FC Virginia to host Futsal State Cup, expand futsal academy

FC Virginia has announced two major plans for the upcoming winter season which will make the game of futsal much more prevalent in the club’s training and competitive programming. FCV will play host to the US Futsal Federation Virginia State Cup in January 2016, while also expanding its futsal academy program to run throughout the winter.

Virginia Futsal State Cup will be held January 16-17. Divisions covering U-9 through U-18, boys and girls, will run throughout the weekend. Over 100 local and regional teams are expected. Winners and finalists in each division will automatically qualify for the US Futsal Federation Regional tournament in Wildwood, New Jersey over Presidents Day weekend.

Futsal is FIFA’s official variant of indoor soccer with 5 players to a side played on a hardcourt.

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“Futsal puts each player in a fast paced environment that forces them to make quick decisions, improve their footwork, and become more comfortable on the ball,” said FC Virginia Technical Director Christian Cziommer. “Futsal has been positively impacting our players over the last two winters and hosting the State Cup and investing in our futsal academy were logical next steps for the club.”

“The explosive growth of futsal across the US, and specifically in the Northern Virginia area, demonstrates that many clubs are making futsal an integral part of their training program,” said FC Virginia Director of Player Development and former Brazilian Futsal player Gus Donolo. “Our expanded futsal academy program will provide participants the opportunity to be trained by professional futsal coaches and players, improve their skills, and compete in local and regional events such as the Virginia Futsal State Cup.”

Additional information about the tournament and futsal academy will be found on the FC Virginia website www.fcvirginia.com.