Sand, Soccer and Two Tickets for a World Cup
posted:Saturday, April 5, 2008
by Vallarta Online Staff
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From April 17 to 20, Mexico's national team, along with four other national beach soccer teams, will compete here in Vallarta to qualify for an international soccer event. These four national teams will battle it out for two tickets to participate in the World Beach Soccer Championship, which will be held this coming July in Marseilles, France.
With several tons of sand, a field at the Agustin Flores Contreras sports complex will be transformed into a beach soccer stadium to welcome teams from the United States, El Salvador and Costa Rica, which, together with México, will compete for two tickets to this sport's world championship.
For the first time, México will be host to this international event. On this occasion, it is also the qualifying venue for the World Cup, which has become the most important competition of the season for the Confederación Norte, Centroamérica y el Caribe de Futbol (Concacaf (Northern, Central American, Caribbean Federation).
The coach for the national selection for beach soccer, Ramón Raya, announced that the support from the Fidecomiso de Turismo (Tourism Trust) and the Ayuntamineto de Puerto Vallarta (Puerto Vallarta City Government) has made this great sporting event possible for the city. He also says they are "very eager to have such an event. We will be prepared and our main objective will be to be reresented during the world championship in Marseilles. We hope to have the support of Vallartans to continue making history in this sport."
The competition format for the event will be four participating teams who will battle it out for the two tickets to the world championship in Marseilles.
During the three-day tournament, they will be playing back-to-back games, with the first game starting at 5:15 pm and the second at 6:30 pm. On Thursday, April 17, the first game will feature the selections from the United States and Costa Rica. In the second match, the teams from El Salvador and Mexico will compete. On Friday, April 18, the teams from El Salvador and the United States will confront each other first, followed by México and Costa Rica.
On Saturday, April 19, the opening game will be between El Salvador and Costa Rica. In the second game, Mexico the United States will face the hosting team.
Finally, on Sunday, April 20, there will be a game featuring Mexican team against an international "All Stars" team, with players from around the globe.
Marseilles will host the Beach Soccer World Cup next July, following the preliminary rounds held in Puerto Vallarta by Concacaf and in Buenos Aires by the South American Soccer Association (Confederacion Sudamericana de futbol), as well as in Durban, South Africa; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; and Benidorm, Spain, allowing teams from all continents.
Sixteen teams will be selected from among these teams to play in the World Cup, which will follow the finals in Benidorm.
Eliminatory Phase for the Beach Soccer World Cup
Agustín Flores Contreras Stadium
Blvd. Fco Medina Ascencio B7-K
April 17-20, 5:15pm & 6:30pm
Free admission
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