Chicago Storm Midfielder Andy Guastaferro Selected to U.S. Futsal National Team

September 15, 2004 - Major Indoor Soccer League 2 (MISL 2)
Chicago Storm News Release


Chicago (Tuesday, September 14, 2004) – Chicago Storm midfielder Andy Guastaferro (pronounced: gwa-stuh-fair-O) was named to the United States Futsal National Team by head coach Keith Tozer as part of the 14-player roster that is currently in Brazil for an eight-day training camp to prepare for the FIFA Futsal World Championship 2004.

The 26-year-old midfielder rejoins the team for the training camp after he had a stellar performance during the qualifying tournament this past July in Costa Rica, earning seven appearances and scoring three goals, all on penalty kicks. Guastaferro played a crucial role against Cuba, netting a penalty kick to tie the score at 1-1 and allowed the U.S. team to advance to the semifinals of the CONCACAF qualifying tournament.

The U.S. is preparing for the FIFA Futsal World Championship 2004 which will be played from November 21 to December 5, 2004 in Chinese Taipei. The U.S., which qualified by winning the 2004 CONCACAF Futsal Championship in July in Costa Rica, was drawn into Group C with Italy, Japan and Paraguay. Brazil, regarded as one of the top futsal nations in the world, also qualified for the World Championship and will face Australia, Czech Republic and Thailand in Group B.

The U.S. is slated for another two exhibition games to be played Tuesday, Sept. 14 and will travel from Sao Paulo to Campo Grande on Wednesday where they will face the Brazil National Futsal Team on Friday and Saturday.Futsal is a sport that is a derivative of soccer played with five-man teams on a basketball style court, with no walls and a low bouncing ball, unlike the traditional sport of U.S. indoor soccer played with a six-man squads and walls. Great soccer superstars such as Pele, Zico and Ronaldo grew up playing the game and credit futsal with developing their skills.



Major Indoor Soccer League 2 Stories from September 15, 2004


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