Pitch Perfect!

Well my new Futsal Fanatics, the grass may be greener on the other side, but you've been watching the World Cup so you also know that grass is wet, and it's sticky, and it's submerged at times, comes apart at the seams, and just may have piranhas swimming around it at the stadium situated in the middle of the freaking Amazon. Oh yeah, and in the off chance its lustrous green pigment fades in the 100 degree weather, no worries, they just spray paint it...

Ah Braaaaziiiil.

Pictured above is the aforementioned venue in tropical Manaus. If I were this guy I would go with the John Deer Green or Satin Apple, only $22.56 at Home Depot.

While the Brazilian grounds crew work hard at feeding their white elephants, I will take this time to introduce you to a pitch that always stays true, and more importantly, always stays blue, (at least the really cool ones do).

Ladies and Gentleman, The Futsal court -

One of the Seven Wonders of The World, and how cool are those spiky things in the back??

Since the sport of Futsal is so relatively young in the U.S., you can only imagine the varied surfaces you may whiteness the game being played on. Cement, wood, turf, grass. However, the only courts that FIFA truly sanctions are the style that are pictured above. Most of which are made from PP plastic, Polypropylene to you gifted sort, and the same material you make thermal underwear with for those of us who sat in the back.

In the interest of staying interesting I will not pound everyone with measurements and specs. I have included an edited version of the FIFA Futsal Laws so you can read up on the exact size and lining of a true Futsal court. However, please remember what I said in my first blog.  You will whiteness all aspects of my journey building this league. Therefore, one thing I am learning how to do is Blog, and quite frankly I have no idea if this PDF will look to you the way it looks to me. To be safe, below is a link that will lead you to the full law book. Just skip to page 6, and don't read ahead or you'll ruin my fun.

FIFA FUTSAL LAWS

FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game Edit Court Specs.pdf

In all seriousness though, think about the material of the court, smooth hard plastic. Can you imagine how the ball races from one end of the court to the other? Now take into account the dimensions. A full size pitch for international Futball play is 105 m long by 68 m wide. A Futsal court for international play is only 38 m long by 25 m wide. Place ten players on that plastic court at 5 a side with a size 4 Futsal ball and my friends, you have pace. The exact skill that is essential to the young player of today.

I recently read a FIFA article published in 2012 that truly captures the intensity of developing your skills in a compact Futsal environment:

"Playing Futball in (Futsal) conditions corresponds to playing 37v37 on a full sized pitch. It is obvious that better technical skills are required to get past defenders standing so much closer together."

  - FIFA

I feel the need, the need for speed!.................. and touch.

Nick Martinez

N.Martinez@socalfutsal5.com

I Believe That Seal Will Win!!!

If you've been avoiding freshly baked pretzels with Rhinegeld, bratwurst with sauerkraut, and a fine room temperature Dulken...

If you've been waiting for your wife to return from soccer practice with your Jeep because there is no way you'll ever drive her Volkswagen...

If you've suddenly broke out your Seal CD collection because you feel in some strange way it may send bad energy towards Heidi Klum, well then my friend,

You've been preparing for the final day of group G play. Our yankie boys stepping toe to toe with the Meisters of Germany.

                 

 I know what you're thinking, "Seal is British!". So? Just play along, it's funny.

I'll tell you one thing that isn't funny, our national team failing to make it out of the group because of a 30 second lapse in concentration. However, if our country is to ever prove to the world that we are becoming a Futball nation, there is no better time than now. 

Yes, the U.S. and Germany could move on with a tie, which could be very possible if no one has scored by the 75th or 80th minute. But I think I speak for our country, our sport, and our Futball future when I say in the words of a great american:

"JUST WIN BABY!"

                                                                     - Al Davis

There could be no greater challenge. There could be no greater stage. And playing the way our boys  have, with such spirit and conviction, in the group of death, in the amazon, in a time when this beautiful game has the potential to progress in American recognition and market share. I say, we need this. Futball and Futsal needs this.

Its called inspiration, hope, a wish, serious Jiminy Cricket stuff. We have witnessed ultimate success in every other american played sport, even Hockey!!

                                                        "Do You Believe in Miracles?!"

                                                                   - Al Michael's

I'll tell you something though, it feels just a little different this time around. The U.S. has left the underdog realm and entered the year of the Dark Horse. And I don't just say this, for I am passionate about German futball. I follow all things German soccer so this is a bitter-sweet day for me. Klinsmann, Ballak, Schweinsteiger, Klose, Lahm, Muller, its all Deutscher Bund to me.

But it's the very reason why I wanted to start the SOCAL Futsal 5 league. To help our country compete with the likes of the very opponent they are about to face in just a few hours. It begins with us, you and me and our kids. We need to provide better coaching, better training, better systems, and the only thing our kids need to do is be inspired, be motivated, and know that WE WILL WIN.

P.S. Update: The area flooded, U.S fans stranded, field a soggy mess. Our LA Galaxy boy Gonzalez in the starting line up after a long hiatus... I call it THE PERFECT STORM.

Nick Martinez
N.Martinez@SOCALfutsal5.com

                                                                 

Ready to Sink My Teeth Into This! Sorry Suarez, No Pun Intended.

The Bite Heard 'Round The World!!

And a walk down the Hall of Fang... sorry, couldn't resist.

Now that we're hungry, I want to sink our teeth deeper into the understanding of Futsal. What is it? I asked in our last post,  not attempting to be snide, but to shed light on how little is truly known of  such an important sport. 

Simply put, Futsal is Futball, or Soccer for the unassuming american, fielding only 5 a side.  

More Importantly, it is the official UEFA and FIFA version of 5 v 5. That's right homies, Globe Cred.

Seriously though, this is Futball in its purest form, no additives, no preservatives. It is the essential precursor to the outdoor game of Soccer. Touch, Passing, Vision, Speed, Striking, the sport of Futsal is widely viewed as the ideal skill building environment for producing technically excellent Futball players.

Ever heard of this guy? 

Me neither, lets move on.

As the only internationally recognized small sided Futball game, "Futsal" comes from the Portugese phrase "futebol de salao" or the Spanish "futbol de sala" which basically means indoor Futball. The game originated in the 1930's and is attributed to the natural skills and playing style associated with Brazilian Futball specifically. To put the age of this game in perspective, lets look at what else was going on during the birth of this fabulous sport:

1. The Great Depression... not so fabulous, sorry for the downer.

So we're clear, this is a sport in its own right, enriching the outdoor game, but an event in and of itself. Futsal is played professionally in countries throughout the world and the Futsal players are revered just as much as the outdoor players you are watching in the World Cup.

Know this guy?

I do, Falcao. 

You can draw direct lines from Futsal playing countries to the world Futball giants ranked highest in the world such as Brazil, Spain and Argentina. Unfortunately, the global understanding is that the United States is behind when it comes to developing its Futball talent. Therefore, it is imperative that we introduce the benefits of Futsal to our youth so we too can develop the quality and spirit that is favored at the highest level of "The Beautiful Game". 

What else should we introduce? Good sportsmanship perhaps? 

In that vein, let us turn this message over to the man of the hour, Mr Luis Suarez!!! (Applause)

"I Vont To Suck Ala"

You'll get it in future posts, hang in there.

Nick Martinez

N.Martinez@SOCALfutsal.com

A Milwaukee Epiphany, Futsal Frenzy, and Sausage Sprints

"You are at the forefront of the Futsal Movement."

It's what Keith Tozer, Coach of the United States Futsal Team told me, okay us, at the USYF Futsal Leadership Summit earlier this month. I was just a guest at the time, but now I am a League Owner on that "covered wagon, heading for the coast". Another one of Coach's ironic California references that had me yelling "Eureka!!" as I departed Milwaukee to return to Los Angeles.

So here I am, sitting late on a Monday night (now Tuesday Morning) watching the Italian Sausage win yet another heat on SportsCenter thinking, "so where is this gold?"

"Easy numb nut, it's in South America!!" And in four years we'll be standing shirtless in Moscow with Putin screaming "I believe that we will win!", and in eight years it'll be summer in Qatar!!!...wait, maybe Australia. Anyway, my point is, Tozer wasn't telling me to go back to the coast and build a Futsal mining camp, nooooooo, he meant cities, communities, societies that include Futsal. And through the development of this sport we will find our gold: better players, better clubs, better national teams, better World Cup.

And how poignant is it that we talk about the development of our U.S. Futball (thats right, I said Futball dammit) players during this week of anticipation. Will they make it out of the group, or won't they??

I'll tell you one thing, in this competition our players and fans have already seen, and will continue to see the impact of a Futsal on this World Cup:

Ronaldo Foot Work v. USA

Yes ladies, he's not just pretty, he happens to be arguably the best player in the world.

"In Portugal, all we played growing up was Futsal. The smaller court helped my footwork skills... If it wasn't for Futsal, I would definitely not be the player I am today."

            - Cristiano Rinaldo


I know all of the jumping around between my Milwaukee epiphany, Futsal frenzy, and sausage sprints may seem a little erratic and obscure at this time, but I ask you to hang with me on this journey.  I look to describe the growth of a new Futsal league in Southern California in real time. The good, the bad, the ugly, and ultimately, the success.

Let's bring a sport that has been played around the world for almost 100 years to the forefront of our soccer player's development here in the states.

Join me, as we begin strengthening the Futsal presence in Orange County and expand north along Interstate 5 into the greater Los Angeles area.

This is OUR story, yours and mine, we are at the forefront of the Futsal movement educating our soccer youth in the key elements of:

Touch, Pass, Vision, Speed, and Strike!!!

So...wait, does anyone know what Futsal is?

Nick Martinez
N.Martinez@SOCALfutsal5.com