FUTSAL

USFF National finals
Courtesy: The Orange County Register

Best in futsal indoor soccer compete in Anaheim
The U.S. national championships run through Sunday in the sport that is gaining popularity in the United States after flourishing in Europe and South America.
by Eric Carpenter
ANAHEIM – In one hall of the Convention Center, eight padded soccer pitches come alive with fancy footwork, precision passing, flying soccer balls and deafening cheering from the sidelines. These are the best in American futsal.
American what, you say?
Futsal is a type of indoor soccer with five players on each side, founded in Uruguay in the 1930 as a way for youth players in local YMCAs to play soccer indoors. It flourished in Brazil. The name futsal is derived from the Portuguese "futebol de salão," roughly translated as "hall football."
The great soccer players, such as Pelé and Lionel Messi, learned to play futsal before they played outdoor soccer. It's a popular sport in South America and Europe.
But it's only recently gaining popularity in the United States.
This weekend – Friday through Sunday – the Anaheim Convention Center is playing host to 144 of the nation's best teams in the U.S. Futsal National Championships.
The best teams, from 8 and under to 35 and under, are competing for trophies and a chance to represent the U.S. in international play in October.
Zev Fayer, 18, said he's accustomed to the blank stares when he tells people he plays on a futsal team.
"I started out playing soccer, but I got into futsal about four years ago. I really like the footwork and the speed," said Fayer, on a team from New Jersey.
Unlike indoor soccer, there are no side boards to play the ball off, so it requires greater technical skills and precision passing; in short it's "less sloppy," said Anthony Matteucci, the player representative for U.S. Futsal.
And unlike outdoor soccer, there's typically plenty of scoring in the 40-minute matches. Whereas, international soccer produces an average of 2.7 goals per game, futsal produces an average of 8.7 goals – and in less time.
"A lot of parents get their children involved in soccer and they're happy that they are out there running. But the truth is that they are bored," said Alex Para, president of U.S. Futsal. "With our sport, they get to touch the ball a lot more and they remain very interested during the games."
The teams represented at the national tournament in Anaheim qualified by winning one of six regional tournaments. They come from as far as Maryland in the east and Hawaii in the west.
Trisha and Shawn Arakawa brought their daughter, Tiara, 14, from Hawaii to compete in the tournament.
"We had her in soccer, then the coach came to the team with the idea of playing futsal," Trisha Arakawa said. "We had no idea what that was at first. But after seeing all the technical skills that it's helped develop, we've grown to like it a lot."
The matches, in Hall D of the Convention Center, 800 W. Katella Ave., are open to the public. Admission to the tournament is $10 per day or $20 for the weekend. Play continues from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Orotina acabó con el invicto del Campeón
En vibrante encuentro orotinenses propinaron primera derrota a Barrio Peralta en el torneo.

La décima primera jornada tenía previsto el enfrentamiento entre el campeón nacional y el benjamín del torneo, y líder de la clasificación general, un encuentro que además del nivel de ambos quintetos, tenía tintes de revancha para los orotinenses quienes su única derrota que contabilizan en el torneo la tuvieron en precisamente en la casa del actual monarca del torneo, en la segunda fecha del torneo.

Ante un gimnasio prácticamente abarrotado en el Polideporitvo de Orotina, los quintetos salieron al terreno de juego con una sola intención: lograr la victoria. Sin embargo tras completarse los cuarenta minutos reglamentarios, el elenco local se alzó con el triunfo de siete a tres poniéndole fin a imbatibilidad del campeón nacional.

En otros resultados de la jornada, Municipal Alajuela triunfó seis a dos ante La Trinidad de Moravia, mientras que Botica Internacional cayó seis a once ante Coronado C,C,. La misma suerte de los boticarios la tuvieron los auriazules de la UNED San José quienes fueron doblegados por los leones desamparadeños del Borussia Futsal.

El Liceo San Antonio perdió en su feudo del mismo nombre en Desamparados, tres a cinco ante el campeón del torneo de copa, Real Sociedad Hatillo Ocho. El Gimnasio Municipal de Mora fue practicamente hechizado por los brujos del Paraíso Futsal quienes sacaron un contundente triunfo de cinco a once ante el representativo de la localidad.

JOMA Extremos venció siete a cinco a Santísima Trinidad en el Liceo Rodrigo Facio en Zapote, mientras que en el Valle de El General, propiamente en San Rafael Norte de Pérez Zeledón, ASOFUTSAL P.Z. superó cuatro a tres al subcampeón nacional, T Shirt Mundo.
El partido que estaba programado a jugarse en el gimnasio de piso sintético de las Instalaciones Deportivas de la Universidad de Costa Rica en Mercedes de Montes de Oca entre la Universidad de Costa Rica y El Coyol de Alajuela no se realizó debido a que el quinteto alajuelense no se presentó por lo que el Comité de Competición determinará si reprograma el partido o le adjudica los puntos a los universitarios con un marcador de tres a cero.