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| The U.S. National Futsal Team, under coaches Keith Tozer, right, and Vava Marques defeated England, Malaysia and Poland to win the FA Four Nations Tournament in Newcastle, England. |
By David Knopf
Futsal World Editor
A little wisdom and encouragement are in order following the
U.S. National Futsal team’s surprising results at the FA Four Nations Futsal
Tournament in Newcastle, England.
If you’re reading this, chances are good you already know
Keith Tozer’s team defeated host England 2-1, Malaysia 8-0 and Poland 4-2 to
bring home its first title in recent memory.
It’s remarkable that Tozer and longtime assistant Vava
Marques achieved so much with largely the same group of part-time futsal players
that was eliminated from 2012 World Cup competition at the CONCACAF regional
qualifier.
But things are changing, both with U.S. Soccer’s growing regard for
futsal as a factor in the development of youth
Stauffer, in part a product of his father’s USYF-affiliated
SportsTutor Futsal Academy in Owensboro, Ky.,
What’s ironic is that the U.S. might not have gone to
England had the Pan American Games not decided to eliminate futsal from its
next competition. U.S. Soccer had already approved the trip for Tozer’s team,
which was able to play in the Four Nations Tournament instead.
"It was a blessing in disguise, how we played and all the contacts we made there with the FA (Football Association)," Tozer said.
Marques, like Tozer, is the owner of a USYF league. They’ve coached together 15 years, often with national teams cobbled together in quick order with indoor soccer players.
Marques, like Tozer, is the owner of a USYF league. They’ve coached together 15 years, often with national teams cobbled together in quick order with indoor soccer players.
The Tozer-Marques partnership had achieved
respectable results under the circumstances, at least until other nations in
CONCACAF stepped up their futsal involvement and U.S. Soccer hung tough with the
status quo.
“It definitely hurt us big-time in the qualifications
because we hadn’t played much,” Marques said after the England trip. “Every
tournament we’re going to have four or five players who hadn’t played futsal
before.”
Lucas Stauffer may not be a Falcao, Kike or Fernandinho, but
he is a model of what the U.S. can produce with players who grew up with futsal and are experienced. And he’s just the first gem in what Tozer, Marques
and USYF hope to discover in a series of Futsal I.D. camps in the next year.
The first was held in Kansas City this year and four others
are planned in different parts of the country, including Cleveland, Boston, Dallas and San Diego, all strong USYF markets. The long-range plan is
to identify youth players at those camps who will form regional teams and
eventually feed the national program.
"Hopefully, we'll find another Lucas Stauffer," Tozer said. "They're out there."
With the number of players involved with futsal, it’s only a matter of time until Tozer’s MISL players give way to a generation of players brought up with the game.
With the number of players involved with futsal, it’s only a matter of time until Tozer’s MISL players give way to a generation of players brought up with the game.
It’s an exciting development, but one that will take time to
achieve. The encouraging thing is that U.S. Soccer appears headed in the right
direction with its recent inclusion of futsal in the annual schedule of the new
U13-14 youth national team.
And aside from the pleasing results in England, Tozer and
Marques came home with an invitation to play in a November international
tournament in Poland. With its success at the Four Nations tournament, it’s
hard to imagine U.S. Soccer not approving its team’s involvement.
Tozer said after the tournament that the national federation
was thrilled by the result, and rightly so.
"It came at a great time for us," Tozer said. "We talked among the coaches that we needed a result."
As you’ve read in the newsletter in recent issues, England has taken huge strides to catch up with its European competition in futsal. Peter Sturgess, the FA-appointed manager, has done more than improved the Three Lions in the 5v5 game – he's developed a national structure for futsal at the youth and adult level that currently surpasses what we have here.
As you’ve read in the newsletter in recent issues, England has taken huge strides to catch up with its European competition in futsal. Peter Sturgess, the FA-appointed manager, has done more than improved the Three Lions in the 5v5 game – he's developed a national structure for futsal at the youth and adult level that currently surpasses what we have here.
In separate phone conversations, Tozer and Marques each made
note of the national scope of the FA’s plan.
“England is very organized and way ahead of us,” Marques
said. “I was really surprised how organized they are, how they’re taking futsal
as part of the (national) program.”
Acccording to Tozer, eight regional directors work under Peter Sturgess, with each director overseeing the futsal development of around 160 players. The regional groups get together for four tournaments a year, he said.
As we’ve reported in previous newsletters, England sees the success outdoors of Spain, Italy and Brazil, and blames a share of its recent international 11v11 shortcomings on its failure to embrace futsal for youth development the way those powerhouses have.
As we’ve reported in previous newsletters, England sees the success outdoors of Spain, Italy and Brazil, and blames a share of its recent international 11v11 shortcomings on its failure to embrace futsal for youth development the way those powerhouses have.
In comparison, Marques thinks the U.S. is headed in the
right direction, however gradually.
“We’re taking baby steps, but we need to do what the FA is
doing,” he said.
But Marques acknowledges that imposing a national futsal
program is far easier in a compact country – England is roughly the size
of Oregon – than in the sprawling U.S.
That being said, U.S. Soccer, the Tozer-Marques futsal team
and USYF have taken steps recently that are encouraging.
Until the ID camps, propose regional teams and U.S. Soccer-endorsed futsal for national youth teams bear fruit, Marques said the program will rely on players who have performed well under challenging circumstances.
“What I’m so proud of is our soccer players who train with
futsal for three or four days and then go against teams like Brazil” that draw their national squads from professional teams, Marques said. “If we could get
together more often it would be great. You can’t get an A without doing the
homework.”
Have a comment? Write the editor at
davidknopf48@gmail.com.
