ALL eyes will be on Croke Park on Wednesday evening to judge the immediate progress of Irish soccer, but the FAI's National Development Officer for Schools soccer firmly believes the future of the game will be on show at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght only hours earlier (Wednesday, 11 February):
The First Year Post/Primary Schools National Futsal finals will make its debut in the Tallaght arena and after witnessing the success of the Leinster finals last month and other provincial finals throughout the country, Ian Carry believes the competition is the way forward for Irish soccer reports Gavin Earley:
"Futsal is the way we see football being taken forward in the country and from what I have seen at finals nationwide and in Dublin, it is very encouraging," said the man charged with overseeing and organising schools soccer by the Football Association of Ireland:
"The great thing about the Leinster finals was the particularly high standard, even in its first year, and that can only be good for young talent being spotted and nurtured in the future:
"Other countries have shown the benefits of introducing this game: You only have to look at Spain for example, who won the European Championships last year:
"They were traditionally known as a nation that had great talent but did not produce on the big international tournament stage, but since they have introduced Futsal they have kicked on:
"Players like Fernando Torres have been brought up from a background of playing Futsal and it can be a benefit to our young players:"
The competition is only in its first year of existence, following a South/Leinster piloted version last year, but huge numbers of entrants and the sheer quality of play on show has caught the imagination of everybody involved:
Wexford CBS Boys and Moyne Community College Girls will represent Leinster on home ground in the face of challenges from Munster champions High School Clonmel for the boys and St: Flannan’s College in Ennis in the girls group:
Connacht will be represented by St: Joseph’s College in the boys section and Mercy Convent, Ballina in the girls category:
Ulster will see two Monaghan schools in the form of Monaghan Collegiate School for the lads and Inver College, Carrickmacross for the ladies:
All eight schools will play to lift the coveted title of First Year Futsal National Champions in what promises to be a very competitive tournament: