Futsal On-Line

Overview of the AMF World Cup: Several Teams Better
than FIFA Selections

Sat, 27 Dec 2003

From Christian Prévost

Group A:

Paraguay: With no doubts an excellent squad of first
class level. The Paraguayan Futsal Federation's team
is stronger than the Paraguayan Football Association's
Futsal-FIFA team. It would be interesting to see play
this team against Brazil's CBFS squad. Some players
are also on the Paraguayan FIFA-Futsal team, and had
received threats to be suspended if they played the
AMF competition. But they played at 95 percent, for
the honour and the love of the game and for their
country. They made the good choice.

Peru: A surprising team. Very well prepared with a
high level of skill and tactique. This team, organized
by the Peruvian Futsal Association (APF), is much
better than the team of the FPF's Futsal-FIFA. Instead
to be selected by football administrators as it is
with the commission in the Peruvian Football
Federation, players are selected from the Futsal
leagues which is under control of the APF
(www.futsalperu.com.)

Belgium: An excellent team and a solid
organization.The selection was made by the Belgian
Futsal Federation (www.belgianfutsalfed.be), which is
a combine of the "French-Speaking Futsal League" LFFS
(www.footballensalle.be) and the "Flemish Futsal
League" (www.vlaamsezaalvoetbalbond.be).

Australia: Despite the results, the Australian team
was not bad. Australia's group was the hardest of the
competition with Paraguay, Peru and Belgium. The
organization is very well organized, which is coming
from Futsal Australia (www.futsalaustralia.com.au).

Group B:

Bolivia: The story of Bolivia is similar to Peru and
Paraguay. The team organized by the FEBOLFUSA
(Bolivian Futsal Federation) is composed of Futsal
players coming from Futsal leagues all around Bolivia.
A very good selection with a solid organization. High
level of technique and tactique.

Brazil: The selection of Brazil was made from the
Leagues of the States of Mato Grosso (MT), Mato Grosso
do Sul (MS) and some players from Paranà (PR). It was
not the CBFS FIFA-Futsal team, but its level was
excellent. They had the support of TV Morena (TV
Globo's partner) which organizes every year the Copa
Morena in Campo Grande, the capital of Mato Grosso do
Sul. See http://rmtonline.globo.com/ms/futsal.

Costa Rica: An excellent team organized by the Futsal
Federation of Costa Rica. The level is similar if not
better than the FIFA-Futsal team of Costa Rica.

Congo Democratic Republic: The team organized by the
Futsal Association of Congo DR (ACOFUSA), was at its
first World Cup. The selection was weak, with a lack
of preparation and experience. Many players are
playing in the championships of Belgium.

Group C:

Russia: An excellent top level team, organized by the
Futsal Federation of Russia (www.futsal-ffr.ru ).

Spain: An excellent top level team, organized by the
Spanish "National Confederation of Futsal", which is
an union of the Futsal Federations of the
States/Provinces of Spain.

Netherlands Antilles: The team organized by the Futsal
Federation of Netherlands Antilles was weak but
against Spain played intelligently (very defensive),
in order to rescue their image and the game.

Italy: The controversy of this World Cup. Initially,
the selection was supposed to be made by the Italian
Futsal Federation, which is a founding member of the
AMF. Due to some nebulous conflicts between the
Italian Futsal Federation with some AMF executive
members as the General Secretary Pedro Bonnetini from
Argentina and President Rolando Alarcon from Paraguay,
both Bonnetini and Alarcon decided to invite another
group from Italy, Kerylos Group from Sardegna, which
is organizing every year many Futsal events,
especially for Women. Despite the low level of the
team composed with regional players from Sardegna, the
presentation and organization of the Kerylos Group was
serious and professional.

Group D:

Colombia: An excellent top level team organized by the
Colombian Futsal Federation. Much better than the
FIFA-Futsal team organized by the Futsal-FIFA
Commission of the Colombian Football Federation.

Czech Republic: A good team supported by an excellent
and solid organization, the Czech Futsal Federation
(www.futsal.cz).

Ecuador: A good team supported by an excellent
organization, the Ecuatorian Futsal Federation
(www.futsalecuador.com).

Belarus: An incomplete selection/delegation consisting
of only six players with two coaches. Good players but
with Colombia, Czech Republic and Ecuador, it was
impossible for them to have enough energy until the
end.

Group E:

Argentina: An excellent team organized by the
Argentinian Futsal Confederation (CAFS). Players are
coming more from Argentina's inland regions, while the
FIFA-Futsal team is coming only from the capital,
Buenos Aires. "The level is almost similar, but
presently the FIFA-Futsal selection is a little bit
stronger," admitted CAFS President Pedro Bonnetini.

Ukraine: An excellent team, with many players who are
playing in the Russian Championship.

Canada: The Canadian club champion 2003 FC
Trois-Rivières from the Province of Québec was the
representative of Canada. This decision was made by
Futsal Canada because the club had missed the Pan
American Club Championship last August, 2003, due of
the change of date by the organizers. For its first
time in the international level, the club had clearly
a lack of tactique and experience.

Norway: A newcomer in the Futsal world, Team Norway is
going on the right way. Supported by a dynamic and
solid organization (www.futsal.no), the future and
development of Futsal in Norway is in good hands. Lack
of experience and tactique, but with willpower to do
the best.

------------------------

Refereeing: Excellent, top-level and professional work
by the referees. Satisfaction expressed by all
participants. The only negative point was some alleged
politics behind the curtains done by South American
leaders from Argentina and Paraguay relating to the
appointment and designation of referees.

Organization: An event with 20 countries is not easy
to organize, especially in a country such as Paraguay
where the financial situation is not always easy. The
resources and will power of Rolando Alarcon and his
organization showed to the world of Futsal that it is
possible to do it, even with the barriers placed by
some football leaders. The support and warmth of
Paraguay's
people in each city showed that Futsal is an
established and popular sport.

The goal was reached. Let's continue this epic for
many years. See you at the 9th Futsal World Cup.

Futsal On-Line


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