Canadian FIFA Futsal Team Selection

Courtesy: El Popular www.diarioelpopular.com

14/05/2008

Canadian FIFA Futsal selection with Latin players will participate in a tournament in Brazil: Robert Sadko

The Canadian Futsal FIFA Selection with the endorsement of the Canadian Soccer Association, continues to prepare with trainer Ross Ongaro, with a view to competing in an international tournament in the city of Fortaleza, Brazil.

By Hugo Vera Méndez

TORONTO – This event, considered like an introduction to the FIFA Futsal World Cup that will be held in Brazilian cities in the month of September, the best selections of Latin America and Europe will compete. Canada, was invited to this competition, but was on the verge of not accepting because of a lack of a Futsal team.

Robert Sadko, the outstanding leader of the Latin American community, after looking for competitions for his senior Futsal Team Cruz Azul with the collaboration of the players Roy Blanche and Adolfo Mella, connected with members of the Canadian Soccer Association, that proposed to them that they organize a Canadian selection in view to this tournament in Brazil. The news was received with joy on the part of the players of Cruz Azul and by the owner Robert Sadko; after becoming serious about the attendance of Canada by the Canadian Association, the governing soccer organization of our country in FIFA, they started practicing under the command of Alex Posadas, the Colombian World Cup player and the supervision of Ross Ongaro, official trainer of the CSA Futsal modality, who resides in the city of Edmonton.

On a recent weekend, Ross Ongaro, was personally directing the selected group with a majority of Hispanic players, some young some experienced. Ross Ongaro, is satisfied with the group of players, some of them with ample international trajectory by its previous participation in Pan-American matches in Peru, Venezuela, Mexico and not long ago in the AMF World Cup in Mendoza, Argentina.

Robert, the nominated players of the Canadian FIFA Futsal Selection…

“The majority is widely known in our indoor soccer and also Futsal leagues. Previously they comprised of Deportivo Pereira, later with Cruz Azul, but now we represent Canada: the majority are Hispano-American, who have the responsibility to defend the honor and pride of Canada. We are working with young people and with players of ample local and international experience, the selected ones are the following players: Goalies: Roy Blanche and Bobby Tsipas; Desy Humphrey, Eduardo Jáuregui, Nicholas Farfaglia, Gianni Anissi, Chris Filrope, Carlos Rojas, Matthew Rios, Mike de Luca, Adolfo Mella, Alex Lopez and Alvaro Yaquez. The officials are Robert Sadko, Manager; Rosario (Ross Ongaro) trainer; John Philpott, official doctor of the Canadian selection and a therapist”.

What says trainer Ross Ongaro, about the group of players…

“Firstly, Ross Ongaro, was present at the games of Cruz Azul in the semifinal game of the Canadian Premier FIFA Futsal league of Tony De Tomasis, we liked what we seen of the group of players, that soon would be called winter champion in the first weeks of January of this year.
When celebrating itself our participation in the international match of Brazil, trainer Ross Ongaro, sent a preparation program to Alex Posadas, who has ample knowledge of fitness and preparation of a professional soccer team.
Ross Ongaro, was trying to summon a pair of players from Edmonton, but we (those of Cruz Azul) decided that only players of our club or the province of Ontario would be chosen”.

The spirit of the players for tour to Brazil
“The group is very united, all know each other; they themselves pay their passages to Brazil. Several activities have been organized to support the cost of the passages and other activities to follow.
The host, in this case Brazil looks after the hotel, food and local transportation costs.
For all of us it is a great challenge, because never before a group of Latin players represented a Canadian selection with the total support of the Canadian Soccer Association”

The selections that participate in Brazil
“We do not know the rivals of our group of this tournament called “Grand Prix”, but Brazil, Argentina, Japan, Chile, Serbia, Paraguay, Uruguay will take part among others countries; there are four groups of four teams each in the first stage.
The first two placed teams will advance to the next phase; the teams that they do not advance will play for consolation title.
The tournament begins May 30 and concludes June 8, the Canadian delegation will leave on the 28th of this month”.

The selected players will wear uniforms that…
“They are similar to the ones used by all the Canadian soccer delegations, of red color with the official CSA standard; on our participation in Brazil, it will depend that they take to us into account for next official competitions of Futsal and because not to say it, in diverse modalities of soccer styles. Especially our work has the objective to open doors to the young Latin young players to the CSA soccer”.