HEWERTON MOREIRA NAMES 14-PLAYER U.S. MEN’S FUTSAL NATIONAL TEAM ROSTER FOR 2024 CONCACAF FUTSAL CHAMPIONSHIP IN NICARAGUA
Six Members of 2021 FIFA Futsal World Cup Squad Headline Roster as USA Aims to Qualify for Second-Straight World Cup
CHICAGO (April 2, 2024) – U.S. Men’s Futsal National Team head coach Hewerton Moreira has named his final 14-player roster for the 2024 Concacaf Futsal Championship to be played April 13-20 at the Polideportivo Alexis Argüello in Managua, Nicaragua. The competition serves as the qualifying tournament for the 2024 FIFA Futsal World Cup set for September 14-October 6 in Uzbekistan.
As the Futsal MNT attempts to qualify for its second-straight Futsal World Cup, the team will depart for Nicaragua on April 7 where it will train for a week in advance of its tournament opener on April 13 against Trinidad and Tobago (12 p.m. ET). The team will then face Dominican Republic on April 14 (2 p.m. ET), before rounding out group play against Guatemala on April 15 (2 p.m. ET). Broadcast details will be shared closer to the tournament.
“Our team has prepared well since last fall, and coming off a solid camp in February in Argentina we feel very confident with the group of players that will go to this month’s Concacaf Championship,” Moreira said. “There are two main objectives for us in Nicaragua. The first is to ensure we qualify for the Futsal World Cup this fall, and the second is to make it to the final game and win the Concacaf Championship for the first time in 20 years.”
Since becoming head coach last September, Moreira has focused on building a core group of players that could gel quickly leading into this month’s World Cup qualifying tournament. The USA’s Concacaf Futsal Championship roster demonstrates that continuity, as 12 of the 14 players have taken part in every training camp under Moreira, while 13 players participated in both January’s domestic training camp in Rome, Ga. and February’s trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina where the Futsal MNT performed well against local sides Racing Club, Ferro, and San Lorenzo.
The team is led by 2023 U.S. Soccer Male Futsal Player of the Year Luciano Gonzalez, who is one six veterans of the U.S. squad at the 2021 FIFA Futsal World Cup in Lithuania, along with goalkeepers Diego Moretti and Robert Damron, fixos Raphael Araujo and David Ortíz, and ala Alencar Ventura-Junior.
Gonzalez is also one of two players that play professional Futsal in Italy where he features for APD Sammichele 1992 in Bari, while Nicholas Lopez lines up for Ciampino Futsal in Rome. Meanwhile, seven players are on Major Arena Soccer League rosters, with Araujo representing the St. Louis Ambush, Erik Macias, Sebastian Mendez, Luiz Morales, and Ortiz coming from the Texas Outlaws, and Nilton de Andrade and Franck Tayou suiting up for Utica City FC.
DETAILED ROSTER BY POSITION (Hometown):
Key: Fixo = Defender; Ala = Winger / Midfielder; Pivo = Target / Forward
GOALKEEPERS (2): 1-Robert Damron*^ (Ann Arbor, Mich.; 4/0), 12-Diego Moretti*^ (Ancona, Italy; 18/0)
FIXOS (3): 9-Raphael Araujo*^ (Bound Brook, N.J.; 17/4), 5-Luciano Gonzalez*^ (Mendoza, Argentina; 16/7), 14-Erik Macias^ (Dallas, Texas; 5/0)
ALAS (6): 7-Diego Burato^ (Dallas, Texas; 4/2), 3-Nilton de Andrade (Boston, Mass.; 0/0), 13-Nicholas Lopez (Miami, Fla.; 0/0), 6-Sebastian Mendez^ (Dallas, Texas; 6/0), 10-David Ortíz*^ (McKinney, Texas; 9/2), 4-Alencar Ventura-Junior*^ (Itabirinha MG, Brazil; 15/1)
PIVOS (3): 11-Luiz Morales^ (Irving, Texas; 4/5), 2-Manuel Andrade^ (Boston, Mass.; 5/1), 8-Franck Tayou^ (Las Vegas, Nev.; 5/1)
*Part of 2021 FIFA Futsal World Cup roster;
^Part of 2022 UMAG Nations Cup roster
ROAD TO UZBEKISTAN
Aiming to qualify for its second-straight FIFA Futsal World Cup and seventh overall tournament, the Futsal MNT was drawn into Group C where it will face Trinidad and Tobago (April 13; 12 p.m. ET), Dominican Republic (April 14; 2 p.m. ET) and Guatemala (April 15; 2 p.m. ET). The top two teams in each group, along with the two best third-place sides, will advance to the tournament’s knockout round. The quarterfinals on April 17 will determine Concacaf’s four representatives in Uzbekistan, with the tournament proceeding to the semifinals the following day before the final on April 20.
HISTORY AT CONCACAF FUTSAL CHAMPIONSHIP & OPPONENT CAPSULES
The USA is participating in its seventh Concacaf Futsal Championship, with the Futsal MNT previously winning the quadrennial tournament in 1996 and 2004, and finishing as runner-up in 2000, 2008 and 2021.
Here is a look at the USA’s series history with its three Group C opponents:
Trinidad and Tobago
The USA’s opening match marks its first clash on the court with Trinidad and Tobago, its 14th opponent in Concacaf all-time. The dual-island nation is making its fourth appearance at the competition and its first back-to-back appearances since 2004-2008.
Dominican Republic
The U.S. and Dominican Republic will face off for the second time after first meeting in the World Cup-clinching quarterfinals at the 2021 tournament. In the DR’s first appearance at the Concacaf Futsal Championship, the USA utilized goals from Raphael Araujo and Tomas Pondeca to earn a 2-0 win against Los Quisqueyanos and secure its first World Cup berth since 2008.
Guatemala
This will be the USA’s seventh meeting with Guatemala, having complied a 2-3-1 record, and the fourth meeting at World Cup qualifying, where the U.S. is 1-2-1 vs. Los Chapines. The nations met in a thrilling semifinal match at the 2021 Concacaf Futsal Championship, where Luciano Gonzalez and Jeremy Klepel scored for the Futsal MNT in a 2-2 draw before the U.S. triumphed 5-4 on penalty kicks to reach the Final for the first time since 2008.
ROSTER NOTES:
- Six players were part of the U.S. squad at the 2021 FIFA Futsal World Cup in Lithuania: Raphael Araujo, Robert Damron, Luciano Gonzalez, Diego Moretti, David Ortíz, and Alencar Ventura-Junior
- Four players also helped the USA qualify for that tournament during the 2021 Concacaf Futsal Championship: Araujo, Gonzalez, Moretti and Ventura-Junior.
- Twelve of the 14 players have participated in all three Futsal MNT camps since Hewerton Moreira became head coach last fall, while Franck Tayou has joined that group in both camps held in 2024.
- Only Erik Macias has not been called in previously under Moreira.
- Twelve players helped the USA claim the 2022 Umag Nations Cup title in Croatia: Manuel Andrade, Raphael Araujo, Diego Burato, Robert Damron, Luciano Gonzalez, Erik Macias, Sebastian Mendez, Luiz Morales, Diego Moretti, David Ortíz, Franck Tayou and Alencar Ventura-Junior.
- Luciano Gonzalez was voted 2023 U.S. Soccer Futsal Player of the Year, while goalkeeper Diego Moretti was the runner-up.
- Gonzalez and Nicholas Lopez both play professionally with Futsal clubs in Italy. Gonzalez features for APD Sammichele 1992 in Bari, while Lopez recently joined Ciampino Futsal in Rome
- Seven players come from clubs in the Major Arena Soccer League: Sebastian Mendez, Erik Macias, Luiz Morales, and David Ortíz (Texas Outlaws); Nilton de Andrade and Franck Tayou (Utica City FC); and Raphael Araujo (St. Louis Ambush).
