXTEEN TEAMS TO TAKE PART IN FC DYNAMIC EURO CUP 2003
Sixteen teams will take part in the Futsal Club Dynamic Euro Cup 2003 that will be held at the Kambergen Sports Center in Zelem, Belgium from Apr. 19-20. The teams have been divided into four groups of four in the first round. The top two finishers in each group will advance to the “Cup” quarterfinals, while the last two teams from each pool will go to the “Plate” quarters. Since the tournament’s inception in 1999, Tranmere Victoria of England captured the crown twice (1999 and 2001), while Noventa Y Quatro Utrecht of Holland took the title in 2002. For more information on the FC Dynamic Euro Cup
2003 check www.dynamichouthalen.cjb.net.

Futsal Club Dynamic Euro Cup 2003
in Zelem, Belgium – Apr. 19-20

Group A
ZVK Wimbledon Sint-Truiden (BEL)
Mediamonks Amsterdam (NED)
Litconfrig Stradeni (MDA)
Tranmere Victoria (ENG)

Group B
FC Camelot Chisinau (MDA)
ZVV De Zwaan Veldhoven (NED)
2 Vingers Enschede 2 (NED)
Kick-Off Kessel-Lo (BEL)

Group C
FC Dynamic Zelem (BEL)
Noventa Y Quatro Utrecht (NED)
Union 7 Zurich (SUI)
Portus 87 Porto (POR)

Group D
2 Vingers Enschede 1 (NED)
Scherpschutters Sch. (BEL)
Futsal Association Congolaise
St. Helena Island (South America)

ACTION 21 CHARLEROI TO BATTLE PLAYAS DE CASTELLON FOR 2002-03 UEFA FUTSAL CUP
Action 21 Charleroi of Belgium will battle Spain’s Playas de Castellón in the two-game final for the 2002-03 UEFA Futsal Cup. Action 21 Charleroi replaces Interviù Boomerang (Spain) in the finals after the Spanish club’s Group A second round results against Norilsky Nickel of Russia (11:3) was reversed by UEFA to a 2:0 forfeit loss because they used an ineligible player. The 2002-03 final will be a rematch from the previous one in which Playas de Castellón topped Action 21 Charleroi. The first game of the championship is set for Apr. 14, in Belgium, while the second match will be held on May 4, in Spain.

CYPRUS TO HOST TWO GAMES AGAINST LEBANON
Cyprus’ Futsal National Team will host Lebanon in a two-game international friendly series in Nicosia from Apr. 15-16. This is the first home match from Cyprus since dropping a 3:1 decision to Greece at the Parnassos Hall in Nicosia on June 13, 2002.

BELARUS TAKES FOUR NATIONS CUP IN LATVIA
Belarus’ Futsal National Team won a Four Nations Cup held at the Sporta Maneza in Rigas, Latvia from Apr. 4-6. Belarus took the crown over second-place Russia by a slim point margin (seven to six) in the round-robin competition. Belarus opened the event with a stunning 1:0 victory over Russia on Apr. 4. After hammering the host 6:1 the day before, Belarus clinched the tournament title with a 2:2 tie against Finland on Apr. 6.

Four Nations Cup in Rigas, Lativa – Apr. 4-6
Final Standings, Results
Teams (GP, W-L-T, GF:GA, PTS)
Belarus (3, 2-0-1, 9:3, 7)
Russia (3, 2-1-0, 8:1, 6)
Latvia (3, 1-2-0, 4:12, 3)
Finland (3, 0-2-1, 4:9, 1)

Apr. 4
Belarus – Russia, 1:0
Latvia – Finland, 3:2

Apr. 5
Russia – Finland, 4:0
Belarus – Latvia, 6:1

Apr. 6
Finland – Belarus, 2:2
Russia – Latvia, 4:0

SLOVAKIA GOES WITH ONE DRAW AND ONE VICTORY IN TWO-GAME SERIES AGAINST HOLLAND
Slovakia’s Futsal National Team went with one draw and one victory in a two-game international friendly series against visiting Holland from Apr. 1-2. After a 1:1 draw in the opener in Bratislava the day before, Slovakia took the second match over the guest Holland 3:1 on Apr. 2 in Nitra.

NORTH, CENTRAL AMERICA

BALTIMORE BLAST TO FACE MILWAUKEE WAVE FOR 2002-03 MISL TITLE
The Baltimore Blast will travel the Bradley Center to face the Milwaukee Wave in the opener of the best-of-three series for the 2002-03 Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) Championship on Apr. 12. The second match is set for the next day in Baltimore, Md. and if necessary the third and deciding game will be held at Milwaukee’s Bradley Center on Apr. 18 or 19. The Wave are looking for the fourth indoor championship in the last six seasons, while the Blast will be aiming for the first title since the 1983-1984 MISL campaign. Both teams advanced to the 2002-03 final series after posting victories in the MISL semifinals. Four goals by forward Brian Loftin paced the host Wave to a hard-fought 20:18 semifinal win over the Kansas City Comets on Apr. 6, while three days earlier (Apr. 3), the visiting Blast stunned the defending MISL champions Philadelphia Kixx 8:6, in the semis, thanks to a game-winner by midfielder Allen Eller. For more information on the MISL, check www.misl.net.

2002-03 MISL Playoffs

Western Conference
Apr. 2 in Kansas City
Kansas City Comets – San Diego Sockers, 13:11
Apr. 6 in Milwaukee, Wis.
Milwaukee Wave – Kansas City Comets, 20:18

Eastern Conference
Mar. 28 in Cleveland, Ohio
Baltimore Blast – Cleveland Force, 16:13
Apr. 3 in Philadelphia, Pa.
Baltimore Blast – Philadelphia Kixx, 8:6

Best-of-Three Championship Series
Apr. 12 in Milwaukee, Wis.
Milwaukee Wave vs. Baltimore Blast

Apr. 13 in Baltimore, Md.
Baltimore Blast vs. Milwaukee Wave

Apr. 18 or 19 in Milwaukee, Wis. (if necessary)
Milwaukee Wave vs. Baltimore Blast

COSTA RICA, MEXICO SPLIT PAIR OF FRIENDLIES
Costa Rica’s Futsal National Team split a pair of international friendlies against Mexico at the Gimnasio Nacional in San José from Apr.4-5. Two goals by midfielder Arturo López Cervantes and a tally by forward Victor Hugo Huerta led the Tricolores to a 3:2 victory in the first match on Apr. 4, over the host. Forward Carlos Chávez and Michael Barrantes each scored in the loss for the Ticos. Costa Rica rebounded the next day with a convincing 8:3 win over the Mexico. The victory snapped the Tico’s four-game winless streak in futsal internationals, with their last victory coming in a 2:1 edge over Thailand at the Singapore Tiger 5’s Tournament on November 28, 2001. Costa Rica will continue their initial stages of preparations for next year’s CONCACAF qualifiers (in Guatemala) to the FIFA Futsal World Championship in Chinese Taipei 2004 with a two-game series against El Salvador from May 2-3 in San José. CONCACAF has been granted two places on the world stage.

OCEANIA

SOCCER AUSTRALIA, NFC TO FUND WOMEN’S TOUR OF ITALY
Soccer Australia and the National Futsal Commission will fully fund the Women’s Futsal Team tour of Sardinia, Italy in June. Under newly appointed head coach Richard Littler, the Australian squad will also host the Queensland Women’s side in an exhibition match during the Regional Club tournament in Brisbane from Apr. 19-21.

BEACH SOCCER

BELGIUM TO STAGE FIFTH EUROPEAN PRO BEACH SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIPS
The fifth European Pro Beach Soccer Championships set for Liège, Belgium from Apr. 18-20. Six European nations (Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland) will join the host and the defending champion Portugal in the 2003 event. In the 2002 tournament held in Barcelona, Spain, Portugal defeated the host 2:1 in the finals on Feb. 17. For more information check www.beachsoccer.com.

Fifth European Pro Beach Soccer Championship
in Liège, Belgium – Apr. 18-20

Apr. 18 – First Round
1) France vs. Austria
2) Spain vs. Italy
3) Portugal vs. Switzerland
4) Belgium vs. Germany

Apr. 19
Consolation Match – Loser (1) vs. Loser (2)
Consolation Match – Loser (3) vs. Loser (4)
Semifinal – Winner (1) vs. Winner (2)
Semifinal – Winner (3) vs. Winner (4)

Apr. 20
Seventh Place – Losers of Consolation Games
Fifth Place – Winners of Consolation Games
Third Place – Semifinal Losers
Final – Semifinal Winners

NOTE:
I would like to announce that I’m leaving Chicago, Ill., where I have been residing since the summer of 1999, and returning to New York City on April 16, 2003. I will continue produce the bi-weekly “Futsal/Indoor Soccer World News” from NYC.

Information was researched and compiled by Steven Torres.
Next issue will be sent on April 23, 2003

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, and Ronaldo grew up playing the game and credit
Futsal with developing their skills.