Are You Ready for Some Futsal?
- Updated: December 9, 2015
The trees might be bare and the local soccer fields abandoned as winter approaches in New England, but if you think it’s too late to catch some live footballing action, think again.
On Friday, the New England International Futsal Challenge is set to kick off in Providence with the first of three double headers that will span the weekend.
Among the participants for what will likely be one of the biggest futsal tournaments seen in New England in recent years will be CF Os Belenenses (Portugal), USA Select, Rio Stars (Brazil) and three-time U.S. Futsal National Champion, Safira FC, which boasts local scoring sensation Alencar Junior.
“This area has never had this quality of futsal performers coming to New England to play a tournament format such as this to my knowledge,” event organizer Craig Tornberg told NESoccerToday.com, “and futsal here in New England is one of the hotbeds in the U.S.”
Friday’s matches, which will be held at Rhode Island College, will pit Os Belenenses against USA Select at 6:30pm. The second match will see Rio Stars and Safira face off at 8:00pm.
The tournament will resume on Saturday in Fall River, Mass. at Durfee High School, where Rio Stars and USA Select will meet at 5:00pm. Os Belenenses and Safira are set for the second match at 7:00pm.
The final day of the showcase will wrap up in Boston at UMass-Boston, where Safira will face USA select at 1:00pm. The finale of the three-day tourney will pit Os Belenenses against Rio Stars at 3:00pm.
Tickets for the three-day event are available at ticketweb.com.