3 Saskatoon players clinch spots in 1st FIFA Futsal World Cup

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Saskatoon's Jade Houmphanh, Erica Hindmarsh and Jadyn Steinhauer were 3 of the 14 Team Canada players to bushed Panama 8-2 to triumph the CONCACAF championship.

Canada won CONCACAF bid against teams similar Costa Rica, Mexico and Honduras

Aliyah Marko-Omene · CBC News

· Posted: May 08, 2025 6:33 PM EDT | Last Updated: 24 minutes ago

Saskatchewan's, Erica Hindmarsh, Jadyn Steinhauer, Jade Houmphanh and Jenson Barandica-Hamilton grin arsenic they rise the Canadian emblem aft their 8-2 triumph implicit Panama.

Canada Soccer's women's futsal national squad — which features 3 Saskatoon players — won the inaugural CONCACAF women's futsal title successful Guatemala City past weekend, clinching a spot successful the first-ever FIFA Futsal World Cup.

Futsal is often compared to indoor soccer, but played successful a smaller tribunal with a fewer antithetic rules.

The fast-paced crippled has made its people internationally, but is inactive increasing successful Canada and crossed the province.

Saskatoon's Erica Hindmarsh, Jadyn Steinhauer and Jade Houmphanh are three of the 14 Team Canada players who bushed Panama 8-2 to triumph the championship. University of Saskatchewan Huskie Coach Jenson Barandica-Hamilton besides joined the squad arsenic an adjunct coach.

Barandica-Hamilton said helium was "amazed" erstwhile the team, which had lone started playing unneurotic earlier this year, was capable to secure the win.

"I don't deliberation it has afloat sunk successful yet," helium said.

"What we were capable to execute is truly mind-blowing successful a way, considering we bushed immoderate countries who had been preparing for years for this event, whereas our programme is simply a precise caller program."

Alex Derosa, caput manager for the Canadian team, was fixed the accidental to vie successful the tourney astatine the opening of January and did not commencement assembling the squad until the mediate of February, Barandica-Hamilton said.

"It's a very, precise speedy turnaround successful presumption of putting unneurotic a nationalist squad and going to vie astatine planetary level," helium said.

Players similar Humphrey, Hindmarsh and Steinhauer person been participating successful futsal during their off-seasons from soccer, gathering connected their determination making, method ability, velocity of play and creativity, Barandica-Hamilton said.

WATCH | 3 Sask. players assistance instrumentality location 1st women's futsal title for Canada:

3 Sask. players assistance instrumentality location 1st women's futsal title for Canada

Canada has made past by winning the archetypal CONCACAF women's futsal championship. With the victory, Canada secures a spot successful the inaugural FIFA Futsal Women's World Cup successful November.

A surreal moment

Houmphanh, a defender for the team, was finishing 1 of her nursing shifts erstwhile she received a telephone from Barandica-Hamilton [her manager connected the Huskies], who told her she would beryllium one of the 14 girls invited to play connected Team Canada. She said it "felt similar a precise surreal moment."

Houmphanh archetypal got into futsal for amusive successful 2016 aft a erstwhile manager introduced it to her.

Houmphanh said galore radical connected the nationalist squad were amazed to spot radical from Saskatchewan playing, arsenic astir players were from Quebec and Montreal.

"I consciousness similar myself and my different 2 teammates that got selected person precise unsocial qualities astir ourselves that helped america basal retired astatine the campy and past marque the last roster."

The squad had nary expectations coming into the contention and wanted to spot "where they stood," Houmphanh said.

The Canadian women's futsal squad is gathered for a photograph arsenic they observe their title win.

In its archetypal crippled against Costa Rica, Team Canada mislaid 2-3. Despite the result, the players gained confidence.

"I deliberation that truly solidified america to conscionable spot the level that we were astatine compared to different teams."

The squad went connected to triumph 4 consecutive games to triumph the tournament.

Houmphanh said she hopes the occurrence from winning the title volition amusement it pays to put successful women's sports and springiness women antithetic opportunities to advancement successful their diversion careers.

"I consciousness similar sometimes we're overlooked compared to the bigger provinces," she said.

"But determination is talent, and there's a batch of bully programs going connected that is gathering the athletics successful our province."

Next up, World Cup

Team Canada futsal players are seen lasting with fans arsenic they cheer successful excitement aft their title win.

Team Canada is present acceptable to compete at the inaugural FIFA Futsal Women's World Cup successful the Philippines starting connected Nov. 21.

Barandica-Hamilton expects a "massive challenge" for his team, which volition vie against countries that person nonrecreational futsal leagues similar Costa Rica, Portugal, Mexico and Brazil.

"But arsenic I said, we're a squad that is precise 'live successful the moment,' are precise 'pride successful what we do', and and we anticipation to correspond well."