Mark Cuban has jumped into futsal here in the United States. And, according to the Dallas Morning News, FC Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Corinthians, and Boca Juniors will all own individual franchises.
In addition, some of Cuban’s NBA peers are also getting involved, including the Buss family, owners of the LA Lakers, and Mikhail Prokhorov, the Russian oligarch owner of the Brooklyn Nets.
The aim is to put together the preeminent futsal league in the world, bringing the best talent the game has to offer to the United States.
The attraction is the money spent on sports and, increasingly soccer, here. Our facilities are also typically very good and existing venues can easily be converted to futsal arenas.
And click here for an article discussing some of the rules modifications.
It’s early days, but let’s hope this works out!
Here’s a photo taken at the UEFA European Futsal Championships that is currently underway – 11,000 in attendance!
And here’s a clip showing the dramatic 2:1 quarterfinal win by Serbia over Ukraine with 0.30 seconds left on the clock. Note the electrifying atmosphere!
You have to click on the link to YouTube unfortunately. And the deciding goal is at 2:25.
NorCal Soccer Dad 