A pro futsal league is coming to the United States in 2018
Anyone who grew up in the 1980s and 1990s knew about indoor soccer. Teams like the Chicago Sting, Baltimore Blast, Kansas City Comets, Dallas Sidekicks, Cleveland Force, Wichita Wings, and Milwaukee Wave played on pitches the size of a hockey rink in a game that offered high-scoring and lots of action–something that critics of the outdoor game charges were non-existent. Apart from the Blast and Wave, indoor soccer teams and leagues have come and gone as frequently as Saturday morning cartoons of that era.
There is another type of indoor soccer that is played all around the world, especially in Brazil and Portugal where players such as Pele, Lionel Messi, Ronaldo, and Neymar credit it with developing their games. It is called futsal and is played on a hard court that is roughly larger than a basketball court. There are four attacking players and a goalkeeper on a side and halves are 20 minutes in length with the clock stopping for every stoppage in play. Red cards still send players for an early bath, but the team is only shorthanded for two minutes or if the other team scores whichever comes first.
CONCACAF is currently having their futsal tournament in Costa Rica for qualification to the FIFA Futsal World Cup in Colombia this September. Costa Rica, Cuba, Panama, and Guatemala have all booked their tickets for Colombia. Canada were one win away from qualification, but fell to Cuba, 7-4, in their last round-robin match. The USA, who were runners-up in the 1992 Futsal World Cup, failed to qualify after losing a play-in to Canada, 9-7 on aggregate. It is the second straight time that the USA have failed to qualify for the Futsal World Cup after making the six of the first seven. Mexico were bounced by both Panama and Guatemala in their group.
The Professional Futsal League (PFL) is set to debut in 2017 with an exhibition season, followed by a full season in 2018 with teams in “major NBA and NFL markets.” One high profile owner who has taken a stake in the league is Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.
I spoke with PFL Commissioner Keith Tozer via e-mail about the league and futsal in general. Tozer is the current USA Futsal head coach and was head coach of the Milwaukee Wave for 21 seasons and is the all-time winningest coach in indoor soccer.
Could you please give your overall thoughts on the CONCACAF Futsal Tournament play-in with Canada?
Tozer: From a coach’s stand point, I was very disappointed not to move on, but have to give a tremendous amount of credit to Canada. We were up 3-0 with 10 minutes to play in the first game, and we felt confident that we could close out. Joey Tavernese was fouled from behind, and there was no call. Canada was able to score from that, and it seemed to provide the spark Canada needed. Kyt Selaidopolus, Canada’s head coach, did a great job and having all of the players from Futsal Club Toronto, Toronto United Futsal Club, and Toronto Idolo as well as Frederico Moojen, Vahid Assadpour, and Ian Bennet from the MASL was a huge factor in the team’s success.
How do you see futsal’s role in the bigger picture of US Soccer going forward?
Tozer: I believe Futsal will continue to make a huge impact when it comes to developing that special player for the outdoor game. Youth leagues are being formed all over our country. Coaching and referee education is beginning to be offered and Futsal courts are being built in most major metropolitan cities. The emergence of the PFL will also have a huge impact for those players who can now choose a different path. The PFL is also vital for the future success of our U.S. Futsal Men’s National Team by providing the American player the opportunity to train, develop, and play at a professional level, where today players do not have that opportunity.
What can we expect to see with the PFL’s exhibition season in 2017 and then the inaugural season in 2018? How many teams do you foresee for each?
Tozer: The PFL will begin play in 2018 with 16 teams in major NBA and NFL markets in North America. Some of these cities will then host a PFL exhibition game along with other events surrounding the game in order to build excitement about their inaugural season in 2018.
How difficult is it for one to adjust from indoor soccer (i.e. MASL, etc.) to futsal?
Tozer: All players who either come from the outdoor game or from indoor do experience an adjustment period both technically as well as tactically. Because of the size of the court (spacing), the difference in the ball (low bounce & smaller), and the speed of play does naturally take time to get used to. Players who come into Futsal with good technical ability, understanding of basic soccer concepts, and possessing speed and quickness mentally and physically adapt much more quickly. The biggest adjustment we have experienced regarding positions from one form of the game to another is the position of the goalkeeper.
How difficult will it be for futsal to find its place in a crowded sporting landscape in this country?
Tozer: We all know that timing is everything, and the time for the growth of Futsal and for the Professional Futsal League is now. The recent announcement of Mark Cuban becoming a major investor in the PFL, along with the very strong ownership groups we have, provides the PFL with very successful business partners, not only in major sports like the NBA, but other businesses as well.
Another major factor for success is leadership, and our PFL Front Office consists of some of the top sports executives, including Donnie Nelson of the Dallas Mavericks, former MLS executive and PFL CEO Michael Hitchcock, successful entrepreneur Brian Dick, Christie Nelson Executive Director and Rob Andrews President of International Affairs. The future looks very bright for the PFL and for the game of Futsal.
The PFL will have an All-Star Showcase on Thursday, August 4th at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort featuring futsal superstars Falcão of Brazil and Ricardinho or Portugal.
US Soccer
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