Infinity Futsal Wins AAU World Futsal Championships

INFINITY FUTSAL TAKES HOME CHAMPIONSHIP!

Thoughts from the 2018 AAU World Futsal Championships - Orlando, Florida

Our team consisted of four players from Infinity Futsal, and four players from Rise Futsal from Oklahoma City. Having never played together, and only meeting for the first time 12 hours before the first game, we were unsure what to expect, but knew that talented players could play with anyone. Prior to our first match against SIGNnow Sports, from Orlando, we scouted our next two opponents, Atletico CP from Bermuda, and Ginga (pronounced Jeenga) from Boston. The talent and passion on display was fantastic. The boys played well, and perhaps should have won had we finished our chances but came up just short 5-3. Not the result we were looking for, but we were pleased with the performance and the ability of the players. Our second game against Atletico CP was very similar to our first. Controlled the tempo, scored early, but mental mistakes and a lack of finishing cost us in the end, falling 5-2. Atletico had a player on their team who was fantastic and carried their team. Overall though, still not a bad performance. Our final group game put us up against perhaps the 2^nd best group I witnessed all weekend, in any age group, Ginga Futsal. A fantastic group, strong, quick, dynamic, and technically excellent. A group that we should strive to compete with. To say that we fell short would be putting it mildly. They had our number throughout the game.

With our group games over, we were placed in the Copper Bracket for playoffs. We knew that we belonged in a higher bracket despite the results of the games and showed up to prove that. We believed that our group could compete with teams in the Gold and Silver, had we had the chance to train and play together for a longer period. Our Semifinal matchup was against Florida Crushers, and we absolutely showed that we belonged amongst the best, coming out on top 10-0 in the game, with Isaiah Palacios scoring 6, Daniel Santana scoring or assisting on 3, Godfrey Ponce being a huge play maker in the middle, and Eduardo Worner huge in defense. We began to play with the confidence and passion that we all knew we could. This was a game to see and our best game yet in the tournament, until the final.

The final pitted us against Santos FC, another group from Florida, and watched by 150 people live on Facebook. This was a great game from both teams, dynamic, competitive, with loads of technical ability and talent on display from both sides. The players stepped up and showed that we are on our way to becoming a top group year in and year out. The player of the championship game, Daniel Santana, had a goal, and the game winning assist on the pass of the tournament, receiving a ball on the right side, before playing an inch perfect pass, splitting two defenders to find Pancho Perez for the goal.

Winning the championship 3-2 showed everyone that we do belong, but we have a way to go to match some of the groups that we witnessed. There are big things coming for the club, which we will announce very soon, that we could not be more excited about. Keep an eye out on our webpage and Facebook!