The U.S. National Futsal Team wrapped up weekend training camp in Miami, Fla., and continues its training this week in Brazil in preparation for the CONCACAF Futsal Championship and hopefully qualification for the FIFA Futsal World Cup.

Team USA is well-represented with a host of Chicago Storm and Major Indoor Soccer League players as they spend this week in Fortaleza, Brazil, playing multiple exhibition matches against Brazilian club teams.

Storm representatives on the U.S. Futsal’s trip include goalkeeper and Fort Wayne, Ind., native Jeff Richey, midfielder Andy Rosenband (Former Buckeye - led in points in 2001 & 2002) of Hammond, Ind., and midfielder Matthew Stewart of El Paso, Texas. Head coach Keith Tozer of the Milwaukee Wave named 14 players for the trip.

The Brazilian trip is a tune-up for the CONCACAF Futsal Championship, which opens June 3 in Guatemala. The U.S. is in Group B with Haiti, Panama and Costa Rica. The top three teams in the regional tournament qualify for the FIFA Futsal World Cup, which runs Sept. 30 to Oct. 19 in Brazil.

Futsal features four field players and a goalkeeper on each team. Unlike the MISL, Futsal has no walls, the ball is smaller and has less bounce than traditional soccer balls, and the goals are much smaller. The game was invented in Brazil, and it is sanctioned by FIFA as the only form of international indoor soccer.

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