Following a year and a half of talent scouting camps, U.S. Head coach of the Women’s Futsal National Team Marcia Tafarel has selected eighteen players to participate in the team’s first comprehensive training camp, which is scheduled for July 28–Aug. 2 at Rome, Georgia’s Darlington School.
In keeping with U.S. Tafarel, soccer’s strategic pillar for building winning teams, started leading the pool of potential Deaf WNT players through a demanding talent identification process in March 2023. Since then, he has chosen the first group of players who will start preparing to compete in the FIFA Women’s Futsal World Cup, which will take place in the Philippines the following year.
“This first full U.S. Women’s Futsal National Team camp is a milestone for women’s futsal in the United States,” Tafarel said. “Along with helping us take us our first steps toward international competition, it is also a big step in promoting the sport and laying the groundwork for developing a competitive National Team to inspire future generations of female futsal players. We look forward to the work ahead with this group as we maintain our focus on qualifying for next year’s Futsal World Cup.”
California leads the way with six picks, followed by Maryland (four), Virginia (two), Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and New York. The 18-player roster represents nine different states. Most notably, San Jose, California native goalie Gabby Batmani has 12 caps for the United States. Women’s National Team for Beach Soccer since 2022.
The Federation’s plan to promote, facilitate, and honor the game in all of its manifestations includes U.S. During its 2022 Annual General Meeting, Soccer declared its intention to form the Futsal WNT, which will become one of nine teams under the Federation’s Extended National Teams initiative.
FIFA announced in December 2022 that it had given the go-ahead for the FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup to be added to its schedule of international tournaments. The first tournament is scheduled for 2025. Since 2019, UEFA has organized a European Women’s Futsal Championship.
Key: Fixo = Defender; Ala = Winger / Midfielder; Pivo = Target / Forward
GOALKEEPERS (3): Gabby Batmani (San Jose, Calif.), Martha Lord (Bedford, N.H.), Michelle Mello (Orlando, Fla.)
FIXOS (5): Lauren Deckert (Fort Thomas, Ky.), Jordan Felton (Waldorf, Md.), Viet-Thy Tran (Santa Clara, Calif.), Hayley Wilson (Leonardtown, Md.), Zaneta Wyne (Aliso Viejo, Calif.)
ALAS (6): Nicole Bermudez (Oceanside, N.Y.), Jillian Dorghoud (Woodbridge, Va.), Ashlin Fuentes (Lanham, Md.), Janae Chantell Gonzalez Braun (Folsom, Calif.), Sarah Mirr (Pleasanton, Calif.), Farrell Pomponio (Little Egg Harbor, N.J.)
PIVOS (4): Carlie Banks (Peachtree City, Ga.), Roxy Kamal (San Jose, Calif.), Paige Pierson (Sterling, Va.), Sarah Martin (Bowie, Md.)
Author: Quique Lopez
Quique Lopez doesn’t just cover soccer—he deconstructs it with the precision of a veteran and the wit of a storyteller. A former player who sees the pitch as both a tactical chessboard and a cultural stage, Quique balances sharp critiques with a genuine love for the game’s soul. He’s as quick to call out the ego of a superstar as he is to find the hidden beauty in a local derby.