By Steven Torres

NEW YORK (1-18-12) - CONCACAF teams are in preparations for this year’s Futsal Championship which will also qualify four nations to the FIFA Futsal World Cup Thailand 2012 … Here is a look at what they are doing…

GUATEMALA TO HOST 2012 CONCACAF CHAMPIONSHIP: Guatemala will host the 2012 edition of the CONCACAF Futsal Championship as it takes place at Ciudad de Guatemala’s Domo Polideportivo from 2-8 July … This is the third time that the CONCACAF Tournament is staged at Guatemala but second at the Domo, which has hosted the 2000 FIFA Futsal World Cup, 2007 Pan American Games qualifying matches, 2008 CONCACAF Championship and many Guatemalan international friendlies … Along with the host, Cuba, Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico and USA progress directly to the eight-team Confederation tournament that will qualify for the first time four nations to the FIFA Futsal World Cup Thailand 2012 … The remaining final round spots will be determined as follows: best place team (excluding host Cuba) from the six-team CFU (Caribbean Football Union) Qualifying Tournament scheduled for La Habana from 17-23 February … Meanwhile, the last berth to the CONCACAF Tournament will have the winner of a two-game playoff between Canada – El Salvador on dates to be determined.

CARIBBEAN TOURNAMENT SET FOR CUBA: The 2012 CFU (Caribbean Football Union) Championship will take place at the Polideportivo Kid Chocolate in La Habana, Cuba from 17-23 February … The third-ever Caribbean tournament will feature a round-robin format of six teams (including Dominican Republic, Haiti, St. Kitts & Nevis, Trinidad & Tobago) with the top team joining Cuba at the CONCACAF Futsal Championship later this year in Guatemala … Trinidad & Tobago staged the first two CFU Tournament with the hosts winning the titles in 2004 and 2008, respectively.

2012 CFU Futsal Tournament Schedule
La Habana, CUBA; Polideportivo Kid Chocolate
17.02: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – HAITI (15:30), TRINIDAD & TOBAGO – GUYANA (17:30),
CUBA – ST. KITTS & NEVIS (19:30)
18.02: ST. KITTS & NEVIS – HAITI (15:30), TRINIDAD & TOBAGO – DOMINICAN REPUBLIC (17:30),
CUBA – GUYANA (19:30)
20.02: TRINIDAD & TOBAGO – HAITI (15:30), ST. KITTS & NEVIS – GUYANA (17:30),
CUBA – DOMINICAN REPUBLIC (19:30)
21.02: GUYANA – HAITI (15:30), ST. KITTS & NEVIS – DOMINICAN REPUBLIC (17:30)
CUBA – TRINIDAD & TOBAGO (19:30)
23.02: TRINIDAD & TOBAGO – ST. KITTS & NEVIS (15:30), DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – GUYANA (17:30)
CUBA – HAITI (19:30)

CONCACAF FUTSAL HISTORY IN THE REGION: Prior to 2012 event, CONCACAF has staged four Futsal qualifiers for the FIFA Tournaments since 1996 with the inaugural event took place in Guatemala that was won by the USA which also qualified Cuba to the FIFA competition in Spain 1996 … In 2000, the Confederation competition was held in Costa Rica for the first time and was won by the host. Cuba once again took second as both teams progressed to the FIFA Futsal World Cup in Guatemala … Four years later, the eight-team CONCACAF Futsal Championship was again staged in Costa Rica, where USA and Cuba claimed first and second places, respectively to the FIFA event in Chinese Taipei … The tournament returned to Guatemala in 2008 where the host won the competition and was joined by Cuba and USA as the Confederation representatives to the FIFA Futsal World Cup in Brazil.

BRAZIL VISITS GUATEMALA FOR PAIR OF FRIENDLIES: Defending CONCACAF Champion Guatemala will host a pair of international friendlies against the four-time world champion Brazil at Ciudad de Guatemala’s Domo Polideportivo on 20 and 22 January … The Chapines, who have never beaten the Samba Kings in four previous encounters, are coming off a fifth place finish at the 2011 Grand Prix of Futsal … Meanwhile, Brazil is making its first visit to Guatemala since its runner-up position (to Spain) at the 2000 FIFA Futsal World Cup … The Samba Kings also have a 30-game unbeaten streak and have not loss to a CONCACAF team since 1989.

Friendlies
20.01.2012: Ciudad de Guatemala, GUATEMALA; Domo Polideportivo
GUATEMALA – BRAZIL
22.01.2012: Ciudad de Guatemala, GUATEMALA; Domo Polideportivo
GUATEMALA – BRAZIL

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Steven Torres is Director of Information Services/Director de Informacion Servicios for CONCACAF. He can be contacted at steve.torres@concacaf.org.