What if every USSDA played this way?

Combining passes on a soccer field is tough, but at least in the youth game at u12 there’s nearly an acre of space to do it within. Pinging passes on a futsal court is considerably trickier due to the reduced space and the tight marking it allows. And to compound things, the ball rolls at pace with no grass to offer resistance. For these reasons, except for a few clubs, youth futsal games in the U.S. are often choppy and involve frequent 50/50 challenges. Teams are lucky to connect a couple passes let alone 3 or more. But if a team could link up 3 or more meaningful passes, what might it look like? And to up the ante, could it be done against first rate competition? Against players that are used to hoisting silverware everywhere they go? Such a scenario came into play recently at USFF’s National Championship Final in San Jose, CA at the u11 age group. Ballistic United USSDA, implementing FC Barcelona’s futsal curriculum, played the Futsal Kingz; a team comprised of top players from not one, but two excellent USSDA soccer programs: De Anza Force and San Jose Earthquakes. On top of that, a few of the Quakes players are of Bay Area Barcelona fame. A team and program that has dominated the NorCal State Soccer Cup in recent years. So there it is, the table is set; pull up a chair and take a look at what organized futsal looks like against a quality opponent. Then ask yourself, is this a one-off, or can every American soccer player benefit from the insights and creativity that come from learning futsal in a purposeful way?