USA to Play El Salvador, Nicaragua and Cuba at Rescheduled 2021 Concacaf Futsal Championship
USA Aim to Qualify for 2021 FIFA Futsal World Cup; Concacaf Championship Held May 3-9 in Guatemala
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CHICAGO (April 14, 2021) - Following the postponement of the 2020 Concacaf Futsal Championship - originally set for May 2020 - due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Concacaf has confirmed the rescheduled tournament will take place from May 3-9, 2021 in Guatemala City, Guatemala.
The U.S. Futsal Men’s National Team will face El Salvador, Nicaragua and Cuba in Group D play. After round-robin group play, the top two teams from each group will advance to the Quarterfinals on May 7. The four semifinalists will each a berth to the FIFA Futsal World Cup in Lithuania 2021 in September (rescheduled from 2020).
The original draw in February 2020 saw the 16-team field divided into four groups of four, however after the withdrawals of French Guiana, Martinique and Guadeloupe in early April, the competition will now feature 13 teams. To preserve at least three teams in each group, Concacaf shifted the Dominican Republic from Group C to Group A.
The groups are as follows:
GROUP A: Guatemala, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominican Republic
GROUP B: Panama, Mexico, Suriname
GROUP C: Costa Rica, Canada, Haiti
GROUP D: United States, Cuba, El Salvador, Nicaragua
All matches take place at the Domo Polideportivo, which has hosted a number of international futsal competitions, including the 2000 FIFA Futsal World Cup.
Fans in the U.S. can watch all the matched on TUDN and on the official Concacaf App
(subject to territory restrictions), available for free in the Apple and Google Play stores.
USA SCHEDULE (TIMES TBD):
Monday, May 3: USA vs El Salvador (6 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. Local)
Tuesday, May 4: USA vs Nicaragua (6 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. Local)
Wednesday, May 5: USA vs Cuba ( 6 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. Local)
Quarterfinals: Friday, May 7: 1D vs. 2A, 1B vs. 2C, 1C vs 2B, 1A vs 2D
Semifinals: Saturday, May 8: 1B/2C vs 1C/2B; 1D/2A vs 1A/2D
Third Place and Finals: Sunday, May 9
Led by Dusan Jakica, who was announced as the new Futsal MNT head coach in Sept. 2019, the team will be attempting to qualify for the FIFA Futsal World Cup for the first time since 2008. The U.S. appeared in five of the first six FIFA Futsal World Cups (1989, 1992, 1996, 2004, 2008), finishing runner-up in 1992 and earning a bronze in 1989.
The first Concacaf Futsal Championship was held in 1996 and has been as the world cup qualifiers every four years since. The U.S. won the title in 1996 and 2004, and took third in 2000 and 2008.
While the USA has never faced El Salvador or Nicaragua in the Concacaf Futsal Championships, the USA and Cuba have met five times in the first three world cup qualifying tournament, with the U.S. defeating Cuba to win the 1996 and 2004 Championships.
July 28, 2004: T USA 1-1 Cuba (Group B)
July 31, 2004: W USA 2-0 Cuba (Final)
July 27, 2000: L USA 2-4 Cuba (Semifinal)
Sept. 3, 1996: L USA 3-5 Cuba (Group 1)
Sept. 7, 1996: W USA 7-3 Cuba (Final)