National Team Takeover: Ellie Pope

Bonjour! My name is Ellie Pope and I am posting from the U.S. Youth Futsal National Team event in Toronto. I am 16 years old and from Concord, N.H.

In futsal, my preferred position is pivo, then fixo. This is my second time playing my favorite sport, futsal, outside the U.S. -- the last time was in Spain. This is the first U.S. Youth Futsal event for the youth national teams and it is an honor to be posting about it!

Today was the second full day of activities. We had breakfast around 9 and then had a team meeting to prepare for our first match against a Canadian team. We had lunch as a team at noon and left on the bus with the U14 girls for our matches.

Our game against the Canadian team was played at the brand new Pan American Sports Centre, which is amazing. It was great to be able to play on a larger court and gave us all a sense of what it is like to play at the highest level and with a stopped clock.

The group of girls on the team are really nice and fun to play with. I am excited for the future of women's futsal in the U.S and can't wait to continue to grow in and learn about the beauty of futsal! :)

Ellie Pope is a member of the U.S. Youth Futsal U16 girls national team. She lives in Concord, N.H.

Youth National Team Takeover: Mikayla Kappes

Today was the first full day of activities for all the U.S. Youth Futsal national teams. This morning after having breakfast as a team, we did some team bonding. Our coach, Jason Miller, has us write down our goals for the trip. Along with improving on technical and tactical skills, most of us said that we wanted to win our games against Canada. After we all shared our goals, Coach Ty Stauffer advised that we make more specific goals than just 'to win." He urged that winning and overall success will come as a byproduct of hard work, focus, organization, heart, etcetera and if we strive for those characteristics then success will follow. His message really hit home with me and throughout the day I made little mental notes and even physically wrote down specific personal and team goals as they came to me. 

Later that day we had training at the beautiful Pan American Sports Centre here in Toronto. The training was really fun and it was great to get my legs moving and start playing with the team. On the bus ride back to our hotel as I sat talking with my new friend and teammate Raleigh, I couldn't stop thinking how grateful I am for this opportunity to play with such high level and friendly girls -- and how excited I am for our first game against the Canadians on Monday. 

At night my team and I had dinner at a local restaurant with all of the other U.S. Youth Futsal national teams and the coaching staff. After just one full day of already so many awesome memories and experiences, I can't wait to see what the rest of this trip holds.

Mikayla Kappes is a member of the U.S. Youth Futsal U16 girls national team. She hails from San Diego.

Youth National Team Takeover: Vida Raietparvar

The experience has been amazing! At first it's kind of awkward being around people that you don't know from different states, but when you talk to them you realize that they're not different from you. They're from different states and yes they have different habits and such, but once you talk to them you're like "oh, this is someone I can actually hang out with."

Canada isn't a different story. I mean yes it's a different country and yes they were going to be different in some sort of way, but once you go into the country you realize it is nothing like you expected. Once you finally step out of your shell and you have the courage to talk to them, you realize that they're pretty cool people. Another cool thing is that you can go see different talented players from different places around the world and can take inspiration and put that into your game. 

This is my experience so far and it's been a heck of a good one, too!

Vida Raietparvar (below left, with teammate Abby Smith) is a member of the U.S. Youth Futsal U14 girls national team. She hails from Dallas.

Welcome to Toronto

The United States Youth Futsal National Teams arrived in Toronto Saturday with little fanfare but enormous excitement. Fifty-three of the best futsal players from across the country met their teammates and started to bond in advance of international matches scheduled for Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday with top Canadian teams.

The outstanding efforts of coordinator Soorena Farboodmanesh made for a very smooth start to the trip -- arrivals, the welcome meeting and the kit distribution went swimmingly.

If the first few hours were any indication, it will indeed be an incredible futsal experience for everyone. I am proud to be a part of U.S. Youth Futsal and honored to be serving as coach of the U16 girls team.

This long-awaited competition is a wonderful opportunity to develop individually and collectively, and show the world that the U.S. Youth Futsal National Teams play with tremendous quality, intensity and class. 

Over the next few days this space will be filled by the players, who will share their observations from this historic event.

~ Jason Miller, Director of Communications, U.S. Youth Futsal

Youth National Team schedule & rosters announced

OVERLAND PARK, KAN. (Dec. 24, 2014) - The final rosters and schedule have been announced for this week's U.S. Youth Futsal National Team trip to Toronto. "It is an historical event in our country's futsal history," said U.S. Youth Futsal Technical Director Keith Tozer. "I am looking forward to some great international futsal!" The first-ever youth national futsal teams will compete against top Canadian clubs in a three match series at the brand new, $205 million dollar Toronto Pan American Sports Centre, a legacy project of the 2015 Pan Am and Parapan Games. "We are excited to bring this great event to the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre, which we look to make one of the preeminent venues for the game on the continent," said Rafa Torre, Director of Sport and Recreation for TPASC.    The U.S. Youth Futsal teams were selected after a year-long sequence of regional and national identification camps, which led to the first-ever boys and girls youth national futsal teams.   "We are very pleased to welcome our neighbors from the south for what will be a fantastic event at a phenomenal venue," said Kris Fernandes, Futsal Canada's Director of Operations. "We will see some excellent young futsallers from across North America showcasing their skills on the court." Leading the United States' delegation are Tozer, Director of Goalkeeping Mark Litton and youth national team coaches Craig Canavan, Fabio Caresia, Soorena Farboodmanesh, Jason Miller, Otto Orf and Ty Stauffer.  "We have been waiting a very long time for this to happen and are making history for futsal in North America," said Tozer, who also serves as head coach of the U.S. Men's National Futsal Team. "I cannot tell you how excited I am for this historic trip to Canada!" U14 (2000-01) Boys Match Schedule  12/29, 12 pm 12/30, 3 pm 12/31, 11:30 am  U14 (2000-01) Girls Match Schedule  12/29, 3 pm  12/30, 12 pm  12/31, 10 am  U16 (1998-99) Boys Match Schedule  12/29, 1:30 pm  12/30, 4:30 pm  12/31, 2:30 pm  U16 (1998-99) Girls Match Schedule  12/29, 4:30 pm  12/30, 1:30 pm  12/31, 1 pm  U14 (2000-01) Boys Roster GOALKEEPERS (2): David Merola (Overland Park, Kan.), Alex Wood (Westford, Mass.) OUTFIELD PLAYERS (12): Bryce Blevins (Plainfield, Ill.), Joel Bustamante (Chula Vista, Calif.), Eric Calvillo (Manassas, Va.), Nathaniel Cardoza (South Easton, Mass.), Trent Dreyer (Lewisville, Texas), Jonathan Ferreira (Ashland, Mass.), Johan Gomez (Keller, Texas), Jonah Moore (Washington), Byron Peng (Coppell, Texas), Luke Rafanan (Overland Park, Kan.), Max Rugova (Overland Park, Kan.), Alexander Vivar (San Diego, Calif.) U14 (2000-01) Girls Roster GOALKEEPERS (2): Shelby Helton (Owensboro, Ky.), Bobbi Sandifer (Owensboro, Ky.) OUTFIELD PLAYERS (11): Tiffany Bernot (Old Westbury, N.Y.), Renae Blevins (Plainfield, Ill.), Gabriella DelPico (Brockton, Mass.), Natalie Hinchcliffe (Owensboro, Ky.), Felicia Knox (Shawnee, Kan.), Jessica Magerman (Bellingham, Mass.), Amber McCorkle (San Diego, Calif.), Vida Raietparvar (Denton, Texas), Mackenzie Simpson (San Diego, Calif.), Abby Smith (Flower Mound, Texas), Annie Stauffer (Owensboro, Ky.) U16 (1998-99) Boys Roster GOALKEEPERS (2): Colton Purcell (Frisco, Texas), Steven Tekesky (Raymore, Mo.) OUTFIELD PLAYERS (12): Alec Bakkeby (San Diego), Fernando Borges (Olathe, Kan.), Alex Kaddah (Blue Springs, Mo.), John Leisman (Kansas City, Mo.), Andrew McLeod (Overland Park, Kan.), Duncan Mergen (Long Valley, N.J.), Stephen Milhoan (Medina, Ohio), Graham Miller (Owensboro, Ky.), Nathan Peterjohn (North Royalton, Ohio), Christopher Pinkham (Concord, N.H.), Tucker Sparks (Plano, Texas), Paul Whitener (Kansas City, Mo.) U16 (1998-99) Girls Roster GOALKEEPERS (2): Kiara Grimes (West Sayville, N.Y.), Amber Huff (Boulevard, Calif.) OUTFIELD PLAYERS (10): Riley Christensen (Waukesha, Wis.), Mikayla Kappes (San Diego, Calif.), Tziarra King (Sicklerville, N.J.), Raleigh Loughman (Coppell, Texas), Candace Metcalfe (Freeport, Fla.), Lauryn Oishi (Honolulu), Madallyn Peveler (Owensboro, Ky.), Ellie Pope (Concord, N.H.), Auburn Suttles (Chandler, Ind.), Francesca Venezia (Wantagh, N.Y.)

National Team Takeover: Keith Tozer

U.S. Men's National Futsal Team
Head Coach Keith Tozer (l) and
Assistant Coach Vava Marques

My futsal journey started in 1986 when I had the honor of representing the United States in Budapest, Hungary with the U.S. Men's National FutsalTeam in one of the first international futsal tournaments. Since then I have been the head coach of the U.S. for 17 years coaching in five CONCACAF Championships, two World Cups and the 2007 Pan American games. In addition to my coaching duties I am also very proud to be the Technical Director of U.S. Youth Futsal as well as serving as a FIFA Futsal Instructor.

This past summer has been nothing but amazing for so many reasons regarding U.S. Men's National Futsal Team matches, U.S. Youth Futsal Youth National Teams, U.S. Soccer Futsal coaching education, player identification and so much more.

After playing five matches in Argentina, the national team has played a total of 10 matches in the past three months! This has been such a great opportunity to identify players, gain valuable game experience and tactical analysis as well as building team chemistry. In the past, we sometimes didn't play 10 games in three years! U.S. Soccer is now very much committed toward qualifying in the 2016 CONCACAF Championships.

We had great U.S. Youth Futsal I.D. camps this past year throughout our original five regions, culminating with the National I.D. Camp in Kansas City where we had all regions represented and subsequently selected the first-ever U.S. Youth Futsal National Teams. The talent level was fantastic -- in fact we selected John Leisman from to the full men's national team for our trip to Argentina and John did quite well scoring his first goal at the senior level! The U.S. Youth Futsal coaching staff has been created with some of the best former national team players like Sean Bowers, Jon Parry and Otto Orf. The future looks bright for our youth players direct path to the full men's national team. I firmly believe that we are not far away from creating a full women's national futsal team to create the same path for girls.



We have conducted two U.S. Youth Futsal coaching courses last year in Boston and Dallas. Just recently I presented a futsal module for the first time in U.S. soccer history during the outdoor "B" license course and now we will offer U.S. Youth Futsal Coaching Certification courses in all the regions starting in Boston in October.

Last Sunday in Brasilia, Brazil, the Argentina and Brazil Men's National Futsal Teams contested the first-ever international futsal match played in a outdoor stadium and drew more than 55,000 spectators. Brazil won 4-1 but most importantly it showed how much the game of futsal has grown world wide in just the past 10 years.

As you can see there has been so much growth within the game of futsal regarding coaching education, player development and identification, creating youth national teams, regional coaching staffs, national coaching certification courses that the   future is very bright for the game of futsal! VIVA LA FUTSAL! 

National Team Takeover: Brian Harris

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Brian Harris

ello from Argentina! My name is Brian Harris and I'm a fixo for the U.S. Men's National Futsal team. I play for the Missouri Comets in the MASL (Major Arena Soccer League) and I'm a defender.

Our final full day started with breakfast and afterward we had a great walk through for our game that night. Danny Waltman challenged me to a whipping childhood cancer challenge which consisted of taking a pie to the face. In Argentina they have a different kind of cream. The video is coming.

That night we played a local pro team that was a quality side. After he game we were invited to the Governor's house for a nice dinner. 

The overall trip was an amazing experience. We played four games against the fifth-ranked team in the world and there was vast improvement for each individual and most importantly, the team. I look forward to the day that we are able to train and play futsal on a regular basis -- especially given how fast we picked up on things and improved.

Also, that says so much for the coaching staff as they do an awesome job preparing us for each training and each game. It has been a great journey and was nice to end with a win.