Courtesy: Sport Features

TOZER SELECTS 14-MAN ROSTER FOR BRAZIL TRAINING CAMP; U.S. TO FACE BRAZIL IN TWO FRIENDLY MATCHES

All 14 Players Hail From Major Indoor Soccer League Teams;
U.S. Slated to Play Five Total Matches, Including Three Exhibitions vs. Local Clubs

CHICAGO (Sept. 14, 2004) — United States Futsal National Team head coach Keith Tozer has selected a 14-player roster that is currently in Brazil for an eight-day training camp that includes two friendly matches vs. Brazil on Friday and Saturday (Sept. 17 and 18).

The U.S. is preparing for the FIFA Futsal World Championship 2004 which will be played from November 21 to December 5, 2004 in Chinese Taipei. The U.S., which qualified by winning the 2004 CONCACAF Futsal Championship in July in Costa Rica, was drawn into Group C with Italy, Japan and Paraguay. Brazil, regarded as one of the top futsal nations in the world, also qualified for the World Championship and will face Australia, Czech Republic and Thailand in Group B.

All 14 players on the U.S. roster play in the MISL, and one half of the roster – as well as head coach Keith Tozer – represent the Milwaukee Wave. The Kansas City Comets send two players to the team, while the St. Louis Steamers, Cleveland Force, Philadelphia Kixx, Chicago Storm and Baltimore Blast send one player each.

The roster features eight of the 12 players from the CONCACAF Championship team. Goalkeeper Brett Phillips – named the Most Outstanding Goalkeeper in Costa Rica – of the St. Louis Steamers returns for the tournament and will be joined between the pipes by Nick Vorberg of the Milwaukee Wave.

The defense is anchored by the experience of Pat White who has scored six times in 15 career appearances, including a pair of goals for the U.S. in Costa Rica. He will be joined by two Milwaukee Wave teammates in the back, Chris Mormon and Troy Dusosky, who have a combined three caps, with Mormon scoring in his only appearance.

The U.S. midfield features a pair of the top players in the history of the futsal program. Lee Tschantret of the Baltimore Blast is fifth all-time with 19 caps and has six goals in his career, and Joel Shanker of the Philadelphia Kixx is tied for seventh all-time on the U.S. scoring chart with seven goals in just 11 games, including three in Costa Rica. Like Shanker, Chicago Storm midfielder Andy Guastaferro scored three goals in Costa Rica. A marksman who took all of the team’s penalty kicks and 12-meter shots at the CONCACAF Championship, he rejoins the squad for the trip with seven caps and four goals. A fourth member of this midfield, John Ball of the Cleveland Force, has 12 caps and was a key member of the gold medal team in July. Two additional midfielders with futsal experience join the squad as Matt Tanzini (6 caps/0 goals) and Johnny Torres (5 caps/2 goals) are in Brazil.

The forwards are led by Greg Howes and Todd Dusosky of the Milwaukee Wave. Howes was the team’s leading scorer at the CONCACAF Championship with four goals, including the game-winner in the final. Dusosky is an imposing target forward who picked up two goals in Costa Rica and has 10 caps. They will be joined up front by Jamar Beasley of the Comets, the brother of U.S. Men’s National Team star DaMarcus Beasley.

The U.S. arrived in Brazil on Monday and quickly stepped on the floor vs. S.C. Corinthians, one of the top professional futsal teams in Brazil. Coming off a 10 hour flight from Dallas to Sao Paulo, the U.S. lost 5-3. Morman scored for the U.S. in the first half, but the U.S. trailed 3-1 at intermission. With their legs under them in the second half, the U.S. played even at 2-2 with Torres and Todd Dusosky scoring for the U.S. Torres assisted on the first goal, while Ball set up Torres’ strike. Results from the remaining matches in Brazil will be posted at www.ussoccer.com.

The U.S. is slated for another two exhibition games to be played Tuesday, Sept. 14 and will travel from Sao Paulo to Campo Grande on Wednesday where they will face the Brazil National Futsal Team on Friday and Saturday.
Futsal is a sport that is a derivative of soccer 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 a 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.

U.S. Futsal Roster

Brazil Training Camp Tour

Sao Palo & Campo Grande, Brazil – Sept. 12-20, 2004

Name -- Indoor Club -- Caps/Goals

Ball John -- Cleveland Force -- 12/1
Beasley Jamar -- Kansas City Comets -- 1/0
Dusosky Troy -- Milwaukee Wave -- 2/0
Dusosky Todd -- Milwaukee Wave -- 10/3
Guastaferro Andy -- Chicago Storm -- 7/4
Howes Greg -- Milwaukee Wave -- 9/5
Morman Chris -- Milwaukee Wave -- 1/1
Phillips Brett -- St. Louis Steamers -- 13/0
Shanker Joel -- Philadelphia Kixx -- 11/7
Tanzini Matt -- Kansas City Comets -- 6/0
Torres Johnny -- Milwaukee Wave -- 5/2
Tschantret Lee -- Baltimore Blast -- 19/6
Vorberg Nick -- Milwaukee Wave -- 2/0
White Pat -- Milwaukee Wave -- 15/6


Team Staff

Head Coach: Keith Tozer
Assistant Coach: Vilmar Marques Vavà
Head of Delegation: Alex Para
Team Coordinator: Bryan Koch
Medical Trainer: Steve Jurch
Team Physician: Geoffrey Kuhlman