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Winnipeg Free Press
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Canadian women's futsal team celebrates CONCACAF triumph in first-ever outing
When Esther Brossard found out Canada was launching a women's futsal team, the 18-year-old wrote to newly appointed coach Alexandre Da Rocha to put her hand up. 'She said 'I just want to tell you I've played futsal. I think I'm pretty good at it and I think if you have a camp, I'd be happy to a participate in it,'' said Da Rocha. 'I knew who she was. She was part of my list already. But I thought the way she did it (showed) she wanted to be there.' Brossard made the team and repaid Da Rocha's faith by helping Canada win the inaugural CONCACAF W Futsal Championship on the weekend in Guatemala. Captain Lea Palacio-Tellier holds up the trophy as Canada celebrates winning the inaugural CONCACAF W Futsal Championship, in Guatemala City, Guatemala, in a May 4, 2025, handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-CONCACAF, Victor Straffon, *MANDATORY CREDIT* Brossard led the nine-team tournament with eight goals as Canada booked its ticket to the first-ever FIFA Futsal Women's World Cup by defeating Mexico in a penalty shootout in Saturday's semifinal in Guatemala City. Then the Canadian women dispatched Panama 8-2 in Sunday's final with Brossard scoring three goals. 'She grew a lot in these two weeks, I'm going to be honest. As a player, but also a person … I was very proud of her. Very proud,' said Da Rocha. 'The whole tournament was an incredible adventure,' said Brossard. Brossard was just happy to be invited to the selection camp, becoming the youngest player on the squad. Asked if she thought she would make the team, Brossard answered 'Not at all. Because there's a lot of great players across Canada.' Futsal is a five-a-side indoor soccer game played in two 20-minute halves. Like hockey, teams can make changes on the fly. Brossard took up futsal in high school, joining a local club at the age of 15 and playing over the winter. A sophomore at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, the Montreal native also plays outdoors and earned an invitation to camp with the Canadian under-20 team in February as a training player ahead of the 2025 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Qualifiers. The 16-team FIFA Futsal World Cup is slated for Nov. 21 to Dec. 7 in the Philippines. Da Rocha hopes his side will get some games in Europe before the tournament. The Canadian performance in Guatemala is especially impressive given that Da Rocha's team has not played any international games prior to the competition. 'So that gave us maybe a little slower start in the first game,' said Da Rocha, referencing Canada's 3-2 loss to Costa Rica which was followed by four straight wins. 'But this team just grew so much throughout those five games we had in six days. They bonded so well. They committed to what they had to do, showed so much resilience and character. 'This is by far my greatest accomplishment, not just because of the results but the way that people conducted themselves throughout the whole time. I mean we got so much positive feedback from everyone — CONCACAF, from the referees, even the hotel staff. We just had a classy team.' Canada advanced to the semifinals after beating the United States 3-1 to finish runner-up to Costa Rica at 2-1-0 in Group B. Panama downed Costa Rica 3-1 in the other semifinal. The Canada-Mexico semifinal Saturday went to a shootout after finishing tied 4-4 after two five-minute periods of extra time. Mexico scored three unanswered goals in the first half before Canada answered with four of its own in the first four minutes of the second half. Trailing 4-3, Mexico tied the game with 1.8 seconds remaining on a goal with its net empty. Canada captain Léa Palacio-Tellier won the tournament's Best Goalkeeper Award. Canada also received the Fair Play Award. Da Rocha, a former coach of the Quebec's women's futsal team and assistant coach with the Canadian men's futsal side, was tasked with assembling the national team. Named coach on Jan. 31, Da Rocha held talent evaluation camps in several provinces before holding a final selection camp in late May. Female futsal players have long campaigned for a FIFA championship. In 2022, the International Women's Futsal Players Association condemned FIFAs 'public neglect towards women futsal players.' Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Sign up for The Warm-Up FIFA held the first Futsal Men's World Cup in 1989 with the 2028 edition featuring 24 teams. Defending champion Brazil has won six of the 10 tournaments to date, finishing runner-up once and third twice. Canada has not participated since being one of the 16 invited countries for the inaugural men's tournament, failing to advance out of the first round after losing to Argentina and Belgium before downing Japan. There have been eight editions of the CONCACAF Men's Futsal Championship with Canada participating in four of them. Canada's best showing was making the quarterfinals, in both 2021 and 2024. — This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2025
Winnipeg Free Press
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Canada women celebrate international debut by winning CONCACAF W Futsal Championship
GUATEMALA CITY – Esther Brossard scored three goals to help Canada win the inaugural CONCACAF W Futsal Championship with a comprehensive 8-2 win over Panama in Sunday's final. The Canadian women had already booked their ticket to the first-ever FIFA Futsal Women's World Cup by defeating Mexico in a penalty shootout in the semifinal Saturday. The two finalists at the nine-team CONCACAF competition will represent the region at the 16-team FIFA Futsal World Cup, slated for Nov. 21 to Dec. 7 in the Philippines. The Canadian performance is especially impressive given the CONCACAF tournament marked the debut of the Canadian women's futsal squad. 'From Day 1, these players embraced the challenge of making history,' said Canada coach Alexandre Da Rocha. 'This is a moment of pride for our players, our staff and the entire futsal community in Canada. 'We entered believing we could compete — and now we leave as champions, with our ticket to the World Cup secured. It's an incredible start for this program.' Futsal is a five-a-side indoor soccer game played in two 20-minute halves. Like hockey, teams can make changes on the fly. Erica Hindmarsh, Joëlle Gosselin, Keera Melenhorst, Stephie-Ann Dadaille and Shayla He also scored for Canada in the final at the Domo Polideportivo. Canada's Léa Palacio-Tellier won the tournament's Best Goalkeeper Award while Brossard, who led the tournament with eight goals, earned the tournament's Best Player Award. Canada also received the Fair Play Award. The Canada-Mexico semifinal Saturday went to the shootout after finishing tied 4-4 after two five-minute periods of extra time. Mexico scored three unanswered goals in the first half before Canada answered with four of its own in the first four minutes of the second half. Trailing 4-3, Mexico tied the game with 1.8 seconds remaining on a goal by Rubi Gomez with its net empty. Panama downed Costa Rica 3-1 in the other semifinal. The Canadians moved into the semifinals after beating the U.S. 3-1 to finish runner-up to Costa Rica at 2-1-0 in Group B. Da Rocha, a former coach of the Quebec's women's futsal team and assistant coach with the Canadian men's futsal side, was tasked with assembling the national team. Named coach on Jan. 31, Da Rocha held talent evaluation camps in several provinces before holding a final selection camp in late May. Female futsal players have long campaigned for a FIFA championship. In 2022, the International Women's Futsal Players Association condemned FIFAs 'public neglect towards women futsal players.' Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. FIFA held the first Futsal Men's World Cup in 1989 with the 2028 edition featuring 24 teams. Defending champion Brazil has won six of the 10 tournaments to date, finishing runner-up once and third twice. Canada has not participated since being one of the 16 invited countries for the inaugural men's tournament, failing to advance out of the first round after losing to Argentina and Belgium before downing Japan. That 1989 futsal team included Paul Dolan, Pat Harrington, Nick De Santis, Eddy Berdusco, Lyndon Hooper and Alex Bunbury. Dolan was also a member of Canada's 1986 FIFA World Cup squad in Mexico. There have been eight editions of the CONCACAF Men's Futsal Championship with Canada participating in four of them. Canada's best showing was making the quarterfinals, in both 2021 and 2024. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 4, 2025.
CBC
17-02-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Alexandre Da Rocha, Canada's newly appointed women's futsal coach, is looking for talent
Alexandre Da Rocha has a busy schedule ahead. As the newly named, first-ever Canadian women's futsal coach, Da Rocha has to hold ID camps and choose a roster ahead of the inaugural CONCACAF Women's Futsal Championship in late April in Guatemala. The veteran coach is in the process of finalizing camps in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Quebec after talking to provincial associations about possible staff and players. That process will lead to a final selection camp, a four-day affair starting May 27 in Montreal for the top 25 players, from which the final 14-player roster will be chosen. Futsal is a five-a-side indoor game played in two 20-minute halves. Like hockey, teams can make changes on the fly. The sport is growing in Canada with Quebec leading the way. There are also leagues in Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan. Da Rocha says his phone has been blowing up since Canada Soccer put him in charge of the fledgling women's program. "I'm turning 50 this year and I think in 48 to 72 hours, I've never received so much love from one announcement," the Montreal native said in an interview. "People calling me, texting me, emailing me. And everyone was so happy and so excited about the news. So I would say right now it's a very, very positive vibe that I'm feeling." Female futsal players have long campaigned for a FIFA championship. In 2022, the International Women's Futsal Players Association condemned FIFAs "public neglect towards women futsal players." FIFA held the first Futsal Men's World Cup in 1989 with the 2028 edition set to expand from 24 to 32 teams. Defending champion Brazil has won six of the 10 tournaments to date, finishing runner-up once and third twice. Canada has not participated since being one of the 16 invited countries for the inaugural men's tournament, failing to advance out of the first round after losing to Argentina and Belgium before downing Japan. That 1989 futsal team included Paul Dolan, Pat Harrington, Nick De Santis, Eddy Berdusco, Lyndon Hooper and Alex Bunbury. Dolan was also a member of Canada's 1986 FIFA World Cup squad in Mexico. Canada and the other six competing teams — Costa Rica, Cuba, host Guatemala, Mexico, Panama and the U.S.— will learn their path at the CONCACAF W Futsal Championship at Wednesday's draw. Da Rocha expects Guatemala, Costa Rica and the United States to be tough outs. Two of those teams will represent from North and Central America at the 16-team FIFA Women's Futsal World Cup Nov. 21-Dec. 7 in the Philippines. New Zealand is the first team to qualify, joining the host Philippines. After the CONCACAF qualifier, Da Rocha hopes to travel across the country time to help provinces build their program. There have been eight editions of the CONCACAF Men's Futsal Championship with Canada participating in four of them. The Canadians' best showing was making the quarterfinals, in both 2021 and 2024. Panama won the title last time out in 2024 ending Costa Rica's run of three straight championships. Canada has held two women's futsal championships to date with Da Rocha's former team, Montreal Xtreme ADR, winning the inaugural event in 2023. Saskatoon Green and White, a side composed of University of Saskatchewan players, won the title in 2024. Pacific FC of the Native Indian Football Association has represented B.C. at the women's national championship. The 2025 Futsal Canadian Championship, featuring men and women, is set for April in Regina. Given Canada's climate, the indoor game makes sense. And, as Da Rocha notes, all that's needed is a gym. Plus futsal is a good way to learn ball skills. "A lot of countries, like Brazil, a lot of the young players don't play soccer until they're 10, 11, 12. They do play futsal all the way when they're younger," said Da Rocha. "The best part when I talk to younger players — and even older players — is how you always feel involved in the game." he added. "There only four (outfield) players on the field, so you're always part of the action." Da Rocha, a former coach of the Quebec's women's futsal team, has served as an assistant coach with the Canadian men's futsal side since 2019. In the outdoor game, he coached the Canadian women's team at the 2018 FISU Games and was as an assistant coach with the Canadian entry in the 2012 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He coached Xtreme Montreal in the W-League from 2003 to 2004. Since 2012, Da Rocha has also worked as a television analyst for both futsal and soccer events.
