CHICAGO, Ill. (Jan. 4, 2024) - U.S. Men’s Beach Soccer National Team head coach Francis Farberoff has selected 12 players for the team’s January training camp to be held from Jan. 7-17 in Saõ Luis, Brazil, as well as play in the 2024 Maranhão International Cup against World No. 1-ranked Brazil, No. 8-ranked United Arab Emirates, and No. 16-ranked Morocco.
Continuing in U.S. Soccer’ mission to develop winning teams, the No. 13-ranked USBMNT will use the camp as its final preparation before Farberoff selects the squad that will represent the United States at the 2024 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup to be held Feb. 15-25 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
“This is going to be a great tune up for us as we prepare for the World Cup,” said U.S. Men’s Beach Soccer National Team head coach Francis Farberoff. “The Maranhão International Cup is a World Cup-level tournament just a month before we head to Dubai, and the intensity of the matches will be a good test for the players as we determine the final roster.”
GOALKEEPERS (2): Austin Collier* (Chesapeake, Va.; 8/0), Brian Shushkovsky (Morganville, N.J.; 2/0)
DEFENDERS (2): Antonio Chavez* (Oceanside, Calif.; 32/7), Lukas Holocher (Santa Cruz, Calif.; 4/1)
MIDFIELDERS (4): Tanner Akol^ (Santa Cruz, Calif.; 21/11), Chris Albiston*^ (Virginia Beach, Va.; 45/21), Andres Navas (Miami, Fla.; 13/5), Cody Valcarcel* (Santa Cruz, Calif.; 18/5)
FORWARDS (4): Alessandro Canale*^ (Venice Beach, Calif.; 90/66), Ricardo Carvalho* (Tampa, Fla.; 7/3), Conner Rezende*^ (Davie, Fla.; 30/4), Gabe Silveira*^ (San Francisco, Calif.; 51/42)
*Member of 2023 Concacaf Beach Soccer Championship Roster
^Member of 2021 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Roster
The three Maranhão International Cup opponents will serve as strong preparation for the Beach MNT as it strives to be the first U.S. team to advance from the group stage of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.
The opening match on Jan. 12 will see the current champions of Concacaf and CONMEBOL face off as the USA takes on five-time World Cup holders Brazil. The founders of Beach Soccer, Brazil was the USBMNT’s first opponent when the national team’s modern era began in 2005 and has won all 10 matches against the United States. Current U.S. head coach and former USBMNT player Francis Farberoff was born in Rio de Janeiro, and appeared in his final international match against Brazil – an 8-7 loss on Aug. 14, 2014 in Hollywood, Fla.
Matchday Two on Jan. 13 will see the USA face United Arab Emirates in the same sequence in which the two teams will meet at February’s Beach Soccer World Cup in Dubai. The USA and UAE have split the previous four meetings, with the USA earning a 5-3 win in the last contest on Nov. 9, 2018 at the Intercontinental Cup in Dubai.
The tournament finale on Jan. 14 pits the USA against Morocco for just the second time. The teams last met during the 2014 Intercontinental Cup, with the African side earning a 7-3 victory.
| 2024 Maranhão International Cup Schedule | ||
| Date | Opponent | Kickoff ET (Local) |
| Jan. 12 | Brazil | 6:15 p.m. (8:15 p.m.) |
| Jan. 13 | United Arab Emirates | 5:15 p.m. (7:15 p.m.) |
| Jan. 14 | Morocco | 4:15 p.m. (6:15 p.m.) |
The USBMNT’s 2023 campaign was the most successful in team history, as Francis Farberoff’s side finished with an 11-3-0 record. Along with winning its first Concacaf Beach Soccer Championship since 2013, the team’s 11 victories and .786 win percentage were both program records since U.S. Soccer began overseeing Beach Soccer in 2005. The six-match winning streak through the Concacaf Championship also tied for the longest in team history, matching the run that occurred from Nov. 9, 2018 to May 17, 2019.
The side also achieved offensive and defensive milestones in 2023. The USA’s +43 goal difference was by far the best in program history, while the team’s 75 goals (14 games) was second-most behind the 80 goals scored over 16 games in 2019. Defensively, the USBMNT’s 2.29 goals against average was the lowest in program history, besting the rate of 2.89 from 2017.
On Oct. 6, 2023, the USBMNT learned it would face Italy, hosts United Arab Emirates, and Egypt in Group A at the upcoming 2024 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, which will take place Feb. 15-25 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The opening match on Feb. 15 will see Farberoff’s team take on the 2023 European Champions in what will be the first modern-era meeting between the USA and Italy. With an even 2-2-0 record against United Arab Emirates, the Feb. 17 encounter will mark the fourth-straight Beach Soccer World Cup where the USA will face the host nation. The USBMNT then closes out the group stage on Feb. 19 with its second all-time match against Egypt, one of two nations taking part in their first Beach Soccer World Cup. The top two teams from each group will advance to the tournament quarterfinals on Feb. 22.
Founded in 1913, U.S. Soccer has been the official governing body of the sport in the United States for more than 100 years. As U.S. Soccer looks toward the future amid an unprecedented moment of opportunity, we’ve aligned our efforts around five strategic pillars: Grow the game by increasing youth and adult participation and accessibility to the sport; Foster the best playing environments through quality of referees and coaches, increase DEIB and participant safety; Develop winning teams through solidified pathways and success of professional leagues; Grow the soccer economy to fuel reinvestment by increasing membership, fandom and commercial success; and Create a world-class organization through revitalized structure and culture, best-in-class talent, progress in DEIB, and more. For more information, visit ussoccer.com/ourvision.