Futsal Canada Champions Tournament Results

After winning the OSA Futsal Cup in February, the CSA Nationals last week, Toronto United Futsal Club have won the Canadian treble with a thrilling extra time win at the Futsal Canada Champions Tournament. Full story, photos, and video inside.

TORONTO UNITED FUTSAL CUB: 2016 MEN’S CHAMPIONS

The third annual year end competition at Queen’s University in Kingston brought out 14 teams from nine leagues stretching all the way from Northern Ontario to the Atlantic Coast of Quebec to compete at U18 Boys and Men’s competitions.

Festivities kicked off with a very special treat on Saturday as 30 youth and adult team coaches were treated to an excellent futsal coaching session by Canadian National Futsal Head Coach Kyt Selaidopoulos. Futsal Canada would like to thank Canada Soccer, particularly its Technical Director, Tony Fonseca, as well as Seldaidopoulos, for the valuable session which was very well received by all attendees.

COACHING CLINIC LED BY CSA NATIONAL FUTSAL COACH KYT SELAIDOPOULOS

After a series of excellent group stage matches and a great networking and tapas event at Tango Nuevo on opening day, as expected, the action on Sunday saw some incredible intensity, drama, and plenty of golazos.

STARS OF TOMORROW SHINE BRIGHT TODAY

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS HERE

The opening match featured the U18’s 5th place match between Imperial Gaspé defeating local side Kingston Clippers by a 9-4 score.

Toronto United Futsal Club U18’s finished in first place in Group A but were stifled at the semi-final stage against a highly disciplined and defensively sound Ottawa Dragons side that hung on by the skin of their teeth to advance with a 4-3 score. In Group B it was Toronto Barcelona that finished top of the table before moving to the semis to oust an athletic Sudbury Celtic side with a dominant 7-1 performance.

The Dragons ruined any chance of a Toronto derby for th final and were coming in to win the first ever Futsal Canada Cup trophy for Ottawa. They started off well with a quick goal before conceding a trio of goals before half and were fortunate not to concede more due to foul trouble near the buzzer.

The 2nd hald saw a masterclass performance by Ricardo Machado as he scored five goals in the final to ensure a 10-5 win and the title for the North York based side.

SUDBURY CELTIC U18 (L) and TORONTO BARCELONA U18(R)                TORONTO BARCELONA: 2016 U18 BOYS CHAMPIONS

TORONTO UNITED FUTSAL WIN CANADIAN TREBLE

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS HERE

It has been an excellent first season for the newly formed Toronto United Futsal Club. With Canadian Assistant Coach Lorenzo Redwood taking the helm of the ship the experienced side delivered championship performances at the Sudbury Futsal Cup, OSA Futsal Cup and the CSA National Championships and came into the tournament looking to earn the coveted treble. They defeated Sudbury District Futsal Club, Hamilton Futsal, and Kingston Boca in group play en route to the semi-final stage where they edged out a tenacious and skilled Tika-Taka side of Gatineau in a close 2-1 contest to earn a spot in the final.

In their way was a familiar foe in Barrie Futsal Club who were going a step further this year after being eliminated in the semi-final stage in each of the previous two competitions. Going 3-0 in the group stage with victories over Kingston BC, Tika-Taka, and Sudbury Celtic, they were down 3-1 against Sudbury District Futsal at half before turning on the jets led by Joao Filla to complete the comeback with a 4-3 victory.

To say this was a back and forth championship would be an epic understatement. Both squads, separated by only showcased some of the best in Canadian futsal with 2012 national team hero Matthew Rios, Luigi Caruso, Joao Filla, and Jonathan Zarcone making big impacts.

Both teams were tied at 5-5 going into the break and the action only intensified in the 2nd. Rios partnered up well with 22 year old Jonathan Osorio whose vicious left footed strikes caused fits for Barrie all game long. With TUF leading 8-7 late in the half and with both teams fouling out, it was Zarcone who stood tall for Barrie, delivering a blistering strike and then with under a minute remaining was awarded an accumulated penalty that could seal the title. His rocket beat Caruso but smashed off the post which brought the game to extra time.

The opening two minutes of the first extra frame would see United come out from the get go, with young guns Edson Jimenez and a fired up Osorio leading the way. United would score a remarkable three goals in that stretch and that would be the difference as they earned a Canadian treble with an 11-8 win.

BARRIE FC (L) and SUDBURY CELTIC MEN (White and Green)