Several weeks ago, Tom Dunmore of Pitch Invasion wrote about his trip to a Major Indoor Soccer League game in this piece for Chicago Sports Weekly, highlighting the curious combination of the world's game with typical American sports glitz.Soccer purists sometimes sneer at what they see as a bastardized version of the world's game and perhaps fear its ability to draw fans during its long and unappreciated history, seeing it as a competitor to the 11-a-side game. Unlike the outdoor game, goals are at less of a premium, removing one of the complaints often heard about soccer but also upsetting traditional fans.
Tom noted that the MISL's "hectic rock music-fueled extravaganzas" came to influence both the NFL and Arena Football. He also noted indoor soccer in America is very different from indoor soccer in the rest of the world.
In the most successful soccer nation, Brazil, a different variety of indoor soccer with a contrasting style, futsal, has become the most practised form of soccer in the country. ... Futsal, a five-a-side game, is demarked by lines and not walls, thus slowing the pace of the game and demanding more of players technically.
MISL may be the top indoor soccer league in the U.S., but futsal, the indoor soccer game sanctioned by FIFA, is the game American soccer players should be playing. Here's why.
Because of its walls, the MISL game emphasizes speed and strength in its players. Futsal, with its basketball-sized court and undersized ball, emphasizes quick reflexes, accurate passing and ball-handling creativity. As Robinho says in the video below, which features himself and fellow Brazilian Falcao, strength can't beat intelligence, and intelligence on the futsal court translates onto the full-sized pitch.
Intelligence and creativity are skills found in (and valued by) the best players in the world. Ronaldinho plays futsal.
Zinedine Zidane plays futsal.
Both those players have won the World Cup and the UEFA Champions League, plus the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year honors. That's not to say futsal automatically brings those awards to everyone who plays, but it serves as a valuable tool for improving technique, and it can help transform very good players into great players.
What's more, futsal lends itself to a flair usually found in street sports like basketball. And why not? Soccer is a street sport in many countries. Take a look at this video and tell me it doesn't look just a little of an AND1 highlight reel.
You don't see flashy tricks like that MISL matches. MISL's brand of indoor soccer practically demands cheerleaders and loud music to keep the audience's attention -- something two street-smart futsal sides could do all by themselves.
Despite the advantages it has for players, futsal maintains only a small niche in American soccer -- as opposed to countries like Argentina, Brazil, Spain and Italy, nations that frequently contend for the World Cup. The U.S. Futsal Federation continues its efforts to grow the sport in America, but it receives very little help from Major League Soccer and United Soccer Leagues. Those leagues' players could improve their skills quite a bit through playing futsal. Instead, most USL players play for MISL clubs during the offseason.
Futsal is also growing at the grass-roots level in New York, thanks to the efforts of FC Harlem, whose executive director, Irv Smalls Jr., is turning unused corners of the city into futsal courts with an eye toward making street soccer as popular as street basketball.
"In the rest of the world, soccer is an inner-city sport," Mr. Smalls said. "I want to work on this perception that its a white sport in this country, and played only out in the suburbs."
Perhaps what futsal really needs to grow in America, though, is a professional league of some sort. Such a league doesn't need to be a large endeavor in the beginning. Several small indoor football leagues, like United Indoor Football and the Continental Indoor Football League, started small and have managed to survive several years with no television coverage and minimal promotion.
All those minor football leagues play by different rules, though, so they can't organize interleague games. An American futsal club could play against any other club on the planet. What's more, futsal clubs have the ability to develop young players that could develop into world-class talents down the road. Perhaps Mark Cuban's ideas for making money in basketball could be used for futsal instead. Soccer clubs around the world are always looking for new outlets for talent.
The European clubs are only starting to look to the U.S. for talent, though, and much of that talent doesn't have the best reputation. (*cough* Fulham *cough*) Perhaps if the next generation of players learned their skills on the futsal court like the players in continental Europe and South America, the U.S. national team might have a shot of winning more than just the CONCACAF Gold Cup one day. So how do we get this ball rolling?
ADVERTISEMENT
_thumbnail.jpg "NASCAR Cowboy Hats")
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. Nice post, and couldn't agree with you more.
Posted at 10:21AM on Feb 29th 2008 by jon
2. Preach on!!
Posted at 12:49PM on Feb 29th 2008 by johan
3. You have no clue as to what you are talking about when it comes to indoor soccer vs futsal. You can call me and I'll explain. 816.309.5477.
Thanks.
Posted at 4:29PM on Feb 29th 2008 by Zoran
4. I am too bias to make comments on this topic. I was born and spent my first 24 years playing street soccer on actual real sand streets barefoot and Futsal at gyms all of Rio de Janeiro. Whoever played and excelled Streetsoccer and Futsal during the years from 5 through 14, they could definitely expose the quick thinking, talking, movement, skills and awareness learned from the games of Futsal or Streetsoccer in any soccer field as well. In Brazil, we first start playing Futsal at school and streetsoccer before and after school. It is important to mention, streetsoccer has nothing to do with 'streetballers'. Streetsoccer in Brazil, we play 4v4 with no goalie, but four guys trying to stop the ball from going into a very tiny goal. Creativity, movements, communication, fast counter-attack and hardcore defense are among the top tools needed to play and excel these games. You don't need to play Futsal nor streetsoccer in order to be successful on the soccer field. However, if you played and excelled these games of Futsal and Streetsoccer, you will differ from others who never played or even never heard about these games are actually played and how much they would bring to your game. Watch the Brazilians playing the Brazilian State and National Championships and watch MLS or even EPL, you can see who played Futsal and who didn't in two seconds!
Posted at 5:46PM on Feb 29th 2008 by Luis Paulo Oliveira
5. I am too bias to make comments on this topic. I was born and spent my first 24 years playing street soccer on actual real sand streets
barefoot and Futsal at gyms all of Rio de Janeiro. Whoever played and excelled Streetsoccer and Futsal during the years from 5 through 14, they could definitely expose the quick thinking, talking,
movement, skills and awareness learned from the games of Futsal or Streetsoccer in any soccer field as well. In Brazil, we first start playing Futsal at school and streetsoccer before and after school.
It is important to mention, streetsoccer or Futsal has nothing to do with 'streetballers'. Futsal and Streetsoccer games are simple and fun. Creativity is one of the major tools, but it is only used to define and create space towards a task...a connecting pass, a 1-on-1 situation and a shot on goal! Streetballers alone cannot play these games. Streetsoccer in Brazil, we play 4v4 with no goalie, but with four guys trying to stop the ball from going into a very tiny goal and four trying to put the ball in. Creativity, constant movement, communication, fast counter-attack and hardcore defense are among the top tools needed to play and excel these games. You don't need to play Futsal nor streetsoccer in order to be successful on the soccer field. However, if you played and
excelled these games of Futsal and Streetsoccer, you will differ from many others who never played or even never heard about these games. Most importantly, if you never really played them nor excelled them, you really cannot tell how good and beneficial they are...because you just read about them and never really felt them running through your vains. Watch the Brazilians playing the Brazilian State and National Championships and watch MLS or even EPL, you can see who played Futsal and who didn't in two seconds! You never played these games, you will definitely believe and say Brazilians play soccer so well because they are born 'soccer players'! We are so damm good because we play not only futsal and streetsoccer but Footvolley (2v2), Beach Soccer (4v4 to 11v11), Foot-tennis (2v2, 3v3 and a small targetting goal in the back) and society - smaller version of soccer - 5v5, 6v6, 7v7 and 8v8 played on the grass, hard sand and nowadays turf. Above all, we play these games for fun, but the entire world is paying us big $$$ for us to have fun and show them how is done in Brazil!!! We are way more prepared and skillful than any other country in the world because of these games I mentioned above and many others...North Americans are or can be as talented as us Brazilians - South Americans - once they change the 'bad habits' and embrace these games and the game of soccer 24/7 like we do in Brazil. Until then, any major league soccer will be only for those who are born in here...a true Brazilian like myself will just be impressed by the infra-structure of the stadiums and soccer complex only! The game itself is boring and no flavor, excitement at all...
Posted at 6:18PM on Feb 29th 2008 by Luis Paulo Oliveira
6. Futsal and the MISL are more linked than you might know. The MISL's top coach, Keith Tozer of Milwaukee, also coaches the U.S. futsal team. They're not slouches, either - they won CONCACAF in 2004, finished seventh at the worlds and went 3-1-1 this summer at the Pan Am Games.
And now, MISL teams are adding more and more Brazilians who played futsal. Milwaukee has four. New Jersey has about seven. California is adding them. It will, over time, make the MISL game a little more technical and skillful.
A lot of the MISL strategy is adapted from futsal. It's adapted to use the boards, of course, which some like and others hate. One big difference is that the MISL is so much more physical, especially in the corners and on the boards. That does slow the game down and make it harder to watch at times. But overall, it's a fun spectator sport. No one would argue, however, that futsal would do more to develop players from a young age.
Posted at 8:54PM on Feb 29th 2008 by Matt
7. Great story!
I play pick up futsal in the BK... new to it but it is so needed to the sport.
Posted at 9:22PM on Feb 29th 2008 by Ben
8. Great article!
I play pick up futsal games in a gym in the BK. so much fun! more american players should get hip to it.
Posted at 9:42PM on Feb 29th 2008 by Ben
9. I am an American and a life long soccer fan. It has always baffled me as to why this beautiful game has not been embraced and grown in our country. My ten year old daughter has taken up the game and loves it. Thanks for a great article.
Posted at 8:31AM on Mar 1st 2008 by Stroh101
10. Couldn't agree more. Indoor soccer teaches young players bad habits that they have to unlearn. Futsal teaches great technique and creativity and kids love to play it (even more than outdoor).
Posted at 10:47PM on Mar 1st 2008 by Timoteo
11. Great article. Someone here in Portland has taken the lead and opened a futsal facility about a year and a half ago (http://www.portlandfutsal.com).
It has has been extremely popular and pretty much anyone who has played there ends up preferring it to the outdoor game.
Posted at 4:08PM on Mar 2nd 2008 by Nick
12.
Great article!!!!!...I'm a Futsal player, and watch the MISL on the TV "HURTS MY EYES".
They have no skills whatsoever, and with the walls,it looks like a pickup game on a Sunday morning, half of the croud is always half asleep!!!NO wonder this sport is only played here in the United States.
They should get rid of the Indoor and make a Futsal league instead. Futsal would bring better players and more fans and attention to the game!!!!!
Posted at 2:54AM on Mar 3rd 2008 by Deco
13. As a journalist that covers the beautiful game here north of the border, I have to say that years ago I fell in love with futsal and am bewildered that the MISL hasn't had the vision to alter the game to official FIFA futsal Rules.
FIFA has not only stated, but mandated, to their member associations (countries) that futsal will be the only indoor version of the game, which means arena soccer has no future growth internationally.
The MISL should have the long term vision to build this game instead of just drawing in low-key attendances to just get by.
Futsal is the way of the future in terms of youth development and excitement as it has for South American, European and even Asian superstars for the last 50 years.
Both the USSF and the CSA (Canadian Soccer Association) need to wake up and implement futsal on a much broader scale in order to evolve from their current places in the world of soccer.
Posted at 12:45PM on Mar 3rd 2008 by Kris Fernandes
14. We introduced a FUTSAL league this winter for our community club. We split each club team into two teams and made age appopriate divisions with boys and girls combined. They play 40 minute games at the local HS with 3-4 fields going on a one time. Music, not too much coaching, they ref their own games. The players really enjoy it and have definitely improved over time.
Posted at 2:41PM on Mar 3rd 2008 by Karsten Roy
15. We introduced a FUTSAL league this winter for our community club. We split each club team into two teams and made age appopriate divisions with boys and girls combined. They play 40 minute games at the local HS with 3-4 fields going on a one time. Music, not too much coaching, they ref their own games. The players really enjoy it and have definitely improved over time.
Posted at 2:43PM on Mar 3rd 2008 by Karsten Roy
16. Amen to this article. Yes, there are a number of MISL players who love futsal (Denison Cabral is a monster in MISL and he's on the national futsal team). I would guarantee you the moves Marta put on our women's national team were learned playing futsal. Our women may be stronger, but skills kill strength. We need this in schools, not overpriced soccer facilities to appease soccer moms. Oh, and visit www.carolinafutsal.com
Posted at 8:26PM on Mar 4th 2008 by Dennis Justice