XSL stars represent Canada on the beach

April 20, 2009 - Xtreme Soccer League (XSL) News Release


CHICAGO (April 20, 2009) - Kyt Selaidopoulos has some advice for his new teammates on the Canadian beach soccer team - watch the bottom of your feet.

"As long as they don't get blisters on their first day on the beach, they'll be fine," said the Detroit Ignition captain, who joins Milwaukee Wave standouts Giuliano Oliviero and Marco Terminesi on the Canadian team that competes in the CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship, April 29-May 3 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The CONCACAF region includes North and Central America and the Caribbean, and the top two teams in this tournament qualify for the 2009 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Dubai, Nov. 16-22.

Selaidopoulos played for the Canadian team in 2006 when it finished second in the CONCACAF in Costa Rica -- where he picked up those blisters almost immediately -- and then reached the quarterfinals of the World Cup. The Montreal native helped recruit Oliviero and Terminesi to the 2009 team, which is coached by former Wave player Ross Ongaro.

With 33 points, Selaidopoulos was second in scoring for the Ignition, who won the inaugural XSL championship. He has been with Detroit since its inception three years ago, and previously played in Milwaukee and Montreal.

In Milwaukee he was a teammate of Oliviero, a Vancouver native. Oliviero led the XSL this season with 20 assists and was sixth in the league in scoring with 40 points.

"It's a pleasure, anytime you represent your country at any level, it's always an honor," said Oliviero, 35, who is participating in his first beach soccer event.

Terminesi, just 24, is a native of Woodbridge, Ontario. He comes off a season in which he scored 52 points, second in the XSL, and claimed league Rookie of the Year honors. He learned from Selaidopoulos that he was an option for the team, then Ongaro watched him play during the XSL season. He remained on the fence about what to do with his summer, but gradually embraced the opportunity with the Canadian team.

"Once I heard about the hotels, food and the way they take care of us, that's when I realized it's going to be a big deal," Terminesi said. "Plus, you're playing for your country, that's the thing that's going to be awesome."

Beach soccer is played with four field players plus a keeper, with three 12-minute periods in each game. With wide-open spaces, every free kick a direct try at goal and nearly full-size outdoor goals, there is plenty of scoring. The FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup is played annually; it should surprise no one that Brazil has won the last three tournaments.

"It's played in the air; you can't really dribble in sand," Oliviero said. "For those acrobatic guys, it's good for them. The goals are big, and there should be a lot of scoring."

Canada rejoins the competition after a two-year absence; it qualified for the World Cup in 2006 by finishing second. Also in the tournament are Bahamas, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico and the United States. The U.S. has won the event twice; Mexico is the defending champion.

The team trains in San Diego for three days beginning April 24, then goes to Puerto Vallarta. Selaidopoulos is already in Milwaukee to join Oliviero and Terminesi for training.

For more information on beach soccer, visit http://www.concacaf.com/competitions/beach/2009/index.aspx or http://www.fifa.com/beachsoccerworldcup/index.html.

Founded last summer by the Milwaukee Wave, Detroit Ignition, New Jersey Ironmen and Chicago Storm, the Xtreme Soccer League is more than an indoor soccer league. The Xtreme Soccer Xperience is an energetic and innovative 12-month sports lifestyle brand built around skilled soccer professionals, entertainment and fan participation -- both live and online. For more information, visit XtremeSL.net.



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