Canada Soccer

Canada Soccer's Futsal National Team wrapped up a two-match international series with Costa Rica 20 January with a 0:5 defeat to the back-to-back defending CONCACAF Futsal Championship winners. The team featured 10 players making their international debut for Canada along with three players who attended the 2016 CONCACAF Futsal Championship hosted in Costa Rica.

"These matches were an important step in the perparations for the 2020 CONCACAF Futsal Championship giving our younger players top level international experience against the top team in our region," said Futsal National Team Head Coach Kyt Selaidopoulos. "We will continue to work toward preparing the players for the international opportunities that futsal provides, including the Futsal World Cup."

In the first match, 18 January, Canada matched Costa Rica through all 40 minutes before falling 4:5. Canada Soccer Futsal Player of the Year Nazim Belguendouz scored twice for Canada. Diyaeddine Abzi and Reda Agourram had singles.

Futsal is a unique, fast-paced indoor sport played across Canada and around the world. Canada Soccer is committed to the growth and promotion of the game. At the elite club level, Canada Soccer supports domestic competition through the annual Futsal Canadian Championship. Canada Soccer also supports playing opportunities provided by the National Futsal Team in international competitions including the FIFA Futsal World Cup.

Canada Soccer has announced the roster of 14 players who will travel to Costa Rica 15-22 January to play a pair of futsal friendlies on 18 January at 21:00 ET and 20 January at 20:00 ET. The roster will include three players who competed in the 2016 CONCACAF Futsal Championship where Canada met the host country in their opening match, a thrilling 3-2 loss to the three-time federation champions.

“This is a terrific opportunity for us to build on the momentum that started in 2016, early in this 2020 Futsal World Cup cycle, against a premier opponent in our federation,” said Futsal Head Coach Kyriakos (Kyt) Selaidopoulos. “After a year of traveling across the country, holding camps and running clinics and sessions, this group has the opportunity to show that they can play against one of the brightest programs in world futsal.”

One of the returning players from 2016 is the current and first-ever Canada Soccer Futsal Player of the Year Nazim Belguendouz. Two players representing 2017 Futsal Canadian Championship winners Sporting Montreal FC also make the list. The team played in the 2017 CONCACAF Futsal Club Championship in Honduras last August.

“We have some players who gained valuable experience in the top tournaments in our region over the past couple of years,” Selaidopoulos said. “With a mix of experience and newcomers who have been working on their game as the game matures across the country, we have confidence that we can surprise some teams come 2020.”

The matches will be streamed via Costa Rica’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/FEDEFUTBOLCR

#CanFutsal Roster

Player, Club, Home Province

Matthew Rios, Futsal Club Toronto, ON
Nazim Belguendouz, FC Sparte, QC
Reda Agourram, FC Sparte, QC
Maxime Leconte, FC Sparte, QC
Jay Tomchuk, New Generation FC, SK
Nicolas Gonzalez, Calgary Villain FC, AB
Dylan Tooby, Foothills Darts, AB
Khalid Ismail (GK), Montreal United, QC
Diyaeddine Abzi, Sporting Montreal FC, QC
Jacob Orellana, Toronto Idolo Futsal, ON
Aziah Reid, Futsal Club Toronto, ON
Luigi Caruso (GK), Toronto Idolo Futsal, ON
Ousamma Laguel, Sporting Montreal FC, QC
Luis Rocha, Toronto Idolo Futsal, ON