Courtesy: CONCACAF

Guatemala to host CONCACAF Futsal Championship this week

The 2008 CONCACAF Futsal Championship will take place at the Domo Polideportivo in Guatemala City, Guatemala from 3-8 June.

This is the first time since 1996 that the CONCACAF Tournament will be held in Guatemala. The Domo, which drew a total of 80,740 spectators through 12 match days during the 2000 FIFA Futsal World Cup, will stage the 2008 Confederation’s event.

The hosts, Guatemala have been drawn into Group A along with Cuba, Mexico and Trinidad & Tobago, while the defending CONCACAF Champion, USA is in Group B with Costa Rica, Panama and Haiti.

The eight-team CONCACAF Tournament will qualify three nations to the 2008 FIFA Futsal World Cup in Brazil from 30 September – 19 October.

CONCACAF have previously hosted three Futsal qualifiers for the FIFA Tournaments in 1996, 2000, 2004. Six teams participated in 1996 CONCACAF event in Guatemala that was won by the USA and also qualified Cuba to the FIFA competition in Spain 1996.

In 2000, eight squads took part in the Confederation competition in Costa Rica, which was won by the host. Cuba once again took second place as both teams progressed to the FIFA Futsal World Cup in Guatemala.

Four years later, the eight-team CONCACAF Futsal Championship was again held in Costa Rica, where the USA and Cuba claimed first and second places, respectively.


SCOUTING THE TEAMS…

COSTA RICA: One of two teams to capture the Confederation’s Title, Costa Rica are making their fourth consecutive appearance in the Final Round of the CONCACAF Futsal Championship … Coached by Carlos Quiros, the Ticos claimed the CONCACAF crown in 2000, captured the gold medal in the Central American Games in 2001 and finished fourth at the 2007 Pan American Games … Costa Rica were the first Central American nation to qualify to the FIFA Futsal World Cup in 1992 and then once again progressed to the world stage in 2000.

CUBA: They have finished second in all three CONCACAF Futsal Championships … The Leones del Caribe are the only team in CONCACAF to qualify for three consecutive FIFA Futsal Tournaments … Cuba are also the Caribbean Nation with the most overall appearances in FIFA events: World Cup (1938), Olympic Games (1976, 1980), Under-17 (1989, 1991), Futsal (1996, 2000, 2004) … The Leones del Caribe were also one of the four CONCACAF teams to compete at the 2007 Pan American Games … Elddys Jesús Valdes is in charge of Cuba.

GUATEMALA: They are hosting the CONCACAF Futsal Championship for the first time since 1996, where the Chapines reached the semifinals … Guatemala staged the first FIFA event (Futsal World Cup) in Central America in 2000 … The Chapines did not advance to the FIFA Tournament after missing the CONCACAF event four years later … Coached by Carlos Eduardo Estrada, Guatemala were one of four CONCACAF teams to compete in the inaugural Futsal Tournament at the 2007 Pan American Games.

HAITI: Advanced to the CONCACAF Futsal Championship for the first time after finishing second at the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Tournament in Macoya, Trinidad & Tobago … Under technical director Dorsainville Samuel, Haiti defeated Guyana (12:2) and Sint Maarten (19:1) in group play before falling to Trinidad & Tobago (3:6) in the CFU Final.

MEXICO: They have competed in all three CONCACAF Futsal Championships … The Tricolor have reached the semifinals in each of the last three CONCACAF Tournaments, but are yet to play in the FIFA Futsal World Cup … Ramon Raya has been appointed coach and he has led the qualification of the Tricolores’ beach soccer team to consecutive FIFA Tournaments (2007, 2008), while reaching the final last year.

PANAMA: Are coming off a fifth place performance at the 2004 CONCACAF Futsal Championship, just missing a spot into the semifinals in their first-ever appearance … During the CONCACAF Futsal Tournament, the Canaleros held the eventual champion, USA, to a draw (2:2), then lost to Cuba (0:2), before defeating Guyana (8:3) in group play … Panama have Porfirio Rebolledo at the helm.

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO: Making their second consecutive appearance at the CONCACAF Futsal Championship, Trinidad & Tobago advanced to the Final Round after hosting and winning the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Tournament in Macoya … Under the direction of Clayton Morris, the Soca Warriors earned group victories over Puerto Rico (7:0) and Surinam (7:3) at the CFU Tournament … Then, the defending Caribbean Champion, Trinidad & Tobago defeated Haiti (6:3) for their second title.

USA: They have won two of the three CONCACAF Futsal Championships (1996, 2004), while finishing third in 2000 … The Stars & Stripes have qualified to the most FIFA Futsal World Cups (four) by any CONCACAF team, earning a bronze medal at the inaugural competition in the Netherlands 1989 and then the silver at the 1992 event in Hong Kong … The USA were also one of the four CONCACAF teams that took part in the inaugural Futsal Tournament in the Pan American Games in 2007 … The defending CONCACAF champions are coached by Keith Tozer.



2008 CONCACAF FUTSAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Ciudad de Guatemala; GUATEMALA; Domo Polideportivo



Group A
03.06: CUBA – MEXICO (18:00)
GUATEMALA – TRINIDAD & TOBAGO (20:00)



04.06: TRINIDAD & TOBAGO – CUBA (18:00)
GUATEMALA – MEXICO (20:00)



05.06: MEXICO – TRINIDAD & TOBAGO (18:00)
GUATEMALA – CUBA (20:00)



Group B
03.06: COSTA RICA – PANAMA (10:00)
USA – HAITI (12:00)

04.06: HAITI – COSTA RICA (10:00)
PANAMA – USA (12:00)

05.06: PANAMA – HAITI (10:00)
USA – COSTA RICA (12:00)


Semifinals
07.06: B1 – A2 (14:00)
A1 – B2 (16:00)


Finals
08.06: THIRD PLACE (14:00)
CHAMPIONSHIP (16:00)





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