Futsal/Indoor Soccer World News - April 23, 2003

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

ASIA

FIVE NATIONS CONFIRMED FOR INTERNATIONAL FUTSAL FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS IN MALAYSIA
Datuk Raja Ahmad Zainuddin Raja Omar, Vice-President of the Football Association of Malaysia, announced on Apr. 14, that five nations have been confirmed for the International Futsal Football (IFF) Championships set for June 3-8 at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil, Malaysia. Brazil, Iran, Thailand, Malaysia and the World Champion Spain are five teams that have accepted the IFF invitation to the 12-team bi-annual event. Formally the known as the Singapore Tiger 5's, the IFF is the second most important international futsal tournament in the world. Spain won the 2001 tournament in Singapore with a 4:3 victory on penalty kicks over Brazil in the final after a 3:3 draw at the end of regulation and sudden death overtime on Dec. 2.

EUROPE

SPAIN HOST TWO AGAINST IRAN
Spain?s Futsal National Team will host Iran in a two-game international friendly series from Apr. 28-29. The first game will take place in Santander on Apr. 28, while the second match is set for the following day in La Rioja. This is the first meeting between the two nations since 2001 Singapore Tiger 5?s when the World Champions Spain blanked the four-time Asian Winners Iran 3:0 on Nov. 21.

ACTION 21 CHARLEROI, PLAYAS DE CASTELLON PLAY TO 1:1 DRAW IN 2002-03 UEFA FUTSAL CUP OPENER
Host Action 21 Charleroi of Belgium played Spain's Playas de Castellón to a 1:1 draw in the first match of the two-game final for the 2002-03 UEFA Futsal Cup on Apr. 16. The crowd of 2,300 at the La Garenne de Charleroi Hall saw Vander Carioca open the scoring in the 26th minute of the second half to give Playas de Castellón a 1:0 edge. Boukamir leveled the score for Action 21 Charleroi with a goal in the 33rd minute for the 1:1 final. Playas de Castellón, which won the UEFA Futsal Cup last year, will stage the return match set for May 4, in Spain.

CYPRUS SWEEPS LEBANON IN TWO-GAME SERIES
Cyprus' Futsal National Team swept a two-game international friendly series from visiting Lebanon at the Higher Technical Institute Indoor Gym in Nicosia from Apr. 15-16. Three goals by forward Agathoklis Agathokleous and a pair each from defender Marios Angelidis and midfielder Kostas Poliviou led the host Cyprus to a 10:0 trouncing of Lebanon in the opener on Apr. 15. Cyprus completed the sweep with a 5:1 victory against Lebanon in the second match the next day.

NORTH, CENTRAL AMERICA

STEVEN TORRES JOINS CONCACAF
Steven Torres joined Confederation of North, Central American Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) as their Press Officer on Apr. 22. CONCACAF, which is based in New York City since 1990, is one of six continental confederations of FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) and serves as governing body of football in this part of the world. It is composed of 40 national associations, from Canada in the north to Suriname in the south. A native of New York City, Torres was previously the Public Relations Coordinator at the United States Soccer Federation in Chicago, IL. from June 1999 ? April 2003, where he was a member of a seven-person communications department handling the media relations of all 12 (men & women) U.S. National Teams. During his tenure, the 28-year-old also served as the
Press Officer for the U.S. Futsal National Team, which is part of the U.S. Futsal Federation under the banner of U.S. Soccer. Prior to U.S. Soccer, Torres has worked in the FIFA World Cups held in the USA (Men 1994, Women 1999) and at the Madison Square Garden Venue for the 1998 Goodwill Games in NYC. Torres began his career as an assistant in the field of college sports information at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y. (1998-1999), Hunter College (1997-1998),
Long Island University-Brooklyn (1995-1997).

BALTIMORE BLAST DEFEATS MILWAUKEE WAVE FOR 2002-03 MISL TITLE
The Baltimore Blast staged a nine-point comeback to post a 13:12 victory over the host Milwaukee Wave in the third and final game of the best-of-three 2002-03 Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) Championship on Apr. 18. The series Most Valuable Player Denison Cabral sealed the win for the Blast at the 10:14 mark of the final stanza infront of 12,598 spectators at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wis. This is the first MISL title for the Blast since the 1983-1984 campaign. Cabral also scored the game-winner five days earlier in Baltimore as the Blast even the final series 1-1 with a 15:12 victory over the Wave. The three-time indoor champion Wave took the opener of the championship series with a 19:12 win against the Blast on Apr. 12. 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 - Baltimore Blast, 19:12

Apr. 13 in Baltimore, Md.
Baltimore Blast - Milwaukee Wave, 15:12

Apr. 18 in Milwaukee, Wis.
Baltimore Blast - Milwaukee Wave, 13:12

KEITH TOZER EARNS FIFTH "COACH OF THE YEAR" AWARD
Milwaukee Wave Head Coach Keith Tozer was named the 2002-03 MISL ?Coach of the Year? on Apr. 17. In his 11th season at helm with the Wave, Tozer is a five-time recipient of the honor claiming the award during the 1995-1996, 1997-1998, 1999-2000, 2001-2002 campaigns. Also the U.S. Futsal National Team Head Coach, Tozer is indoor soccer's all-time coaching leader with career victories with 532.

DINO DELEVSKI WINS SECOND CONSECUTIVE MISL MVP HONOR
Kansas City Comets? forward Dino Delevski won his second consecutive MISL Most Valuable Player (MVP) award on Apr. 17, as he led the league in total points with 140 at the end of the 2002-03 campaign. Delevski earned the league?s MVP accolades in the 2001-2002 MISL season with a career-high 210 points.

OCEANIA

AUSTRALIA GOES WINLESS IN THREE-GAME SERIES AGAINST JAPAN
Australia's Futsal National Team went winless in a three-game international friendly series against visiting Japan in Brisbane from Apr. 18-20. After a 1:1 draw in the opener the day before, Australia dropped the second match 3:1 to Japan on Apr. 19. The next day, the host only managed a 1:1 tie against the Japanese to conclude the series.

BEACH SOCCER

PORTGUAL CLAIMS SECOND STRAIGHT EUROPEAN PRO BEACH SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIPS
Portugal won their second straight European Pro Beach Soccer Championships with 6:3 victory over France in the final in Liège, Belgium from Apr. 20. The fifth edition of the eight-team event saw Spain top Germany 6:3 in the third-place game on Apr. 20, while the host Belgium edged Italy 7:6 for the fifth spot in tournament play. 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 - Austria, 12:1
2) Spain - Italy, 11:7
3) Portugal - Switzerland, 8:0
4) Germany - Belgium, 6:5 pk

Apr. 19
Consolation Match, Italy - Austria, 11:5
Consolation Match, Belgium - Switzerland, 8:4
Semifinal, France - Spain, 5:4 ot
Semifinal, Portugal - Germany, 5:4 ot

Apr. 20
Seventh Place, Switzerland - Austria, 9:8 pk
Fifth Place, Belgium - Italy, 7:6
Third Place, Spain - Germany, 6:3
Final, Portugal - France, 6:3

NOTE: Due to my relocation to New York City and to the new position at CONCACAF, the "Futsal/Indoor Soccer World News" newsletter will be on hiatus until further notice. I would like to say thanks to all for your support since the first issue in December of 2000 and I apologize for any inconvenience this may bring.

Information was researched and compiled by Steven Torres.