Courtesy: La Salle University Athletics


Jeremy Ortiz '08 Training With US National Futsal Team

September 30, 2011

PHILADELPHIA –While the men's soccer team is in the midst of a 10-day break before conference play, one of La Salle's alums is making waves on the national soccer scene this week. Jeremy Ortiz '08 has been spending the past week in Torrance, Calif., training with the US National Futsal Team in preparations for the Gran Prix in Brazil in October.

Ortiz, a former La Salle standout who also plays for the Philadelphia KiXX, was selected to the US National Futsal roster following an identification camp earlier this month. Following training camp at Soccer City in Torrance, a roster of 14 players will be selected to represent the United States in the Gran Prix, an invitation-only annual tournament that is considered to be one of the premiere futsal events in the world.

The Gran Prix is one of many tournaments to prepare the national squad for the world's premiere event - the FIFA Futsal World Cup, set for Nov. 2-18, 2012 in Thailand.

"It is an honor to be selected to be part of the US national team," Ortiz said. "A lot of players dream about playing for their national team and for all the hard work and dedication I put into my training it paid off. Special thanks to my family, friends, coaches and teammates-past and present. Playing at La Salle helped me pave the way to get where I am at so special thanks to Coach Farrell and Coach Bobby Wilkinson, Chooch (Former Assistant Coach Jim Coleman), and everyone else at La Salle for getting me here. I will keep continuing to work harder than ever because for me the best is yet to come."

Since graduating from La Salle in 2008, Ortiz has been playing with the Philadelphia KiXX of the MISL (Major Indoor Soccer League). In his first season with the KiXX in 2008-09, he scored five goals and assisted on four others for 14 points, and followed up with an 11-point performance on five goals and an assist in 2009-10. League play was suspended in the 2010-11 season, but Ortiz remains on the roster for when the league resumes play.

While at La Salle, Ortiz was a three-time Atlantic 10 All-Conference selection, three-time Soccer Seven All-Star and was tabbed a Regional All-American in 2006. He was the first overall draft in the territorial round by the New Jersey Ironmen in the 2008 MISL Amateur Draft before being traded to the KiXX.




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