Six EMF Members – miniEURO Champions Romania, Czech Republic, Germany, Kazakhstan, Russia and Serbia – will be competing in the first ever minifootball World Cup, which takes place in North America next month. Details have been revealed today.
The Confederacion Panamericana Minifutbol (CPM) in association with World Mini Football (WMF) announced the groups and the opening round schedule for the 12 team 2015 WMF World Cup to be played March 21-29 in the United States.
The US National Arena Soccer Team will reside in Group A along with the Czech Republic, El Salvador, and Kazakhstan. Mexico headlines Group B with Germany, India, and Romania. Group C features northern neighbor Canada as well as Serbia, Brazil and Russia.
Teams from Group B have the honor of opening the schedule on March 21 at the Allen Event Center in Allen, Texas, home of the Dallas Sidekicks. Group C kicks off on March 23 at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, NY. The USNAST and Group A open on March 23 at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, CA.
Group A will also play at the Valley View Casino Center on San Diego. Group B will see action at Hartman Arena in suburban Wichita, KS. Group C will play games at Perani Arena in Flint, MI. On March 26th will be the quarterfinals which will be hosted by Perani Arena, Tulsa will host a doubleheader quarterfinal, and the final quarterfinal location will be either Allen, Tx. or Wichita. The semifinals and finals will be in Chicago the weekend of the 28th and 29th.
The events marks the first World Cup for WMF and will be the largest major world championship for arena soccer since the 1997 World Indoor Championships that were played in Mexico City. The WMF is the highest authority of minifootball in the world. Minifootball includes 5, 6, and 7-a-side variations of soccer. The WMF World Cup will be played in the six-a-side, boarded style familiar throughout North America. For more information go to: www.wmfworldcup.com