Courtesy: Our Sports Central


Chicago Storm's U.S. Futsal trio tunes up in Milwaukee this weekend


HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. - In preparation for the 2008 FIFA Futsal World Cup, the U.S. Futsal National Team recently completed a weeklong series of tune-up matches in Brazil. Now the squad, which features Chicago Storm goalkeeper Jeff Richey and midfielders Andy Rosenband and Matthew Stewart, plays a series of games a little closer to home.

U.S. Futsal plays four tune-up games from Friday through Sunday at the Milwaukee School of Engineering's Kern Center, 1025 N. Broadway, in Milwaukee, Wis. All four matches are free to attend. The U.S. plays two games against Japan's national team and two against a New England-based amateur squad.


Schedule in Milwaukee:

Friday, Sept. 12: 10 a.m. vs. NE Futsal; 6 p.m. vs. Japan

Saturday, Sept. 13: 10 a.m. vs. NE Futsal

Sunday, Sept. 14: 1 p.m. vs. Japan

The Futsal World Cup, hosted by Brazil, opens Sept. 30 in Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia and concludes with the final on Oct. 19 in Rio de Janeiro. The U.S. qualified for the Cup when it took third place in the CONCACAF Futsal Championships earlier this year.

During its trip to Brazil last week, the U.S. posted a 0-4 record against some top Brazilian club teams. Team USA's strongest effort was a 2-1 loss to UNESC on Thursday, Sept. 4. On Tuesday, Sept. 2, the Storm's Stewart scored the U.S.'s lone goal in a 4-1 defeat against UNESC.

Earlier this summer at the CONCACAF, Stewart led the U.S. with five goals - including a hat trick in the third-place victory against Panama on June 8. Richey made 19 saves and Rosenband also contributed a goal in that World Cup-qualifying match. The U.S. Futsal squad currently features 16 players, and the roster will be whittled to 14 players for the World Cup.

For the first time ever, 20 teams are taking part in the World Cup. The draw consists of four groups, with the top two teams in each group advancing to a second group stage. From there, a round robin format determines the semifinalists.

FIFA FUTSAL WORLD CUP

Group A: Brazil, Cuba, Japan, Russia, Solomon Islands
Group B: Italy, Paraguay, Portugal, Thailand, U.S.
Group C: Argentina, China PR, Egypt, Guatemala, Ukraine
Group D: Czech Republic, Iran, Libya, Spain, Uruguay

Futsal features four field players and a goalkeeper on each team. The game includes two 20-minute halves, no walls, a smaller ball with less bounce than traditional soccer balls, and much smaller goals. The game was invented in Brazil, and it is sanctioned by FIFA as the only form of international indoor soccer.





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