Courtesy: United States Olympic Committee

USA Futsal team downs Costa Rica but misses semifinal

By Howard Thomas

U.S. Field Hockey Association // July 26, 2007

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – To advance to the medal round, the U.S. futsal team needed a win and a three-goal margin of victory entering its final Pan American Games pool match against Costa Rica.
The team met just one of those goals.

In the official FIFA version of indoor soccer, the USA (1-1-1) scored two goals in the last minute and survived a penalty kick as time expired to defeat Costa Rica, 6-5. The win was not enough to boost the U.S. team into the tournament semifinals however, as Costa Rica (1-1-1) advanced to semis by virtue of a better goal differential (1 to -2).

The USA will now meet Guatemala (0-3-0) in a 5th-8th placement match at 14:30 Friday. Costa Rica and Argentina (2-0-1) will advance to the semifinals from Group B where Costa Rica will meet tournametn favorite Brazil and Argentina will face Paraguay.

The USA took a 1-0 lead on a Pat Morris goal early in the game for the first half’s only score. But in the second half, a small but enthusiastic crowd was treated to 20 minutes of momentum swings and lead changes.

After Costa Rica tied the game at 1-1 two minutes into the second half, Matthew Stewart (El Paso, Texas/Chicago Storm) sparked a USA rally of three goals in three minutes when he netted a breakaway pass from midfielder Jamar Beasley (Fort Wayne, Ind./Detroit Ignition) for a 2-1 U.S. lead.

“It was a game of counter attacks,” said Stewart. “We got two on them and they got a couple on us. After we got up 4-1, we might have slowed things down a little, but in the momentum of the game, you can’t help but try to get some more goals.”

Goals by Joe Hammes (Cedarburg, Wis./Milwaukee Wave) and Denison Cabral (Baltimore Blast) gave the USA its 4-1 lead and the goal differential it needed to advance.

“We had a 4-1 lead and we needed those three goals,” said U.S. coach Keith Tozer. “When they pulled to within 4-2, we got a little antsy.”

Costa Rica cut into the U.S. margin on a double penalty kick goal by Jefryd Ruiz and then inflicted further damage to the U.S. semifinal hopes on a pair of goals by Adonay Vindas and another score by Alejandro Paniagua to take a 5-4 lead.

Tozer pulled goalkeeper Brett Phillips (Syracuse, N.Y./Milwaukee Wave) in favor of a fifth attacker with 3:30 left in the game and his team was rewarded with a pair of last minute goals Stewart and Cabral to regain the lead at 6-5.

With Phillips back in the game, the USA still had to survive a controversial penalty kick at the end of regulation time, but Ruiz’ kick sailed wide left and the USA claimed the bittersweet victory.

“I’ve got to give these guys a lot of credit,” said Tozer. “For a lot of these guys, this may be their fifth or sixth futsal game. I thought they battled through a very important match and played much better than we had in the two previous matches.”

USA Pan American Games Futsal Roster

Goalkeepers

Nick Voberg (Grants Pass, Ore./Milwaukee Wave), Brett Phillips (Syracuse, N.Y./Milwaukee Wave)

Defenders

Pat Morris (Philadelphia, Pa./Philadelphia KiXX), Joe Hammes (Cedarburg, Wis./Milwaukee Wave), Troy Dusosky (Anoka, Minn./Milwaukee Wave)

Midfielders

Jamar Beaseley (Fort Wayne, Ind./Detroit Ignition), John Ball (Hartford, Conn./Chicago Storm), Matt Stewart (El Paso, Texas/Chicago Storm), Denison Cabral (Baltimore Blast)

Forwards

Don D’Ambra (Philadelphia, Pa./Philadelphia KiXX), Enrique Tovar (San Jose, Calif./California Cougars), Lee Tschantret (New York, N.Y./Baltimore Blast)

USA Futsal Schedule
July 23 Argentina, L, 1-2
July 24 Ecuador, D, 5-5
July 25 Costa Rica, W, 6-5
July 27 5th-8th Guatemala, 14:30
July 28 Placement match, TBD



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