Junior Brazilian soccer leagues launch across Auckland this month. Valerie Schuler reports on the new football craze
Chris Hagan and his friend Sam Brotherton were intrigued when they discovered futsal. Now, after two years of playing the Brazilian-style soccer, they are hooked.
''It's so fast-paced and you have to be really skilful and fast on your feet,'' says 13-year-old Chris. ''It really improves your footwork, too.''
Chris and Sam, who were introduced to the sport through their soccer clubs, recently competed in the National Futsal Champs in Napier.
The inaugural competition aside, the boys have few opportunities to show off or test their skills. The sport has been around for a while, but there was no league in which to compete. This will change soon, as Auckland Futsal is setting up a junior league.
''We are really looking forward to having a league and competing in Auckland and overseas,'' says Sam. ''It will be fun to play against other players from around town.''
Murrays Bay Intermediate students Sam and Chris play for a team at the Brazil Academy.
Many of their teammates are former professional futsal players from Brazil who are in Auckland for work or study. Rafa Montero, one of the Brazil Academy players, says futsal is a huge part of growing up in his home country.
''You're pretty much born with a ball. In New Zealand, people live for rugby. In Brazil,
it's soccer, but many kids start off playing futsal.''
Brazilian children typically play futsal until they're about 14, then move on to conventional, outdoor soccer. Futsal is viewed as the ideal skill-building environment for
producing technically exciting soccer players, with particular emphasis on passing, dribbling and close control.
''The vast majority of professional Brazilian players have learned football through first playing futsal on every imaginable surface, from the softest beach sands to the hardest concrete surface,'' says Auckland Futsal chief executive, Craig Empson.
At a glance, the sport seems similar to conventional soccer. But look closer and you'll soon spot the differences. Futsal is played indoors. It's a scaled-down version of the 11-a-side game with five players to a team, including the goalkeeper.
There are no set positions. The ball is much smaller and heavier than a traditional soccer ball. This is to prevent high kicks, forcing players to use their skills to propel the ball.
The sport is also much faster-paced than soccer and has unique footwork. In Brazil, music is a big part of the game, which is often played to a samba beat.
Junior leagues _ from under-7 to under-19 _ will start all over Auckland this month, culminating in regional play-offs in December. Early next year, Auckland age group representative teams will go to Australia for the Federation International de Football Association (FIFA) National Futsal Championships in Canberra.
Open days across Auckland will be held later this month so the keen and the curious can find out more.
More information: email info@aucklandfutsal.org or see www.aucklandfutsal.org
