Melbourne Brasil Futsal Academy is heading to World Cup in Spain
Lower Templestowe-based Melbourne Brasil Futsal Academy will build on the experience it gained at last year’s Under-13 Futsal World Cup in Spain when it takes three teams to the 2018 event.
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Lower Templestowe-based Melbourne Brasil Futsal Academy will build on the experience it gained at last year’s Under-13 Futsal World Cup in Spain when it takes three teams to the 2018 event next month.
The championships will be played in the township of Blanes, about 75km from Barcelona, in the northeast of Spain.
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“We have a training camp in Barcelona organised by some of the coaches of the Barcelona futsal program and then we’ll play some friendlies before heading to Blanes,” academy head coach Gui Costa said. “This year we have gone from one team to three — under-11s, under-13s and under-15s — everyone is very excited and everyone is training really hard.”
Futsal is a five-a-side version of soccer played on a hardcourt, often indoors, with a smaller ball. It is lightning fast and demands great skill on the ball and, in places like Brazil and Spain where soccer is almost a religion, futsal has a popularity and participation rate that’s not too far behind the outdoor game.
While Australia is still something of a novice when compared to some of the giants of the sport, a good showing at last year’s World Cup has the Lower Templestowe academy steadily growing in stature.
“We have set up an elite program and, for kids that want to take it to the next level, this is the way to go,” Costa said. “We built a profile last time by being so competitive.”
To help meet the cost of the tour, the academy is holding a fundraising lunch at Brazilian restaurant Copacabana International on Sunday, and there will be live auctions and raffles as well as the presentation of uniforms to team members.
Tickets are still available. More information at the academy’s website or facebook page.
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