INTRODUCTION
Soccer Friends USA offers winter Futsal leagues from January to March every year, at our indoor locations in the heart of beautiful Queens. Futsal is an exciting, fast-paced small sided soccer game that is widely played across the world and is officially recognized by both UEFA and FIFA who govern European and World soccer respectively.
The nature of the game places a large emphasis on technical skill and ability in situations of high pressure, and is subsequently an excellent breeding ground for soccer competencies that can be translated into the 11-a-side format of the game. The children will have many more opportunities to be on the ball, to dribble, to pass and to shoot.
Many of the top world class footballers played Futsal in their youth and credit it with supporting their soccer development; players of the caliber of Pele, Zico, Ronaldinho, Kaka, Lionel Messi to name but a few of the South American legends all played and enjoyed Futsal. But Futsal has not just helped produce South American football stars, on the European stage Cristiano Ronaldo, Deco, Xavi, Fabregas amongst many others have played Futsal to develop their skills.
“Futsal was important in helping to develop my ball control, quick thinking, passing….also for dribbling, balance, concentration…. Futsal was very, very important, no doubt”
“Perhaps in regular soccer you cannot appreciate the talent. Everything is more physical. But in Futsal you have small details of quality, class and tactical aspects”
The surface, ball and rules create an emphasis on improvisation, creativity and technique as well as ball control and passing in small spaces
“Futsal is an extremely important way for kids to develop their skills and understanding of the game. My touch and my dribbling have come from playing Futsal”
FUTSAL HIGHLIGHTS
- Futsal is an exciting, fast-paced small sided soccer game 4 or 5 players versus 4 or 5 players.
- Whilst it is a sport in its own right, Futsal does not compete with regular soccer but serves to support it by developing skills that will make children better players, both on the soccer field and the futsal court.
- Futsal encourages young players become more agile, faster, and stronger and have better balance. It also helps youngsters become more comfortable with the ball and give them lots of opportunities to practice passing, dribbling, turning, shooting and ball control whilst under pressure.
- Compared to soccer, Futsal demands more versatile players. It’s normal for every player to play in every position on the field during the course of a game. Futsal players are not labelled as defenders, midfielders or attackers like they are in regular soccer.
- Young players will also touch the ball many more times during a game of Futsal than they do even in mini soccer, they will pass more often, shoot more and score more goals. They will also practice their skills in far more 1v1 situations than they will experience in traditional soccer.
- Futsal also encourages young players to make quick decisions whilst under pressure and in tight spaces and have better spatial awareness.
- Many of the top world class footballers played Futsal as children and credit it with supporting their footballing development; players of the caliber of Pele, Zico, Ronaldinho, Kaka, Lionel Messi to name but a few.
- It’s FUN, the children enjoy the challenge of playing a fast-paced, fun-skill-orientated game, that test their abilities.
