NFPL Matchweek 1 Preview
THE WAIT IS OVER - THE NFPL IS BACK!
Just a few days from kickoff of a fresh season in the National Futsal Premier League. The teams are ready to go, and so are we. We have an incredible slate to kick the season off, with Ginga Futsal hosting Columbus Futsal in the first Battle for Ohio of the season! Elsewhere, Futsal Indy visit Joy Athletic for a rematch of last season's playoff semifinal matchup.
Get all the details here.
Ginga Futsal (H) VS. Columbus Futsal (A)
Cincinatti-based Ginga Futsal have returned for a second season in the NFPL with a handful of familiar, highly-skilled futsal players on the court. In last season's fixture the two teams competed closely to an 8-8 tie in Cincinnati, with Columbus winning both matchups at their home court.
Similarly, Columbus return a number of players to the court and will be looking to impose themselves early on the NFPL Men's Eastern Conference and the state of Ohio. Sydney Musoni and Upgrade Costello made summer transfers from Columbus to Ginga Futsal, adding a bit of extra spice to this matchip!
KEY PLAYERS:
Ginga Futsal:
• Erik Hegerty (C)
• Jorge Guinovart
• Nick Rumisek
Columbus Futsal:
• Yul Illidge
• Victor Barbosa
• Hamza Belasri
MATCH DETAILS:
• Date: Saturday, December 3rd
• Time: 7:00PM EST
• Location: Flock Sports Entertainment Center
• Streaming: NFPL YouTube
jOY aTHLETIC (H) VS. FUTSAL iNDY (A)
Futsal Indy travel north to Minnesota to take on last season's runners-up in Joy Athletic. In their last matchup, Joy Athletic won a closely-contested 8-6 matchup to gain a berth in the NFPL Championship game.
What can we expect this season? Futsal Indy have a strong returning cast with players like Joao Couto, Diego Lemus, and Luis Soriano on the court. Similarly, Joy Athletic bring back Bennett Kouame, the 2021/22 Golden Ball winner, and a talented young core supported by Mika Folstad and Philip Caputo, with leadership stemming from Lioul Minas.
This should be a physical, skillful, fast-paced matchup and both teams will surely be looking to start their season on a positive note.
KEY PLAYERS:
Joy Athletic:
• Bennett Kouame
• Mika Folstad
Futsal Indy:
• Joao Couto
• Luis Soriano
MATCH DETAILS:
• Date: Saturday, December 3rd
• Time: 7:00PM CST
• Location: Gangelhoff Center
• Streaming: NFPL YouTube
The Table Is Set!
Best of luck to all of the players and managers in Matchweek 1! Follow along and stay tuned on the National Futsal Premier League social media channels for game updates and more! Catch the full schedule here.
• NFPL Facebook
• NFPL Twitter
• NFPL Instagram
• NFPL YouTube
• NFPL Twitch
• NFPL Discord