JS Online
Keith Tozer's excellent futsal adventure just keeps going and going.
The U.S. national futsal team extended its time on the court with a 7-1 victory over Panama in the third-place game of the CONCACAF championships, held last week in Guatemala City, Guatemala.
Despite not having a single returning player from its 2004 CONCACAF gold-medal winning team, the U.S. and coach Tozer qualified for the FIFA Futsal World Championships, to be held this fall in Brazil.
"If we had lost, the (U.S.) futsal program probably would have gone dormant," the Milwaukee Wave coach said of the importance of claiming the third and final regional qualifying spot. "Now we're hopping on the treadmill, and instead of jogging, we're in a high sprint."
Chicago Storm player and former Wave midfielder Matt Stewart scored three goals in the second half against Panama, and Philadelphia Kixx defender Pat Morris added two goals in the victory.
The U.S. defeated Haiti, 5-3, tied Panama, 1-1, and routed Costa Rica, 6-2 in the group stage of the tournament, but host Guatemala posted a 4-0 victory over the Americans in the semifinals. That set up the must-win game against Panama.
"Panama likes to drop back in a diamond zone defense," Tozer said. "So we decided to change strategy and drop back and counterattack. To make it work, we needed to get the first goal, and we did (a restart goal by Morris in the seventh minute)."
Tozer has coached the U.S. futsal team since 1996 and is now introducing a completely new set of players to the five-a-side game.
Baltimore Blast star Denison Cabral, a native of Brazil but now a U.S. citizen, is the captain of the squad. He grew up playing the game, but that's not the case for his teammates.
Also playing a key role on the reshaped squad is Detroit Ignition forward Jamar Beasley, brother of U.S. national team midfielder DaMarcus Beasley.
Cabral and Beasley sat out the semifinal vs. Guatemala due to yellow-card accumulation (two yellows meant a suspension).
The game was tied at halftime, but Guatemala scored twice in a 2-minute span before scoring twice more when Tozer pulled goalkeeper Nick Vorberg and went for a fifth attacker. Vorberg was the only Wave player on the squad.
"There was a crowd of more than 8,000, and I could not communicate with a player 10 feet in front of me, it was so loud," Tozer said. "They had drums, music. The atmosphere was electrifying."
The world championships draw is set for July 10, and a field of 20 teams will participate, with four groups of five countries each.
Tozer said he has spoken with U.S. Soccer Federation officials, and he has been given approval for a trip to Europe in late August and a trip to Central America in September for tune-up matches before the world championships.
"Our men's and women's national teams play more exhibition and friendly matches than any other federation in the world," Tozer said. "They've really gone out there to help our country in futsal."
