Buttkicked at Futsal

6 - 2, 6 - 2, 4 - 4

Those were the scores from the 3 games of Futsal I played a few nights ago at Palos Verdes Country Club.  I admit I was on the downside of all 3 but I'm pretty proud of the last game draw considering the serendipitous competition we were up against.  Our opponents were literally human highlight reels and members of a visiting Singapore Freestyle Team called UST or the Urban Street Team with their sort of catch phrase (it was on their shirts) being "When Football Becomes Art" (I wanted one). Straight up this wasn't what I was expecting coming in to the gym after a one semester sabbatical that didn't fit futsal into my schedule, but to walk in and play against these guys was some of the best fun I've had on the court in ages.

Futsal to anyone not familiar with it is just indoor soccer with less players,  each side suits five with open substitution, the goals used are about 6 by 8 feet on a rough estimate but can vary in size for fun or difficulty then a real futsal court is slightly bigger than a basketball court and a soccer ball that is one size smaller but almost twice as heavy is used so that it hugs the ground a little more.  The aim of the game with futsal is close quarter control, with the single most important instruction ever imbedded in me being the four words "SOLE OF THE FOOT".  This was the one instruction most blurted out by our Coach Bob not only in my one semester training with the Ateneo Futsal Team but through out his coaching tenure.  So much so that it's a part of Ateneo soccer lore to the point that if anyone in the program would have to quote a certain coach Bob, in a heart beat I'd have to say that 90 percent will think of that one phrase immediately.  

That one phrase though definitely sums up the single most important skill you'll need to know  in futsal and anyone who can master his game on that skill alone can whoop your butt to Singapore and back, that's pretty much what happened last wednesday. Though I'd like to think we held our ground given that our side was the recreational mix up of above average soccer junkies the truth was we were cannon fodder to these guys.  In one play me and one of my random teammates cornered a guy at a corner (duh!) and somehow someway he pulled a Ronaldo out and merely dribbled his way out nutmegging my team mate in the process.  On another play I was one on one with the attacker and though I bodied him up perpendicularly so as to prevent another (at this point we've all been nutmegged in the game already) nutmeg, the dude pulled back did a quick dribble shuffle fake thing that made me commit ever so slightly that it was enough for him to turn 180 degrees before doing a backheel nutmeg before going complete 360 running passed me and leaving me stunned and agape.  With all that going on the best highlight of the night for me was another play that didn't even end up in a goal but was more of a defensive turn around.  On the particular play our team made a long chip pass to what we'd consider an open player but their last man defender saw otherwise (they didn't believe in using a goal keeper to stay true to their futsal skillz, i figured anyway) he rushed our player jumped in the air and before landing caught the ball between his knees just short of the family jewels, when he landed with the ball still between his legs the entire game took a sudden pause  with our side in awe.  As the play progressed the defender merely smiled when he saw our reaction and then rushed our side's defense but pulled himself into a corner and from there he did what I've only seen in, no actually never seen done in a game EVER!  He literally just flicked the ball mid stride, juggled it once on (what i presumed was) his off leg caught his balance and with his strong leg juggled the ball three times in opposite directions.  This made me just want to watch, and made my teammate who was on him just wide eyed and frozen.  Next he had the ball drop infront of my teammate and before my teammate could could move he (the defender turned attacker) backheeled an attempt at goal via a nutmeg that ended with the ball hitting the post and going out, only then did my teammate regain consciousness.

For the people who understood all that and are still reading thats pretty much it I don't think I can explain any further, I mean there were many more highlights I lived through that night but for the most part those were the memorable stuff.  That and I did score two goals for my side but on aggregate we went 16 - 8 with me in the line up ( 22 - 9 if you consider the games I sat out) and they barely subbed or rested their side to, that and they played in jeans and some wore baseball caps!  That tells you something of the level these guys are at.  

Oh and for those wondering what a nutmeg is, its soccer lingo for when a player can play the ball through an opposing players legs and keep possession on his side, its normally accompanied by someone on the field or court saying OLE or at least silently in their head.

That pretty much concludes my first game back into the futsal fold of Palos Verdes Country Club, to anyone interested in joining or playing a pick up game or even learning the game, we welcome walk-ins and fresh players.  

EVERY WEDNESDAY; 6-8PM; PALOS VERDES COUNTRY CLUB BASKETBALL COURT; normally pitch in 100 pesos for the game.

For the love of the game, hope to see you one day, Cheers!

Photos linked from www.facebook.com/urbanstreeteam