CHICAGO (Jan. 9, 2024) – In the start of an important year for the U.S. Men’s Futsal National Team, head coach Hewerton Moreira has called up 16 players for a January training camp to be held Jan. 14-19 at Darlington School in Rome, Ga. As part of U.S. Soccer’s continued effort to develop winning teams, the camp will serve as the first of three gatherings before the USA attempts to qualify for the 2024 FIFA Futsal World Cup at the 2024 Concacaf Futsal Championship, set for April 13-20 in Managua, Nicaragua.
This month’s camp is Moreira’s second leading the team after being named head coach last fall.
“I’m excited to get a strong group of players together again as we continue to push toward qualifying,” Moreira said. “Our first camp together last fall was about identifying a core group of experienced players that we could build around. This month, we’ll focus on improving our system of play, team chemistry and making sure the players fully understand their roles. We are building camp-by-camp so that we’re at our strongest when we get to qualifying in April.”
Goalkeeper Diego Moretti, fixo Luciano Gonzalez and pivo Raphael Araujo are among six players that were part of the U.S. squad at the 2021 FIFA Futsal World Cup in Lithuania – the team’s first world championship appearance since 2008. Eight players also contributed to the team’s most recent success, winning the 2022 Umag Nations Cup title in Croatia.
This month’s camp will see the Futsal MNT ramp up preparation for April’s Concacaf Futsal Championship in Nicaragua, where it will aim to book its ticket to the 2024 FIFA Futsal World Cup. Last month, the USA was drawn into Group C, where it will face Trinidad and Tobago (April 13), Dominican Republic (April 14) and Guatemala (April 15). The top two teams in each group, along with the two best third-place sides, will advance to the tournament’s knockout round. From there, the four quarterfinal winners will qualify for the 2024 FIFA Futsal World Cup to be held Sept. 14-Oct. 6 in Uzbekistan.
Following this month’s training camp the Futsal MNT will head to Buenos Aires, Argentina in February for an international camp and friendly matches as it continues to prepare for April’s World Cup qualifying tournament.
DETAILED ROSTER BY POSITION (Hometown):
Key: Fixo = Defender; Ala = Winger / Midfielder; Pivo = Target / Forward
GOALKEEPERS (3): Robert Damron*^ (Northville, Mich.; 4/0), Eduardo Macias (Dallas, Texas; 10/0), Diego Moretti*^ (Ancona, Italy; 18/0)
FIXOS (3): Manuel Andrade^ (Boston, Mass.; 5/1), Luciano Gonzalez*^ (Mendoza, Argentina; 16/7), Marcio Leite (Milwaukee, Wis.; 0/0),
ALAS (7): Nilton Andrade (Boston, Mass.; 0/0), Diego Burato^ (Dallas, Texas; 4/2), Nicolas Lopez (Miami, Fla.; 0/0), Sebastian Mendez^ (Dallas, Texas; 6/0), David Ortíz*^ (McKinney, Texas; 9/2), Justin Stinson (St. Charles, Mo.; 0/0), Alencar Ventura-Junior*^ (Tewksbury, Mass.; 15/1)
PIVOS (3): Raphael Araujo*^ (Bound Brook, N.J.; 17/4), Luiz Morales^ (Mesquite, Texas; 4/5), Franck Tayou^ (Las Vegas, Nev.; 5/1)
*Part of 2021 FIFA Futsal World Cup roster;
^Part of 2022 UMAG Nations Cup roster
ROSTER NOTES:
- Luciano Gonzalez and Diego Moretti were both finalists for 2023 U.S. Soccer Futsal Player of the Year.
- Gonzalez will come to camp just over a week after transferring to Sammichele of the Italian Serie A2 Calcio 5A.
- Six players were part of the U.S. squad at the 2021 FIFA Futsal World Cup in Lithuania: Raphael Araujo, Robert Damron, Luciano Gonzalez, Diego Moretti, David Ortíz, and Alencar Ventura-Junior.
- Eight players helped the USA claim the 2022 Umag Nations Cup title in Croatia: Manuel Andrade, Raphael Araujo, Diego Burato, Robert Damron, Luciano Gonzalez, Sebastian Mendez, Luiz Morales, Diego Moretti, David Ortíz, Franck Tayou and Alencar Ventura-Junior.
- Eight players come from clubs in the Major Arena Soccer League: Sebastian Mendez, Luiz Morales, and David Ortíz (Texas Outlaws); Nilton de Andrade and Franck Tayou (Utica City FC); Raphael Araujo (Baltimore Blast); Marcio Leite (Milwaukee Wave); Justin Stinson (Empire Strykers).
- With 16 goals through seven matches this season, Luiz Morales leads the MASL in scoring, while his Texas Outlaws teammate Sebastian Mendez is tied for fifth with nine goals in seven matches.
- After missing out on the team’s training camps in 2023, Franck Tayou returns to the Futsal MNT for this month’s camp. The forward has amassed five caps since first representing the Futsal MNT in 2016.
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