U.S. Futsal Team ready to kick off CONCACAF Championship in Guatemala City

The U.S. Futsal National Team is once again at a CONCACAF Futsal Championship in Guatemala City, Guatemala, where it will begin its quest to qualifying for the 2012 FIFA Futsal World Cup.

The U.S. kicks off the 2012 CONCACAF Futsal Championship on Monday, July 2, against Panama at 8 p.m. ET. The team then faces Canada at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 3, before wrapping up Group A play against host nation Guatemala at 10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, July 4. All of the team’s matches will be streamed online at CONCACAF.com.

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (2): 1-Boris Pardo (Missouri Comets), 24-Daniel Waltman (Missouri Comets)
DEFENDERS (4): 9-Patrick Healey (Baltimore Blast), 7-Ptah Myers (Baltimore Blast), 5-Sandre Naumoski (unattached), 16-Kevin Ten Eyck (Wichita Wings)
MIDFIELDERS (5): 4-Bryan Perez (Wichita Wings), 10-Angel Rivillo (Wichita Wings), 6-Nelson Santana (Syracuse Silver Knights), 14-Lucas Stauffer (unattached), 11-Matthew Stewart (Milwaukee Wave)
FORWARDS (3): 2-Kraig Chiles (San Diego Sockers), 23-Machel Millwood (Baltimore Blast), 8-Bato Radoncic (Missouri Comets)

ROSTER NOTES

• Ptah Myers, Sandre Naumoski and Matthew Stewart have previous CONCACAF Fustal Championship experience, having participated in the 2004 edition of the tournament.
• Lucas Stauffer is the youngest player on the roster and the only one born in the 1990s. The 17-year-old plays for Shattuck-St. Mary’s of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.
• Thirteen of the players on the squad traveled to Guatemala for a four-game training camp from June 3-9, with only Sandre Naumoski missing the trip.
• Waltman, Stauffer, Stewart and Kraig Chiles all participated in the 2011 Grand Prix of Futsal last October in Manaus, Brazil.

IN THE RECORD BOOKS

• Matthew Stewart leads the squad with five goals scored in a CONCACAF Futsal Championship.
• Lucas Stauffer is the youngest U.S. player to compete at the CONCACAF Futsal Championship, at 17 years, 72 days when the U.S. kicks off against Panama.

USA VS. PANAMA SERIES

• The U.S. has faced Panama three times in CONCACAF Futsal Championships, registering a 1-0-2 record.
• The U.S. played against Panama twice in the 2008 tournament, tying 1-1 in the second Group B game and winning 7-1 in the match for third place, which determined the third and final berth at the 2008 FIFA Futsal World Cup.
• Sandre Naumoski and Matthew Stewart both scored against Panama in 2008, with Naumoski scoring in the 1-1 tie during group play and Stewart tallying a hat trick in the third-place game.

USA VS. CANADA SERIES

• The U.S. has never faced Canada in CONCACAF Futsal Championship.
• Canada qualified for the CONCACAF Futsal Championship for the first time in Maple Leaf history, defeating El Salvador in a two-leg playoff series.

USA VS. GUATEMALA SERIES

• The U.S. has faced Guatemala twice in CONCACAF Futsal Championships, both times in the semifinals.
• Guatemala and the U.S. have split the spoils, with a 1-1-0 record. The U.S. won the first encounter 4-3 on Sept. 5, 1996, and Guatemala won the second 4-0 on June 7, 2008, knocking the U.S. into the third-place game.
• Wednesday’s match against Guatemala will be the 100th CONCACAF Futsal Championship game.

LAST TIME: In 2008, the U.S. Futsal National Team qualified for the 2008 FIFA Futsal World Cup but left the qualifying tournament with some unfinished business. After winning the regional title in 2004, the U.S. left Guatemala City with a bronze medal in 2008 having defeated Panama in the third-place match and booking the final CONCACAF ticket to Brazil. The U.S. started off the tournament with a 5-3 win against Haiti in Group B, followed by a 1-1 draw with Panama and a 6-2 win against Costa Rica. The U.S. then fell 4-0 to Guatemala in the semifinals before facing Panama once more, this time coming out 7-1 victors.

BY THE NUMBERS:

IN FOCUS: PANAMA
FEDERACIÓN PANAMEÑA DE FÚTBOL (FEPAFUT)
Founded: 1937 (Joined FIFA in 1938)
Head Coach: Agustin Campuzano
Best FIFA World Cup Finish: N/A
Best CONCACAF Championship Finish: Fourth Place, 2008
Key Players: Augusto Harrison, Apolinar Galvez, Oscar Hinks, Alquis Alvarado

PANAMA ROSTER BY POSITION 
GOALKEEPERS (2): Jaime Londoño (unattached), Jose Victoria (San Martín)
DEFENDERS (3): Augusto Harrison (San Martín), Edgar Rivas (Santa Marta), Miguel Bello (Perejil)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Alquis Alvarado (San Martín), Oscar Hinks (San Martín), Carlos Pérez (Perejil), Michael De León (San Martín), Fernando Mena (Perejil), Claudio Goodridge (Santa Marta)
FORWARDS (3): Enrique Valdés (La Turín), Ricardo Obregón (San Martín), Apolinar Gálvez (Samaria)

PANAMA ROSTER NOTES

• Augusto Harrison, Apolinar Galvez, Oscar Hinks and Alquis Alvarado return from the 2008 CONCACAF Futsal Championship

IN FOCUS: CANADA 
CANADA SOCCER ASSOCIATION (CSA)
Founded: 1912 (Joined FIFA in 1914)
Head Coach: Sipho Sibiya
Best FIFA World Cup Finish: First Round, 1989
Best CONCACAF Championship Finish: N/A
Key Players: Ian Bennett

CANADA ROSTER BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Roy Blanche, 14-Vincent Cournoyer, 12-Joshua Lemos
DEFENDERS (3): 4-Daniel Chamale, 2-Bruno Xavier, 13-Alvaro Yaques
MIDFIELDERS (4): 8-Robbie Aristodemo, 11-Ian Bennett, 10-Alex Elliott, 3-Robbie Tice
FORWARDS (4): 7-Steve De Blasio, 6-Louis-Charles Laliberté, 5-Jordan Ongaro, 9-Matthew Rios

CANADA ROSTER NOTES

• Midfielder Ian Bennett plays for U.S. Futsal head coach Keith Tozer at the Milwaukee Wave.
• Forward Jordan Ongaro also has U.S. ties, playing college ball at San Diego State University.

IN FOCUS: GUATEMALA
FEDERACIÓN GUATEMALTECA DE FÚTBOL (FEDEFUT)
Founded: 1919 (Joined FIFA in 1946)
Head Coach: Eduardo Estrada
Best FIFA World Cup Finish: First Round, 2000, 2008
Best CONCACAF Championship Finish: Champion, 2008
Key Players: Erick Acevedo, Carlos Merida

GUATEMALA ROSTER BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (3): Alan Jose Grijalva (Deportivo Dynamo), Carlos Merida (Farmaceuticos), William Ramirez (Glucosoral)
DEFENDERS (3): Jaime Estuardo De Leon (Glucosoral), Pablo Andres Estrada (Glucosoral), Patrick Ruiz (Glucosoral), Marvin Rene Sandoval (Glucosoral)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Alan Josue Aguilar (Glucosoral), Walter Alejandro Enriquez (Aquasistemas), Jose Rafael Gonzalez (Glucosoral), Edgar Alejandro Macal (AS Deport), Marlon Noj (Glucosoral), Edgar Ernesto Santizo (Aquasistemas), Miguel Angel Santizo (Aquasistemas)
FORWARDS (5): Erick Acevedo (Glucosoral), Manuel Aristondo (Glucosoral), Jose Carlos Mansilla (Glucosoral), Billy Joel Pineda (Glucosoral), Daniel Eduardo Tejeda (Glucosoral)

GUATEMALA ROSTER NOTES

• Seven players on Guatemala’s roster participated at the 2008 CONCACAF Futsal Championship: Erick Acevedo, Manuel Aristondo, Jamie Estuardo De Leon, Jose Rafael Gonzalez, Carlos Merida, Marlon Noj, Daniel Eduardo Tejeda.
• Guatemala is defending its regional title after claiming the 2008 CONCACAF Futsal Championship in a penalty shootout with Cuba. Guatemala won 5-3 on penalty kicks after tying 3-3 in regulation.
• Acevedo was named Most Valuable Player and Merida was named Best Goalkeeper of the 2008 CONCACAF Futsal Championship.