Futsal/Indoor Soccer World News
January 30, 2002

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


USA

U.S. COACH TO LEAD WEST TEAM AT 2002 MISL ALL-STAR GAME
The Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) announced on Jan.
29, that Milwaukee Wave and U.S. Futsal National Team
Head Coach Keith Tozer will lead the "West Team" at the
annual all-star game at the Gund Arena in Cleveland,
Ohio on Feb. 17. Tozer, now in his 10th season with the
Wave, is professional indoor soccer's all-time leader
in coaching wins with 485. During his 18-year coaching
career, Tozer has claimed four "Coach of the Year Awards"
and four indoor league titles. The "East Squad" will be
led by Philadelphia Kixx's player/coach Omid Namazi.
A native of Washington, D.C., Namazi was named "2000-2001
Defender of the Year" and is a member of the 2002 U.S.
Futsal National Team Player Pool. The MISL All-Star
Weekend will run from Feb. 15-17. For more information,
check the MISL website at www.misl.net.

FOURTEEN U.S. PLAYERS NAMED TO MISL ALL-STAR ROSTERS
On Jan. 23, the MISL announced the rosters for the all-star
game in Cleveland, Ohio next month. The MISL als
added six players from the former World Indoor Soccer
League teams (Dallas Sidekicks, San Diego Sockers, St.
Louis Steamers) to the rosters on Jan. 24. Of the 32
total players named, 14 are on the 2002 U.S. Futsal
National Player Pool. The East squad will have the
following U.S. Futsal players: Goalkeeper - Scott
Hileman; Defenders - Sean Bowers, Pat Morris; Midfielder
- Denison Cabral; Forwards - Gary DePalma, Mark Moser.
The West Team will have: Goalkeeper - Victor Nogueira;
efenders - John Ball, Glenn Carbonara, Daryl Doran,
Troy Dusosky; Forwards - Kevin Koetters, Joe Reiniger,
Wes Wade.

WAVE WIN FIFTH STRAIGHT; REMAIN IN FIRST IN 2001-02
MISL STANDINGS
The Milwaukee Wave (18-5) won their fifth consecutive
game and remained in the first-place in the 2001-02
MISL standing after topping the host Philadelphia Kixx
(14-8) 11-4 on Jan. 26. Prior to the match-up, the
Wave posted a 21-15 victory over the visiting Kansas
City Comets (11-12) on Jan. 25, while the Kixx hammered
the host Harrisburg Heat (7-15) 14-2. In other MISL
matches, the Harrisburg Heat (7-15) snapped a seven-game
losing streak with an 11-5 win over the visiting
Cleveland Crunch (7-16) on Jan. 26, while the host
Baltimore Blast (11-11) scored a 16-12 victory over
the Comets. Rounding out the MISL encounters, the
Crunch earned a hard-fought 13-9-road win over the
Blast on Jan. 25.

MEMBERS OF THE U.S. TEAM PLAYER POOL IN MISL ACTION
Baltimore Blast - Defender Sean Bowers (5 goals, 21 caps)
scored twice, while midfielder Denison Cabral (0 caps)
and forward Tarik Walker (0 caps) all scored in the
13-9 loss to Cleveland on Jan. 25. Walker notched two
goals, while Bowers added another to pace Baltimore to
a 16-12 victory over Kansas City the next day (Jan. 26).
Goalkeeper Scott Hileman (0 caps) posted 14 saves for
the win. Cleveland Crunch - Defender John Ball (2 caps)
had a goal, while forward Temoc Suarez (1 goals, 7 caps)
added an assist in Cleveland's 13-9 win over Baltimore
on Jan. 25. Netminder Otto Orf (9 caps) made nine strong
saves to preserve the win. Harrisburg Heat - Defender
Matt Knowles (0 caps) scored twice, while goalkeeper
Doug Petras (9 caps) made 14 saves in the 11-5 victory
over Cleveland on Jan. 26. Kansas City Comets - Forward
Wes Wade (9 goals, 13 caps) had back-to-back assists in
the two consecutive losses by Kansas City, against
Milwaukee (21-15) on Jan. 25, and Baltimore (16-12) on
Jan. 26. Philadelphia Kixx - Goals by midfielder Gary
DePalma (0 caps) and forward Don D'Ambra (0 caps) led
Philadelphia to a 14-2 romp over Harrisburg on Jan. 25.
Milwaukee Wave - Forward Joe Reiniger (0 caps) scored
four times, while forward Brian Loftin (5 goals, 12 caps)
had two more in Milwaukee's 21-15 win against Kansas
City on Jan. 25. Forward Greg Howes (0 caps) added a
goal and goalkeeper Victor Nogueira (16 caps) had 11
saves in the win. Two goals each by Howes and Loftin
boosted Milwaukee to an 11-4 win at Philadelphia on
Jan. 26. Defender Glenn Carbonara (3 goals, 12 caps)
added two assists and Reiniger kept his 96-game point
streak alive with an assist for Milwaukee. Nogueira
made 10 saves for his 16th win of the MISL season.


FORMER U.S. PLAYER RE-SIGNS WITH KANSAS CITY WIZARDS
The Kansas City Wizards announced that defender Peter
Vermes has signed a multi-year agreement with Major
League Soccer (MLS) on Jan. 28. The terms of the deal
were not disclosed. Vermes, who led the Wizards to the
2000 MLS Cup, was a member of the bronze medal U.S.
Five-A-Side (now Futsal) National Team at the 1989 FIFA
World Championship in Holland. Vermes has seven goals
in 11 international appearances for the U.S. Futsal
Team from 1989-1995. The 35-year-old defender will
begin his seventh season in MLS and third with the
Wizards in 2002.

EUROPE

XIII COPA DE ESPAÑA TO TAKE PLACE IN VALENCIA
The XIII edition of the Copa de España will take place
in Valencia from Jan. 30 - Feb. 3. The eight-team
single-elimination futsal tournament will begin with
two first round matches on Jan. 30, as the defending
champion Antena 3 Boomerang takes on El Pozo, while
Caja Segovia faces MRA Ingeteam Xota. The opening
round concludes the next day (Jan. 31) as Playas de
Castellón squares off against Miró Martorell in the
first game and then Carnicer Fiat Torrejón meets the
host Valencia Vijusa in the nightcap. The winners
will advance to the semifinals from Feb. 1-2. The
two semifinal survivors will battle for the Copa de
España title on Feb. 3.

LOZANO, CLAVERIA, SPANISH TEAM EARN ACCOLADES
Spain's Consejo Superior de Deportes honored Futsal
National Team Head Coach Javier Lozano and goalkeeper
Jesus Claveria with the "Real Orden del Mérito
Deportivo" Medal on Jan. 18. The accolades were given
by the SSMM los Reyes de España at the Palacio Real.
Also honored was Spain's Futsal National Team after
capturing the UEFA and Tiger 5's Championships in 2001.
Midfielder and Captain Javi Sanchez received the award
on behalf to the entire squad.

EGYPT-POLAND MATCHES POSTPONED
Due to technical problems between both Futsal National
Teams, the two-game international series between Poland
and Egypt in Zawiercie, Poland on Jan. 23-24 has been
postponed. The matches will be rescheduled at a later date.

CZECHS TO HOST ITALY IN TWO-GAME SERIES
The Czech Republic's Futsal National Team will host
Italy in a two-game international friendly series
from Feb. 15-16. The first game will take place in
Ostrava on Feb. 15, while the second match will have
Brno as the venue the next day (Feb. 16).

FRANCE TO STAGE TOURNOI INTERNATIONAL A ANDREZIEUX
France's Futsal National Team will stage a four-nation
competition called "Tournoi International à Andrézieux"
from Feb. 27 - Mar. 1, in Andrezieux. The tournament
will feature Greece, Lithuania, Russia and the host
France in the four-team round-robin competition.




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.