Courtesy: CONCACAF.com

2004 CONCACAF FUTSAL QUALIFYING

NORTH/CENTRAL FUTSAL PRELIMINARY SERIES TO BEGIN NEXT WEEK

The 2004 CONCACAF Preliminary Futsal Series between the North Zone and UNCAF (Unión Centroamericana de Fútbol) will begin next week as three UNCAF nations (El Salvador, Honduras, Panama) meet three North Zone teams (Canada, Mexico, USA) in three pairings. Each series will play two-games in a single venue.

The three North/Central Preliminary Series winners will advance to the 2004 CONCACAF Futsal Final Round Qualification in July, along with Cuba, three more qualifiers from the Caribbean Football Union Tournament (Guyana, Surinam, Trinidad & Tobago) and the host, Costa Rica.

The eight-team CONCACAF Final Round will qualify two nations to the 2004 FIFA Futsal World Championship, to be held in Chinese Taipei from 21 November - 5 December.


USA ANNOUNCES ROSTER FOR PRELIMINARY SERIES AGAINST HONDURAS

The USA Futsal team announced their 17-man training camp roster for the two-game CONCACAF Preliminary Series Qualifiers against Honduras at the US Cellular Arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on 18 and 20 May.

The stars & stripes have won two out of the three futsal events held in the USA in the last two years, while the catrachos are competing in their first official matches.


COSTA RICA TAKES TWO FROM PANAMA

The defending CONCACAF Futsal Champions, Costa Rica, won a pair of friendlies over visiting Panama at the Palacio de los Deportes in Herédia on 7 and 8 May.

The ticos won the first game 12:4 on 7 May and then topped the canaleros 3:2 in the second encounter the next day.

These are Costa Rica's first victories since defeating the host Uruguay 2:1 in a friendly in Canelones on 29 July 2003, while Panama are competing in futsal internationally for the first time in their history.