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Sunday, September 23, 2007 14 Teams Qualify for AMF World Championship MENDOZA, Argentina - Fourteen teams have qualified for the ninth Futsal World Cup, which will be played Sept. 1-10 in Mendoza, Argentina.  The event is sponsored by the World Futsal Association (AMF) and will be hosted by the Argentinean Futsal Confederation (CAFS). The teams, which have already obtained the right to compete in the world championship are:  Argentina, Paraguay, Colombia, Bolivia, Russia, Belgium, Czech Republic, Catalonia, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Uruguay, Italy and Norway. That leaves two places to complete the lot of 16 participants and will lead to an elimination contest that will be played in the month of May in Mexico City, with the following participants:  Mexico, Canada, the United States, Costa Rica and the Dutch Antilles.  There is also a possibility that a team from the Arab Emirates might take part. The 16 qualified teams will be distributed into four groups of four teams each, for the first stage of the World Cup.  The drawing will be carried out in the month of May in the city of Mendoza, main seat of the important futsal event.  Argentina, Paraguay, Colombia and Bolivia, are chosen to head a group each according to AMF, presided over by the Paraguayan leader, Dr Rolando Alarcón Ríos. Second in line for the drawing will be Russia, Belgium, Czech Republic and Catalonia; 3rd in line will be Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador and Uruguay and 4th in line will be Italy, Norway and two teams, which have qualified through the elimination matches that will be organized by the Mexicans. The seats of the World Cup will be Mendoza, Godoy Cruz, Las Heras, Luján de Cuyo and Junín, according to the authority of the Argentinean Futsal Confederation, that Pedro Bonettini presides over, who in addition is Secretary General of the World Futsal Association. In Mendoza a great expectation around the worldwide championship exists and the Local Organizing Committee is completing all the details to receive the 16 participant delegations, having constant meetings. The last world cup champion was Paraguay, which in the 2003 obtained the crown in the match played on Paraguayan territory, with the participation of 20 teams. The AMF Referee Committee will meet March 23-25 in Asunción, Paraguay, to interchange opinions about the rules.  Participating will be Odilio Giménez (Argentina), Hugo Pomies (Uruguay), Angel Peralta and Emigdio González (Paraguay) and Jesus Villarraga (Colombia). “The role of the referees in the World Cup in Argentina will be very important and for that reason we will be reuniting for the first time the Referee Committee with the firm objective to interpret the rules of the game, to have a single interpretation.  As supreme authority of the AMF I hope that the benefit of the meeting will give the referees an opportunity to play a good role in the important matches that are approaching”, said AMF President Alarcón Ríos.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007 Coaches Clinic for City of Tampa The Development Office of the Federation of Futsal USA ("FEFUSA"), formerly known as US Court Soccer Federation, hosted a well attended Futsal/Court Soccer course for Coaches and Referees in the City of Tampa Bay Florida.  The course was held in the renovated Martin Luther King Recreation Center on Saturday the 11th of September from 9-12 AM.  Fifty coaches including Ms. Sandi Fialo, Superintendent of Centers and Play Grounds, also Mr. Gary Hunnicut and Mr. Marcial (Tony ) Rivera attended this first introduction to this new program.  The City of Tampa is considering including futsal/court soccer among their daily activities.  These are the first Futsal courses to be organized by FEFUSA which teaches the original version of Futsal as it was meant to be played internationally. The Federation of Futsal USA represents the World Futsal Federation in the USA and is introducing this great sport in Florida where it is not yet as popular as in the northern states of the US.  Futsal is an established sport in certain states.  Nonetheless, the traditional eleven-a-side game dominates.  Although five-a-side, and other small-sided soccer is a popular playground game, Futsal/Court Soccer has yet to gain a foothold as an official national association program. The prime objectives of the courses were: To introduce a new sport to the already very attractive sports program run by the Park and Recreation department. Over the long term, to promote the establishment of city Futsal programsthroughout the Tampa Bay area and Florida, and through these program develop outstanding players to participate in national and international tournaments organized and sanctioned by the Federation of Futsal USA and the original World Futsal Association (AMF). To focus on fundamentals of Futsal/Court Soccer. The role of the coach. The laws of the game. Futsal coaching at youth levels. Technical and tactical training.