By Steven Torres

NEW YORK (1-23-12) - 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 FALLS TWICE IN FRIENDLIES AGAINST BRAZIL: Defending CONCACAF Futsal Champion Guatemala was beaten twice in a pair of friendlies against visiting Brazil at Guatemala City’s Domo Polideportivo on 20 and 22 January …

(Photos, above and below. Futsal Action at Domo Polideportivo in Guatemala City. Photos courtesy Alex Argueta/Guatemala Football Federation)

Both encounters ended by the same 3:1 scores as Walter Aljeandro Enriquez and a Brazilian own goal were the tallies for the Chapines, who are in preparation to host the 2012 CONCACAF Championship, where four teams are scheduled to qualify to the FIFA Futsal World Cup in Thailand later this year …

The back-to-back results between Guatemala-Brazil was the first time since in almost 20 years that a CONCACAF team holds the four-time FIFA Futsal World Champions to three or less goals in consecutive matches …

USA was the last team as it held Brazil to a 2:2 draw during the 1992 FIFA Five-A-Side (now Futsal) World Cup in Hong Kong which was preceded at the 1989 FIFA event in Netherlands as the Stars & Stripes won 5:3.
 
Friendlies
20.01.2012: Ciudad de Guatemala, GUATEMALA; Domo Polideportivo
GUATEMALA – BRAZIL 1:3 (0:2)
Walter Alejandro ENRIQUEZ 27’ – WILDE 9’, 17’, 31’
GUA: Carlos Merida – Manuel Adrian Aristondo, Billy Joel Pineda, Jaime Estuardo De León, Edgar Alejandro Macal.
Subs: Jose Carlos Mansilla, Marlon Noj, Jose Rafael González, Danny Tejada, Pablo Andres Tejada, Allan Josue Aguilar, Walter Alejandro Enriquez, Gerson Giovanni Matta, Miguel Santizo. Booked: none
TD: Carlos Eduardo ESTRADA
BRA: Cidão - Ari, Ciço, Gabriel, Wilde.
Subs: Djony - Franklin - Schumacher, Sinoe, Lukaian, Gadeia, Rafael, Rodrigo, Falcão. Booked: Cidão, Gabriel
TD: Marco Aurelio SORATTO
R1: Leroy BROWN (GUA), Carlos GONZALEZ (GUA)
 
22.01.2012: Ciudad de Guatemala, GUATEMALA; Domo Polideportivo
GUATEMALA – BRAZIL 1:3 (1:2)
OG (GABRIEL) 5’ - LUKAIAN 7’; RAFAEL 8’; 32’
GUA: William Oswaldo Ramírez - Jose Carlos Mansilla, Billy Joel Pineda, Jaime Estuardo De León, Edgar Alejandro Macal.
TD: Carlos Enrique ESTRADA
Subs: Carlos Eduardo Estrada, Marlon Noj, Jose Rafael González, Manuel Adrián Aristondo, Danny Tejada, Pablo Andrés Tejada, Allan Josué Aguilar, Walter Alejandro Enriquez, Gerson Giovanni Matta, Miguel Santizo. Booked: none
TD: Carlos Eduardo ESTRADA
BRA: Cidão – Gabriel, Gadeia, Wilde, Rodrigo.
Subs: Djony - Franklin - Ari, Ciço, Schumacher, Sinoê, Lukaian, Rafael, Falcão. Booked: Cidãom Wilde, Falcão
TD: Marco Aurelio SORATTO
R1: Salvador MENDEZ (GUA), R2: Miguel LOPEZ (GUA) 

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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.