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CONCACAF 2012 Futsal Championship Games Notes: Canada-El Salvador

By  Steven Torres

6/28/12

PLAYOFF #1
Ciudad de Guatemala, GUATEMALA; Domo Polideportivo - 28.06.2012

CANADA – EL SALVADOR
It’s the first meeting in CONCACAF qualifying, however both have played two friendlies against each other in 2001 in Montreal, Quebec (Canada) … El Salvador won the first encounter 3:2 after extra time on 28 April, while Canada rebounded months later and took the second match 5:2 (on 1 December) … The Cuscatlecos are making their third appearance in the Confederation’s qualifying but first since 2004, when they lost a two-game series to Mexico and missed a berth to the Final Round in Costa Rica … Under the direction of Jose De La Cruz, El Salvador is also looking for its first victory at the CONCACAF event and have only won once since 1996 … Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs, who are one of two teams (other USA) to compete in the inaugural FIFA Five-A-Side (now Futsal) World Cup in 1989, are competing in their second Futsal qualification with the last appearance coming in 2004, when they lost a double-series to Panama … With former futsal and beach soccer player Sipho Sibiya as head coach, Canada is searching for its first win since 2004 … The Cuscatlecos (10:0; 6:2) and Maple Leafs (2:1; 4:0) are also coming off losses to Costa Rica in two-game friendlies this month.

CANADA – EL SALVADOR Last Meeting
Friendly
01.12.2001: Montreal, Quebec CANADA; Centre Pierre Charbonneau
CANADA – EL SALVADOR 5:2
Djamel LAARABI; Patrick LEDUC; Jocelyn ROY; Kyt SELAIDOPOULOS; Alvaro SILVAN – Manuel MOLINA; William PORTILLO
CAN: Pierre Breza - Gabriel Gervais, Djamel Laarabi, Kyt Selaidopoulos, Jocelyn Roy. 
Subs: Manuel Nunez, Patrick Leduc, Roberto Sorella, Antonio Ribeiro, Justin Coelho, Sergio Grande, Alvaro Silvan.
TD: Jorge MONTALVO
SLV: Erick Jandres - William Portillo, Jonathan Aguirre, René Andrade, Manuel Molina. 
Subs: Cesar Pineda, Hector Hernandez, Henry Gallegos, Ivan Aguilar, Santos Soriano, Mariano Perez, Joaquin Lopez. Sent offs: Soriano
TD: Adrian GALLEGOS
R1: Pierre LESPINASSE (HAI), R2: Nouhoum SIMAGA (SEN)

CANADA’s Last Game
Friendly
24.06.2012: Heredia, COSTA RICA; Palacio de los Deportes
COSTA RICA – CANADA 4:0 (1:0)
Diego Andres ZUÑIGA 13’; Jose Antonio GUEVARA 28’; Erick BRENES 28’; Junior RODRIGUEZ 37’
CRC: Justin Wallace - Aaron Gerardo Jerez, Adonay Vindas, Diego Andres Zuñiga, Edwin Jose Cubillo.
Subs: Alvaro Santamara - Nestor Daniel Carrera, Diego Alonso Vargas, Erick Brenes, Junior Rodriguez, Jose Antonio Guevara, Marco Carvajal, Michael Cordoba, Christopher Alonso Molina. Booked: Cubillo
TD: Diego SOLIS
CAN: Roy Blanche – Robbie Aristodemo, Ian Bennett, Alvaro Yaques, Louis-Charles Laiberte.
Subs: Vincent Cournoyer - Joshua Lemos - Jordan Ongaro, Bruno Xavier, Robert Tice, Steve DeBlasio, Alex Elliot, Matthew Rios, David Chamale. Booked: none, Sent offs: 13’
TD: Sipho SIBIYA
R1: Kenneth GODINEZ (CRC), Esteban ARAYA (CRC)

EL SALVADOR’s Last Game
Friendly
09.06.2012: San José, COSTA RICA; Gimnasio Nacional
COSTA RICA – EL SALVADOR 6:2 (5:2)
Jorge ARIAS; Jean Marie JIMENEZ pen; Nestor Daniel CARRERA; Diego Alonso VARGAS; Christopher MOLINA; Yefrid RUIZ – Hector Alex BERNAL-2
CRC: Justin Wallace – Jorge Arias, Marcos Carvajal, Christopher Molina, Michael Cordoba.
Subs: Jairo Jose Toruño – Nestor Daniel Carrera, Jean Marie Jimenez, Jose Guevara, Aaron Gerardo Jerez, Yefrid Ruiz, Diego Alonso Vargas, Marvin Guillermo Cespedes, Junior Rodriguez, Adonay Vindas. Booked: none
TD: Diego SOLIS
SLV: Christopher Navas – Jonathan Steve Saravia, Hector Alex Bernal, Victor Manuel Chavez, Asdrubal Kasselly Flores.
Subs: Oscar Alfredo Montano – Roberto Carlos Rodriguez, Wilber Ernesto Galadamez, Manuel Orellana, Carlos Mauricio Rivera, Renato De Jesus Hernandez, Rene Guillermo Rosales, Enso Antonio Reyes. Booked: none
TD: Jose DE LA CRUZ
R1: Jeisson PEÑALOZA (CRC), R2: Jorshua TRIGUEROS (CRC)

FINAL ROUND AWAITS
Final Round of the 2012 CONCACAF Futsal Championship awaits the winner of two-game playoff between Canada – El Salvador as it will join Panama, USA and host, Guatemala in Group A, while Group B is composed of Cuba, Costa Rica, Mexico and St. Kitts & Nevis … The eight-team tournament will be held at the Domo Polideportivo from 2-8 July and qualify for the first time four nations to the 2012 FIFA Futsal World Cup in Thailand from 1-18 November.

CONCACAF FUTSAL HISTORY
Prior to 2012 event, CONCACAF has staged four previous futsal qualifying competitions for FIFA tournament … The USA was crowned confederation champion twice (1996, 2004), while Costa Rica (2000) and Guatemala (2008) won single titles … Cuba has finished as runner-up on each of the four occasions.

Did You Know?
Of all the Futsal qualifying games in the history since 1996, this is the first of two playoff encounters that are taking place just days prior to CONCACAF’s Final Round Tournament … There have been a total of 86 Confederation’s games with 714 goals scored for an average of 8.30 per game.

For more information on the 2012 CONCACAF Futsal Championship, please check www.CONCACAF.com.