Roy Blanche Technical Staff-Kuwait National Futsal Team

Roy Blanche-Coach Kuwait National Futsal Team

We would like to congratulate Roy Blanche Technical Director of Futsal Club Toronto for his appointment to the Kuwait National Futsal Team. He will be working with Spanish Head Coach Luis Fonseca an article posted on this accomplished Futsal Coach can be found here: http://www.abc.es/20120626/deportes/abci-futbol-sala-entrevista-luis-201206221652.html

Roy has been offered the position with the Kuwait National Futsal Team and is currently working hard with the team in preparation for the 2014 AFC Futsal Championships in Vietnam from April 30-May 10. The Kuwait National Team will be traveling to Murcia, Spain for a camp and friendlies versus Pozo Murcia and Cartagena are part of the itinerary prior to heading out to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to play a series of friendlies before their arrival to Ho Chi Minh City-Vietnam for the 2014 AFC Futsal Championships. Roy Blanche will finish off his current contract with the National Team and will return to Toronto, Canada by May 10th pending the national sides success in Vietnam.

The experience Roy is currently receiving in the Middle East is superior to any experience he currently could receive in his native land Canada. His former club Al-Arabi SC competed in the Kuwait Futsal League which currently ranks top 10 in the world for FIFA Futsal Leagues. FIFA Futsal Rankings, as of March 2014, lists Kuwait as 43rd in the world and Canada currently sits in 60th place with no activity in futsal since the 2012 CONCACAF Futsal Qualifier.

We all miss him dearly, especially those players that had the opportunity to train with him at Futsal Club Toronto, currently the only club in Canada that provides 100% futsal training. He is truly an exceptional coach with strong values, morals and ethics and delivers his sessions with great passion which makes him not only a great coach but a true mentor for all athletes. As a coach he is gaining an incredible amount of knowledge that will only compliment the training and expertise provided to all members at Futsal Club Toronto and to Canada Futsal minds who currently seek and lack the futsal coaching courses necessary to develop the sport and to implement in trainings; something not currently being offered in Ontario or Canada. Futsal forms part of new LTPD program and coaches could benefit immensely from Roy's futsal coaching expertise abroad; however, we are optimistic and remain enthusiastic of what the future holds for futsal in Ontario and Canada as we are certain there is a bright future for a nation that experiences a good 7 months of winter. 

All games in the 2014 AFC Futsal Championships will be televised and available online during the week long event held in Ho Chi Minh City-Vietnam. The Kuwait National Futsal Team has been drawn in Group A with hosts Vietnam, Tajikistan and Iraq. Lets support Roy Blanche as an accomplished Canadian Futsal Coach on the international futsal stage during the 2014 AFC Futsal Championships-Vietnam.

Kuwait National Futsal Team-Technical Staff

Umbro Canada Futsal Cup

Hosted by Futsal Club Toronto the 2014 Umbro Canada Futsal Cup will take place on April 5th (Youth) and April 12th (Men's) at St. Joan of Arch Catholic HS in Maple, ON.

Youth tournament will be played according to OSA Festival Rules with a minimum of 3 games at 25 min. each with running clock. 

The Men's tournament will be a very interesting day of high level competition with all teams battling it out on the courts to raise the trophy for the first year of this prestigious event and a cash prize of $1500.

We thank our sponsors Umbro Canada for their involvement in Futsal and sponsorship of our men's team.

For additional information regarding this tournament please contact Veronica admin@futsalclubtoronto.com 

Youth deadline March 31, 2014

Men's deadline April 6, 2014

Two Toronto squads go head-to-head in Quebec Futsal challenge

Monday, March 3, 2014

St-Hyacinthe, Quebec—6^th Edition of the Defi Futsal Tournament wrapped up Sunday, March 2^nd after a weekend full of skill, agility & samba. The largest Futsal event involving over 60 teams from Quebec and Toronto, in 4 divisions, shook the town of Saint Hyacinthe in the Monteregie region just east of Montreal.

Venues were spectacular with 5 futsal courts much larger in surface than what players in the Toronto area are accustomed to playing on. Futsal Club Toronto and Toronto Boca Jrs were the only two teams in attendance representing Ontario and went head-to-head in this year’s finals. Both teams scored an A+ for futsal tactics which was characteristic amongst both Torontonian squads. Head Coach Lorenzo Redwood of Futsal Club Toronto commented the following:

This year we reached the finals of the tournament and along the way demonstrated class and how futsal is played. We were happy to finally get together as a squad and take to the courts, compete, and play Futsal after a 2^nd year of inactivity in the Toronto Futsal League. At times, we tried to look for the perfect pass and perfect goal and we did not take the opportunity to take shots on net when we had the chance. Leading up to a tournament like this playing in a league is key to building chemistry amongst players. Congratulations to Toronto Boca Jrs. for the win and respecting us by letting us play up. They played a good defensive game with counter attacks against our squad. Overall, we lacked in shooting and finishing clear opportunities where the ball did not find the back of the net and in those 30 minutes Boca was a better team. We need to play more and in a structured league to get games in prior to a tournament of this caliber. Thanks to all our players for the hard work and dedication leading into the tournament; one loss since 2011 is a great achievement.

Futsal Club Toronto put on a futsal spectacle with set plays, rotations, technique and possession that impressed all spectators. The squads’ foundation is based on 5 Canadian National Futsal Team players all who proudly sported the red and white for Canada in the 2012 CONCACAF Futsal World Cup Qualifiers in Guatemala City. Politics is no stranger to the Toronto futsal scene and all our players are experiencing a dry spell as of the last two years. The Defi tournament was a bridge for competition amongst the Toronto squads providing its players favourable competition that can go either way for both teams. The Ontario Soccer Association has taken over the reins of futsal in the region and will provide the much needed structure, administration and leadership that will aid in mending the fractured futsal scene over the last few years.

Byron Garcia President of the Toronto Soccer Referee Association and Vice President of Ontario Soccer Referee Association was invited on behalf of Futsal Club Toronto and Defi Futsal organization to participate in this year’s tournament and provided the following statement, “I felt honoured for the invitation extended to me on behalf of Futsal Club Toronto and the Defi organization and mostly for the exchange of knowledge with the futsal referees in Quebec. I enjoyed myself and look forward to being able to work with them in the near future". Byron Garcia is recognized as one of the top futsal referees in the Toronto area and an active member in the soccer community.

Futsal Club Toronto congratulates Defi Futsal organizers for their dedication to the sport of futsal and for the excellent venues, smooth operations and especially to all futsal teams that took to the courts to compete for the prestigious title of 2014 Defi Futsal Champions. Futsal Club Toronto returned to Saint Hyacinthe as defending champions and placed 2^nd to 2014 Champions Toronto Boca Jrs in the tournaments elite division. We look forward to the 2015 edition with the hopes of a Quebec squad reaching the finals.