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WASHINGTON AREA REGIONAL FUTSAL® LEAGUE FUTSAL® Is FIFA's ONLY Official Five-A-Side Soccer
Game
FUTSAL® (five-a-side soccer), is a registered trademark of the United States Futsal Federation, is protected by Federal Law and may only be used with the expressed written consent of USFF. |
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Brazil's Women's National Team All Grew Up
Playing FUTSAL®
In Brazil all young players grow up playing Futsal® on the thousands of concrete outdoor Futsal® courts throughout Brazil. Young players learn the skills, concepts of supporting play and self-confidence to play creative possession oriented attacking soccer by playing Futsal. Instead of playing in pick-up basketball games, Brazilian children grow up playing in pick-up Futsal® games on thousands of Futsal courts throughout Brazil. Brazil has hundreds of professional soccer teams and most, including famous clubs like Santos, Corinthians, etc., conduct tryouts for aspiring young Futsal® players. The players selected go on to play on the professional clubs youth Futsal® teams. For example, you can watch an on-line video of a U9 match between 8 and 9 year olds playing for the São Paulo and the Luso Brasileiro Football Clubs. In Brazil all youth players, including Marta, Daniela, Christiane and Formiga from the Brazilian Women's National Team, only play Futsal® and Beach Soccer until they are old enough to tryout to play FIFA's soccer game. Because Brazil has thousands of Futsal courts but only a limited number of well maintained soccer fields, youth players must wait until they are teens to tryout for the chance to play FIFA's soccer game. Futsal®, taught correctly, teaches young players the skills, match understanding and self-confidence to possess (keep) the ball while looking for teammates who are in a better position than they are in to work with. The player with the ball learns to control the ball instead of letting the ball control them. Teammates learn to support their teammate with the ball by making unselfish and creative supporting runs that help the team create scoring opportunities. In Brazil even young players learn that creative attacking and supporting runs in the creation zone or area of the soccer field or Futsal® court where goals are created is essential to play well. For example, you can watch a video from the Women's World Cup in which goals are created by Marta and the Brazilian Women's Team. Below please find articles on how playing Futsal taught Marta to play creatively and on creative play by Brazil's Women's National Team. |
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Washington Post Article . . . Brazil's Marta
Is a 10 By Michael T. Shepard For any Brazilian soccer player, the number 10 jersey hangs heavy with the weight of history. After all, it was the number worn by soccer legend Pele, as well as women's star Sissi. But the player wearing number 10 for Brazil in this year's Women's World Cup, 17-year-old midfielder Marta, would rather not dwell on the past. "I'm playing with 10, it could be 11," she said after her team defeated Norway, 4-1, last night at RFK Stadium. "People say I'm very young to wear number 10, but I feel comfortable with it." Through Brazil's first two games in the Women's World Cup, Marta has played like the famous jersey was tailor-made for her. The left-footed midfielder won player of the game honors for her performance in Brazil's 3-0 win over South Korea on Sunday: she scored the team's first goal on a penalty kick, played opportunistic defense and set up several key plays on attack. Last night Marta scored a critical goal early in the second half that opened a 3-1 lead -- just as the Norwegians had perked to life and started to threaten what was looking like a fragile 2-1 lead for Brazil. "When we scored that third goal, we calmed down a little bit," Coach Paulo Goncalves said. Before the World Cup, questions lingered about how well Brazil would withstand a physically rugged, more experienced adversary such as Norway, which defeated the United States for the gold medal at the 2000 Olympics. But Brazil's consistent, deliberate play last night dispelled any doubts, and in their first two games, the team has demonstrated far more athleticism and poise than the group that played here in 1999. "We have a younger, quicker, more dynamic and more ambitious group," said Goncalves, who has rebuilt the team, player-by-player, since taking over as head coach in 2001. One of seven teenagers on Brazil's team, Marta has emerged as a player to watch during the tournament. In international play, Marta has already left a mark by scoring 17 goals in seven games. Marta comes from the town of Dois Riachos, in the tiny northeastern state of Alagoas. She started playing soccer at the age of 7, and perfected her skills in the indoor game known in Brazil as "fut-sal" -- salon soccer. Her goal in last night's game bore all the hallmarks of indoor play: a quick opportunistic shot from a rebound by forward Maicon. Four years ago, as Brazil fought its way to third place in the Women's World Cup, Marta was just 13 and watching her country's team on television. But she already had bigger plans in mind. "I said then: 'One day I will be there playing,' " she said. ©
2003 The Washington Post Company |
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Amazing Marta Escorts Brazil to World Cup
Final
September 27, 2007
HANGZHOU,
China -- Two amazing goals from striker Marta gifted Athens Olympic
runners-up Brazil an incredible 4-0 whitewash over two-time champions
United States here on Thursday night and a final berth in the 2007 FIFA
Women's World Cup.
It was the first time for Brazil, who had not won any FIFA Women's World Cup or Olympic soccer tournament title, to advance to a World Cup final in which they would take on defending champions Germany in Shanghai on Sept. 30. Brazil also ended the United States' 51-game unbeaten run. Meanwhile, the 4-0 humiliation was the biggest-ever loss for the United States, who boast two World Cup champions (1991, 1999) and two Olympic gold medals (1996, 2000). An stunning own goal by U.S. midfielder Leslie Osborne on a Brazil's corner kick lifted Brazil to 1-0 lead in the 20th minute. Seven minutes later, Marta, FIFA best women player of 2006, broke the U.S. defense from the right wing and sent home a flash low shot. Marta, a quick-pace dribbling master, also sealed the 4-0 win in the 79th minute when she thrusted into the box from the left wing, danced past two defenders and fired another flash low shot home. With the two brilliant goals, Marta, the Player of the Match, is topping the ongoing World Cup scorer tally with seven goals. And no one would doubt that she was the top candidate for the Golden Shoe and Golden Ball Awards. Marta's partner up front Cristiane scored the third goal for Brazil on 56 minutes when she secured an accurate pass in the open box and calmly drove the ball into the net. Cristiane almost widened the gap with two close-range shots, one hitting the post and the other saved by American keeper Briana Scurry. The Brazilians' amazing skills created great trouble for the Americans who had to committed fouls to curb the Brazilian attacks, leading to a red card (double yellow) for midfielder Shannon Boxx in the 45th minute. The skillful Brazilians dominated the second half, making countless scoring chances against the ten-women U.S. team. American soccer legend Kristine Lilly, a 36-year-old veteran, almost scored a consolation goal in the 63rd minute when she got a clear shooting chance in the box. But the ball flew directly into keeper Andreia's hug. Before Thursday's match, Brazil's best result in world arena was the silver medal in Athens 2004 where they were beaten by the United States 2-1 through extra time. The United States had encountered Brazil twice in the previous World Cup events. In China 1991, the United States crushed Brazil 5-0 in group stage. In USA 1999, the United States beat Brazil 2-0 in the semi-final. In the 2003 World Cup, hosts United States were routed by Germany 3-0 in the semi-final while Brazil lost 2-1 to Sweden in the quarter-final. Germany and Sweden went on to the final and the Germans won the trophy. Now, the United States will play with Norway, who was beaten by Germany 3-0 in the semi-final on Wednesday, in the third-place playoff, also in Shanghai on Sept. 30. Photo: (AFP/Mark Ralston) Source: Copyright 2007 XINHUA NEWS AGENCY. |