Beach Soccer Thread

[freakazoid]

CONCACAF battle it out in Costa Rica

The qualification campaign for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2006 continues apace next month, with the CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship due to be held between 13 and 17 September on the sands of Punta Leona in Puntarenas, Costa Rica.

Two tickets for Rio de Janeiro will be on offer to CONCACAF members during the tournament, with Canada, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Mexico and the USA set to contest the coveted places.

The five teams play each other once, with the two sides finishing highest in the table going through.

CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship

13 September
Canada - USA
Costa Rica - Jamaica

14 September
USA - Jamaica
Mexico - Canada

15 September
Jamaica - Canada
Costa Rica - Mexico

16 September
USA - Mexico
Costa Rica - Canada

17 September
Mexico - Jamaica
Costa Rica - USA


TEAMS
Area    Representative    Qualification
UEFA (5)    

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
   The European Beach Soccer League is divided into three groups playing different events. The eight best teams from these events will play in the Superfinal in Marseille (FRA) between 23 and 27 August. The top four teams and the winner of the ‘Last chance’ round will qualify.
 
CONMEBOL (2)    1. Uruguay
2. Argentina

   South America's qualifying event took place between 5-12 March in Macaé, Brazil. Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela and Uruguay took part. The two top teams from South America not including Brazil qualified.
 
CONCACAF (2)    1.
2.
   

The Qualifier for North, Central America and the Caribbean Zone will be held between 13-17 September 2006 in Costa Rica.  In a round-robin competition between Canada, Jamaica, Mexico, and the hosts, the first two teams will qualify.
 
AFC(3)    1. Bahrain
2. Japan
3. Iran     The preliminary competition took place between 21 and 26 of May in Dubai (UAE).
 
CAF (2)    1.
2.    The preliminary competition will take place from 26 to 30 September in Durban (RSA). Six teams (South Africa, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Morocco and Nigeria) will be divided into two groups of three teams each. After a round robin tournament in the group stage, the best two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals. The winners and runners-up qualify.


 
OFC (1)    1.    The qualifiers for Oceania will be held from 3
1-3 September in Tahiti between the hosts, Cook Islands, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu
 
HOST (1)    1. Brazil    The host country will qualify automatically.

[freakazoid]

do we even have a beach team?

[Grande]

do we even have a beach team?

Nah. Ironic eh. Beach Soccer world cup only come out two years ago I think.

[Coop's]

do we even have a beach team?

Nah. Ironic eh. Beach Soccer world cup only come out two years ago I think.

      This just tells us how much the things we take for granted how important they are,Beach Soccer is very popular in our country but no one thinks it's important because of where it's being played and who plays it,i grew up playing on the Beaches and so do a lot of our players, it's the thing to do when on the Beach.
       We are way behind other countries in many ways and always rating ourselves(we made the WC finals),look at the countries involved in this thing,countries we say we are better than and always putting down,how they know about this and we don't,how they could participate and we can't,Jamaica,Canada,Bahrain etc etc
       I can say without a doubt Beach Soccer is a big thing here in the US,one of the biggest tournaments is held right here in Va Beach and you have teams from all over the world taking part,this year had over 600 teams,i don't go because the place is a real mess on that weekend.   

[spideybuff]

Imagien i play beach soccer in the US regular but it have nuttin so down here.

[E-man]

Canada and USA off to Rio beach party
By: FIFA.com
 
17 Sep 2006

The USA were named top dogs of the week-long competition in Punta Leona, Costa Rica even before playing their fourth and final match. Having beaten Jamaica (5-2), Canada (3-0) and Mexico (7-4) in their first three games, their final contest with the already-eliminated hosts was a foregone conclusion as their opening win over closest chasers Canada on 13 September had them shading their northern neighbours in the head-to-head category.
 
Their emphatic win over eventual fourth-place finishers Mexico on Saturday proved enough for the Americans to move through and guarantee themselves top spot in the competition - their first official CONCACAF Beach title. The consistently impressive Yuri Morales of the USA earned his fourth and fifth goals in the affair to finish second top scorer in the regional showpiece.

The Americans, in spite of their previous dominance, finished the tournament with a loss, going down in their final match on Sunday to Costa Rica (3-2). Even with the slip-up, they finished top of the five-team group to book a place at their second consecutive FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, which will run from 2 to 12 November in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

After all was said and done, US coach Roberto Ceciliano was not entirely pleased with his side's performances over the course of the tournament. But he was predictably thrilled about the result that saw them crowned champions of North, Central America and the Caribbean.

"My team didn't play as well as I would have liked, but thank God we qualified," the boss - who led the USA to a credible display at last year's finals - remarked after watching them down a disappointing Mexico - who finished with three points from four matches - in their decisive third and penultimate match. In that game, Benyam Astorga scored the fastest goal in the tournament's history, and his second of the championship, just four seconds into the match.

 "It means a lot to be taking part in a (Beach Soccer) World Cup, because after months of hard work and preparations this is great reward," the Brazilian-born US coach went on to add.
 
A fine Canuck run
Earlier in the day at Playa Jaco, the USA's northern neighbours Canada assured themselves of the other finals place up for grabs with a 6-4 win over hosts Costa Rica in their last game. Two goals from Kyriakos Selaidopoulos and one apiece from Ian Carlos Diaz (the team's top scorer with three in four games), Damir Deco Jesic, Sipho Sibiya and Kyle Yamada saw the Canucks assure themselves of a spot in Rio with nine points from their four matches.
Tied with the US on points before the Americans' final match, but four ahead of closest chasers Costa Rica, the Canadians booked their place at their first-ever Beach Soccer world finals thanks to previous wins over Mexico (6-4) and an overwhelmed Jamaica (7-3) who lost all of their games.

"The work that we have done was very beneficial and one of the important things that has helped us is that we enjoyed what we did and enjoyed competing in this tournament," said Canada's head coach Ross Onagro. "I can not imagine what it will be like to play in Rio de Janeiro, at the (Beach Soccer) World Cup I only promised my players that we will do a good job and look what we have accomplished."

The Beach Soccer World Cup in Rio represents the first time a Canadian senior national men's side has qualified for a global FIFA competition since their shock appearance at the FIFA World Cup finals in Mexico in 1986.

In the end, Mexico's Ricardo Villalobos finished top scorer with seven goals. Canada were awarded the Fair Play prize and their goalkeeper, Jim Larkin, was named top net minder. The tournament's most valuable player was veteran US captain Francis Farberoff.

The USA and Mexico now join hosts Brazil, UEFA's five representatives Spain, Portugal, Poland, Italy and France, Uruguay and Argentina from South America, AFC's Bahrain, Japan and Iran and Oceania's hopeful Solomon Islands in the second FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup to take place on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro from 2-12 November 2006.

In the official draw for the tournament, the USA were placed into Rio 2006 Group A alongside Brazil, Poland and Japan while Canada will have to battle it out in Group B with Spain, France and Iran.

CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship standings:

1. USA              9 pts
2. Canada        9 pts
3. Costa Rica   8 pts
4. Mexico         3 pts
5. Jamaica       0 pts

[Grande]

Canada have a team and T&T doesn't?

pressure

[NYtriniwhiteboy..]

thought mexico team wudda be better!

[Andre]

i eh know if anybody following it. down to the semi's.

http://www.fifa.com/en/comp/BSWC2006/0,4806,BSWC-2006-12,00.html

Semi-finals
#   Date                         Match                              
29   11 Nov 06  09:30   FRA - URU      
30   11 Nov 06  11:00   BRA - POR

brazil mashing up everybody so far.

tv schedule:

Sat Nov 11 02:00PM Eastern
Length: 2 hr     SDD
Telemundo - EAST FEED - Eastern/Central
FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup - Semifinals

Sun Nov 12 01:00PM Eastern
Length: 2 hr     SDD
Telemundo
FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup - Final

[Mango Chow!]

i eh know if anybody following it. down to the semi's.

http://www.fifa.com/en/comp/BSWC2006/0,4806,BSWC-2006-12,00.html

Semi-finals
#   Date                         Match                              
29   11 Nov 06  09:30   FRA - URU      
30   11 Nov 06  11:00   BRA - POR

brazil mashing up everybody so far.

tv schedule:

Sat Nov 11 02:00PM Eastern
Length: 2 hr     SDD
Telemundo - EAST FEED - Eastern/Central
FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup - Semifinals

Sun Nov 12 01:00PM Eastern
Length: 2 hr     SDD
Telemundo
FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup - Final

   Boy!!! and dat is an understatement. Dem Brazilian is SOMETING ELSE!!Thanks for the info.  I din't even conceive that they might have shown this event on ANY channel in the us, my vcr will be running!.

[Andre]

ah backing the solomon islands to take dis one.

TV - http://www.soccertv.com/intl.cfm

http://www.fifa.com/beachsoccerworldcup/news/newsid=626546.html#iconic+beach+ideal+stage

Teams

Africa
 Nigeria    Senegal

Asia
 Iran    Japan
 United Arab Emirates   

Europe
 France    Italy
 Portugal    Russia
 Spain   

North and Central America
 Mexico    USA

Oceania
 Solomon Islands   

South America
 Argentina    Brazil
 Uruguay

The Associated Press
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
 

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil: Brazil, famous for its endless beaches and five World Cup titles, is almost everyone's favorite to repeat as champion when the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup begins Friday.

Sixteen nations — from the United States to the Solomon Islands — will compete for the crown on Rio de Janeiro's legendary Copacabana sands.

Largely credited with inventing the beach variation of the game, Brazilians have won 10 of the 12 championships staged annually since 1995 — nine of them on the country's beaches. And few are betting against them now.

"There can be no question that Brazil is the home of beach soccer," FIFA said on its Web site. "Brazil are red-hot favorites to retain the crown" they won last year.

But the days are gone when Brazil had a lock on the title and featured a show-time squad of retired World Cup all-stars such as Zico, Junior and Edinho. Even Romario, an ardent fan who played in the 2005 tournament, won't be on the team for this World Cup.

Originally organized as the Beach Soccer World Championship, the tournament at first was administered by Beach Soccer Worldwide of Spain, with FIFA's endorsement. Brazil hosted and won the inaugural championship and went on to win eight of the next 10, with a surprise victory by Portugal in 2001.

But in 2005, FIFA assumed control of the tournament, renamed it the Beach Soccer World Cup and staged it in Rio de Janeiro. France beat Portugal in a penalty shootout to win the title while Brazil finished third.

Brazil rebounded in 2006, beating Uruguay in the final of a tournament that had grown to 16 nations.

Over the past decade, beach soccer — a five-man game divided into three 12-minute periods on a pitch slightly longer than a basketball court and about twice as wide — has evolved from a recreational sport to a global industry, propelled by international stars such as Brazil's Junior Negao, Portugal's Alan and Madjer and Spain's Amarelle.

Its popularity "has helped to expand television coverage to large audiences in over 170 countries worldwide, making beach soccer one of the fastest growing professional sports in the world and converting it into a major showcase for international commercial opportunity," FIFA said.

Next year will be the first year the world championship will not be staged in Brazil, but rather Marseille, France, with the 2009 event slated for Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

This year, Brazil is led by striker Benjamin Pereira da Silva, better known simply as Benjamin. With over 300 goals, he trails only Nenem among Brazil's career scoring leaders. Veteran Junior Negao remains a cornerstone of the defense.

The team just won the 12th Mundialito — a Mini World Cup held this year at Rocha beach in Portimao, Portugal — beating Portugal 5-2 in the final. The victory extended Brazil's winning streak to 51 games, dating back to 2005.

The team is expected to sweep unbeaten through Group A, which includes Russia, Mexico and the Solomon Islands. Portugal is favored in Group B against the United States, Spain and Iran.

Group C is a tossup, with Italy holding a slight edge over Uruguay, Japan and Senegal. The toughest group will likely be Group D, led by Argentina and France, with Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates rounding out the group.

Still, it's likely to be a Brazilian show — again.

"Our main objective (is) retaining the world title," Brazil coach Alexandre Soares told FIFA. "We can't afford to slip up in front of our fans. We hope to do them proud and celebrate again in November."

[Coop's]

You know i looking at this thing and imagine not one Caribbean island or islands,with all these beaches and talent we have you mean we can't produce a top team,the advantage we have is we can play on our beaches year round while some countries can't,any how i just joking.Toco and Manzanilla etc have some good talent,we will not find them in town. 

[E-man]

You know i looking at this thing and imagine not one Caribbean island or islands,with all these beaches and talent we have you mean we can't produce a top team,the advantage we have is we can play on our beaches year round while some countries can't,any how i just joking.Toco and Manzanilla etc have some good talent,we will not find them in town. 

All those beaches - and the last big beach tournament was where ? 

[Andre]

eman,

it have beach kinda close to chaguanas...like cedros.

anyhow...another interesting tidbit from the beach world cup...who remember Big Momma from he days with the Tampa Bay Mutiny

Big Momma rides again



With his large frame heaving at the heart of Senegal's attack, it is not difficult to see where veteran forward Mamadou Diallo got his nickname from!

'Big Momma', the character made popular in the movies by US actor Martin Lawrence, has been a larger-than-life figure on football fields worldwide and now looks likely to crown his nomadic career with an appearance at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Brazil in November.

Diallo, who turns 36 on 21 August, was the talisman for Senegal's surprise qualification for their first-ever appearance at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup after their debut performance at the African Zone qualifiers in Durban in July.

It was the first beach soccer tournament for both Senegal and Diallo, who had played for the Lions of Teranga at full international level and whose club career has seen him playing in a staggering 12 different countries.

Diallo left Senegalese club SOTRA FC for a worldwide footballing adventure in 1992, and has since competed in four different continents in a career he is determined to continue. Recently he returned to South Africa for trials at premier league club SuperSport United, revisiting country No11 in his 12-nation crusade.

Diallo played in Morocco, Switzerland, Turkey, Norway, Germany, USA, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Malaysia, South Africa and most recently Mali in his 15-year professional career. His past clubs include MSV Duisburg, St Gallen, Lillestrom, IFK Goteborg and, for three years, a high profile stint in Major League Soccer, where he was named as the MVP seven years ago.

Diallo made a dramatic impact Stateside in the year 2000, described as a journeyman when he first signed after brief stint at Valerenga He was quickly transformed into being one of the most feared strikers in the US, scoring 26 goals in his first season with Tampa Bay Mutiny

"Mommadou runs by people, he runs over people, and he's got some decent moves - he can go inside and outside. I would never want to have to mark him," said his Mutiny team-mate Steve Ralston at the time.

At the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup qualifier in Durban, Diallo showed he had lost none of those instincts and went onto contribute vital goals as Senegal crushed Cameroon, previous FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup finals participants, in their opening round group match and ran Nigeria a close second in both the opening round and in the final.

Diallo got three goals in the final as Senegal narrowly lost 6-5 to Nigeria but also got sent off for dissent. In total, he scored 13 times in five matches in Durban, one less than the joint tournament top goal scorers, Gabriel Agu ands Isiako Olawale of Nigeria

In November, 'Big Momma', will be able to pass on the tournament experience he picked up from playing with Senegal in the 1994 CAF Africa Cup of Nations finals in Tunisia when he takes part in Rio 2007.

[Coop's]

You know i looking at this thing and imagine not one Caribbean island or islands,with all these beaches and talent we have you mean we can't produce a top team,the advantage we have is we can play on our beaches year round while some countries can't,any how i just joking.Toco and Manzanilla etc have some good talent,we will not find them in town. 

All those beaches - and the last big beach tournament was where ? 

       It's nice you brought that up i did not remember we having a Beach tournament in T&T,was that the only one or is it something that's being continued,if it was not successful we all know why,it was kept in the wrong place and i'm sure the wrong players played,you have to use hosres for courses,like you i had to laugh some body tried to make some money.  

[superoli]

A group of us was talking about this other day, and while the men skilful we was saying that it just kind of boring because you cyah move the ball on de sand is all flicks and raises.
Is not like playing on Mayaro or Marcacas where de sand more compact and you could pass on de ground.
I rather watch small goal or Futsal any day...................dats a next ting I never se small goal as played in trini played elsewhere.

When we set up in de park with our small goal people real people confused about what we going to play.

[Coop's]

A group of us was talking about this other day, and while the men skilful we was saying that it just kind of boring because you cyah move the ball on de sand is all flicks and raises.
Is not like playing on Mayaro or Marcacas where de sand more compact and you could pass on de ground.
I rather watch small goal or Futsal any day...................dats a next ting I never se small goal as played in trini played elsewhere.

When we set up in de park with our small goal people real people confused about what we going to play.

        I don't know but i tend to like it,one of the biggest tournaments is held right here in Va Beach so you have an opportunity to see teams/players from all over the world,imagine over one hundred games going on at the same time.
        I think you have to take it for what it is,it's a different surface with different rules,size field etc etc we can't expect the same type/quality of Soccer,i think it's more entertainment than anything else,teams here does pay their money just to say they play Beach Soccer.

[WestCoast]

I rather watch small goal or Futsal any day...................dats a next ting I never se small goal as played in trini played elsewhere.

When we set up in de park with our small goal people real people confused about what we going to play.

We better get FPATT to register that style of play....imagine...."Small Goal TnT Style"

[Coop's]

Brazil won the Beach World Cup final 8-2 against Mexico,at least a CONCACAF team made it to the final.

[asylumseeker]

Ah was watching highlights of the Brazil v. France game. Looked kinda exciting. Exceptional goals and even a bit of cockiness with Brazil responding in kind by scoring precisely the same type of goal scored by France ... absolute scorcher.

***

This form of the game has really taken off. Similar to beach volleyball it has developed a definition separate from the original/field form of the game. To catch up we will have to be really committed to investing in it. Right now I doh see that happening ...

Why? b/c iz already a struggle to deal with local challenges in the traditional form of the game.

[Big Magician]

shit sport....like winball cricket...and 20/20 cricket

[asylumseeker]

For perspective ... just found this article on CONCACAF's website as I was looking for news of the women versus Puerto Rico. Remembered this thread.

2.11.07 - In the first of two interviews CONCACAF.com spoke with Ramon Raya, Mexican Beach Soccer Team Coach, about his hopes for the tournament and the sport in general.

Ramon Raya got his start in football at an early age when he represented his country in the FIFA Under-16 World Cup, China 1985. He went on to play in the Mexican First Division for seven seasons, four of which were spent at Pumas UNAM a time he remembers fondly. Representing his country at U-17, U-20 and U-23 level it seemed only a matter of time before he would receive a call up for the full national team.

When the call finally came from then national team manager, Mario Velarde, it was a moment tinged with sadness. The day before Raya had injured his ankle and the doctor had pronounced him unfit to play. So Velarde told him Raya he would have been selected but the injury precluded his playing and that his chance would come again. It never did. The injuries came with increasing frequency from that moment on and playing for the full national team was not meant to be. “My story as a player is a sad one,” comments Raya, “…but as a coach I want to achieve the things I couldn’t as a player. You have a percentage of yourself on the field as a coach. It’s something I want to do for the rest of my life.”

Raya was assistant coach to Marco Octavio (who will coach Iran in the upcoming tournament) at the 2001 Beach Soccer World Championship and the experience was invaluable. He managed in the Second Division and the First Division A before he returned to beach soccer in 2006 as head coach of the Mexican Beach Soccer team. In his first World Cup qualifying group Raya’s Mexican team finished a distant fourth of five teams winning only one of four games (3:2 against Jamaica) but the experience gave his players a taste for the scale of the sport and the possibilities inherent in beach soccer.

This past August in the CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship held in Acapulco, Mexico’s two wins from three games were enough to earn the team their first ever spot in the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup. Securing a spot in the elite 16-team tournament is just step one of Raya’s plan. As he notes, “Qualifying for a World Cup was something I really wanted to do and fortunately we made it. We’re going to try and do a whole lot more [in the future]”

Finding players is a challenge and Raya conducted a research study of all the major semi-professional leagues in order to uncover new talent. Some players also come to him from the 11-a-side game such as his captain, Jose Luis Navarrette, who played more than 200 games in a seven-year spell in Mexico’s top division. Navarrette never had the chance to play for his country but in beach soccer that opportunity has come again and again.

Pride in playing for your country is a theme to which Raya increasingly returns when he is looking for new players. He shows them video of previous tournaments, talks about his own experiences, how the sport has grown and the intensity in each and every competition but his most valuable recruiting tool is the opportunity to play for Mexico. “I tell them about the importance of being in the national team. How they can be proud of the national colors, the chance to sing the national anthem before the game and just seeing guys from another country who want to be you at the thing you love the most – soccer – even if it’s on sand.”

Another strong theme for Raya is the importance of training. Put simply it’s about logging hours on the sand (as he puts it in the same way that a pilot logs flying hours). He sees the next few years as critical to the development of the sport. Time on the practice field – and indeed the ability just to gather the squad together in one place – will be a key factor in the sport’s development in Mexico. Raya is quick to point out the support the team has received from Guillermo Cantu, Director of National Teams for the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Asociation AC. Federation support is vital but what it is also needed is sponsorship to help push the sport to the next level and to keep up with the top teams.

Raya is also keen to dispel the misconception held by many which is that beach soccer is nothing more than former players playing pickup games and having fun on the sand. “Many don’t know how professional and intense the game is,” remarks Raya who also trawls the beaches of Mexico persuading players to adopt the FIFA rules – regardless of the standard of play.

...

For Mexican player Ricardo Villalobos the game against Brazil will represent an interesting milestone. The sole survivor from the Tricolores team that lost 23:3 to Brazil in a qualification fixture in 2005,

[They narrowed that gap big-time in the final]

 Villalobos will finally get his chance to exact at least a small measure of revenge. More importantly, Raya, Villalobos and the rest of the team know that they belong at the top echelon of beach soccer – something that may have seemed a long way off just two short years ago. How they progress from here remains to be seen but one thing is for sure, the team is in good hands with Raya and he will do his utmost to grow and develop the sport of beach soccer.

[E-man]

Finals start tomorrow in Dubai.

Why Trinidad hasn't fielded a team yet? In fact Bahamas was the only CFU team to do so.
CONCACAF has El Sal and Costa Rica in the finals.

[dervaig]

CR got their you know what handed to them.
They lost 5 to 1 to Russia.

Japan beat Spain via PK's after tieing 5 all.

And right now, in the 2nd period, UAE is 3 to
1 up on Port.

Bras x Nig comes later today.

[dervaig]

UAE 5 x Port 7

Bras x Nig up to bat.

[Touches]

E-man

You can't play football on Maracas Beach in TT...the lifeguards and then security will run you.

If you go behind in the back...Mona will fuss as you kicking up sand near her bake and shark stall.

[spideybuff]

yeah Mona is real fuss for everyhting...

[Disgruntled_Trini]

hull Mona stinking mudda c&*t, sweat had to run.

[E-man]

Update on the tournament: Quarters are Russia v Switzerland, Japan v Portugal, Brazil v Italy and Uruguay v Spain.

Supposedly there is supposed to be a facility as part of the refurbishment plan for Maracas.

Here's a little nostalgia for the foreign, football at Maracas and Blanchicheuse:

<a href="http://www.media.qualitytech.com/jw4.5/player-viral.swf?file=http://www.media.qualitytech.com/test/beachsoccer.flv" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.media.qualitytech.com/jw4.5/player-viral.swf?file=http://www.media.qualitytech.com/test/beachsoccer.flv</a>

[Jay10]

There is a beach volleyball court in chaguanas where they had a fooball competiton...They could use that