NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, CFL stats



Force Defender Selected To Participate In Futsal World Championship

October 28, 2004 - Major Indoor Soccer League 2 (MISL 2)
Cleveland Force News Release


CLEVELAND, OHIO - Cleveland Force President and General Manager Paul Garofolo announced today that defender John Ball will join the U.S. National Futsal Team for the FIFA Futsal World Championship 2004 in Chinese Taipei from Nov. 21 to Dec. 5.

Futsal, the international version of indoor soccer, is a derivative of the outdoor game played with five players on each side (four field players and a goalkeeper) utilizing a limited-bounce ball on an open (wall-less) court slightly bigger than a basketball court.

The U.S. Team, which again will be led by Milwaukee Wave Head Coach Keith Tozer, will feature 13 of its 14 members on Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) rosters. Besides Ball of the Force, seven other teams in the MISL are represented with players on the U.S Futsal squad featuring one player from the two-time defending MISL Champion Baltimore Blast, one from the expansion Chicago Storm, one from the Kansas City Comets, four from the Milwaukee Wave, two from the Philadelphia KiXX, two from the San Diego Sockers and one from the St. Louis Steamers. The 14th player is former Baltimore Blast goalkeeper Scott Hileman, who retired from the MISL after the 2003-04 season.

Ball, who is in his 10th season with the Force, has appeared in 37 straight games for Cleveland. He recorded a game-high six shots in the Force first game on October 23. In addition, John notched his 100th career assist on his first of two assists in the game.

The U.S. will depart for Chinese Taipei on Nov. 14 and their first game will be played one week later. 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. The U.S. opens play in Tao Yuan County on Nov. 21 vs. Italy, and will play their second match vs. Paraguay on Nov. 23. The U.S. will close group play vs. Japan on Nov. 25 in Taipei City, the nation's capital. The top two teams from each of four groups advance to the knockout stage of the tournament, which will begin on Nov. 27.

With their appearance in November, the U.S. will have taken part in four of the five FIFA Futsal World Championships after missing out in 2000. At the first two World Championship events in 1989 and 1992, the U.S. finished third and second, respectively. The 1989 team was the first at any level for men or women to place in the top three at a FIFA event. Beaten in the final by Brazil in 1992 by a 4-1 margin, the U.S. Futsal team posted the best finish of any U.S. Soccer men's team at a FIFA event.

• Discuss this story on the Major Indoor Soccer League 2 message board...

Major Indoor Soccer League 2 Stories from October 28, 2004


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Cleveland Force Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central