US Futsal to face defending champ in CONCACAF Championship

The United States Futsal learned its opposition for the 2012 CONCACAF Futsal Championship, set for July 2-8 in Guatemala, Thursday. Drawn into Group A, they will face Panama, defending champion and host Guatemala and the winner of the playoff between Canada and El Salvador.

The US squad, headed by MISL Milwaukee Wave powerhouse coach Keith Tozer, concluded a one-week camp with 18 players in Torrance, Calif. last week.

The U.S. has won the CONCACAF championship twice, in 1996 and 2004. In 2008, the USA reached the Futsal World Cup but failed to advance out of the group stage. For the first time in the qualifying tournament’s history, CONCACAF will send four teams to the Futsal World Cup in Thailand, being held from Nov. 2-18, 2012. The eight teams will be split into two groups of four teams each. The top two teams from each group advance to the semifinals and earn places at the FIFA Futsal World Cup.

Canada and El Salvador will both head to Guatemala, where they will determine the last qualifier in a two-leg playoff on June 28 and 29, also at the Domo Polideportivo in Guatemala City.