By Pete Borello

Soccer-like sport gaining popularity

The sport has been around for about 70 years, yet most Americans probably couldn’t tell you the first thing about futsal.

“People say, ‘What’s that?’” said Erica Kenworthy, who plays futsal for the local club team World United. “Some people confuse it with foosball.”

Jessica Whalen, another World United player, gets a similar response when telling people she plays the sport, which is similar to soccer.

“They just wonder what it is, first of all,” said Whalen, entering her junior year at Los Altos High. “They have no clue - they’ve never heard of it.”

Originating in Uruguay, futsal is a scaled-down, faster-paced version of soccer popularized in Brazil.

Each team has five starters - four field players and a goalkeeper - and the 40-minute games are played indoors on a basketball court. Unlike indoor soccer, however, there are no walls in futsal and the leather ball is less bouncy and a tad smaller than a standard soccer ball. The goal mouths, of course, are smaller, too.

Perhaps no one in the Bay Area knows more about futsal than World United coach Vava Marques, who grew up playing the sport in Brazil. He even played the game professionally and is now an assistant coach for the U.S. National Futsal Team.

Marques describes the game as a “faster and more technical” version of soccer. As the men’s soccer coach at both Foothill College and Los Altos High, he encourages his players to take up futsal because it will improve their soccer skills.

“It’s very skillful,” said Marques, who played pro soccer in Brazil. “All outdoor players should be playing it; it develops the players naturally.”

Marques added that Brazil, which dominates international soccer, uses futsal to train its players. It’s the sport Pele - considered the best soccer player of all time - grew up playing in Brazil.

“All of Brazil plays it,” he said. “They use it for developing the outdoor team.”

While futsal isn’t nearly as popular in America, Marques said it is starting to catch on.

“It’s growing so fast,” the coach said. “I’ve been getting a lot of calls to do clinics. Interest is up every year and I think it’s going to be big here.”

Kenworthy and Whalen were introduced to futsal nearly four years ago. In an effort to hone their soccer skills, they decided to join one of Marques’ weekly futsal classes at Foothill.

The girls were instantly hooked.

“It’s so fast-paced and exciting,” said St. Francis High junior Kenworthy, “and I loved it.”

Kenworthy also loves how all the players are constantly involved in the action, an aspect of the game Whalen likes as well.

“It’s such a great game,” Whalen said. “You always get to touch the ball a lot and you’re always moving. And you can score from almost anywhere. It’s so fun.”

Whalen, who also participates in club soccer and field hockey, lists futsal as her favorite sport - to play and watch. Kenworthy said she’s given up soccer to concentrate on futsal because “it’s a lot better.”

Kenworthy and Whalen were among five girls who three years ago founded the World United team they play for. After getting Marques to coach them, they began entering tournaments.

The nine-player squad - which also includes Stephanie Yung and Meghan McKinsey of Los Altos High - captured the under-16 girls state championship in May. World United then moved on to the national championships in Las Vegas, placing second in its age division in June.

World United faced stiff competition at the national, including top teams from Kansas, Illinois and Nevada. The local squad lost 5-2 to Kopion of Chicago in the championship game.

World United plans to move up to the under-19 division next spring.