CHICAGO (April 25, 2022) – The U.S. Para Men’s and Women’s National Teams will travel to Salou, Spain for the 2022 IFCPF Men’s and Women’s World Cups. The men’s tournament marks the first major international competition for the Para MNT since August 2019’s Parapan American Games. The Women’s World Cup represents the first-ever international matches for the Para WNT, which launched in January.
The Men’s World Cup is set for April 27-May 16 and the Women’s World Cup is set for May 7-18 All matches will be broadcast live and free through Esport+, available at esportplus.tv/home or via the ESport+ app on the App Store or Google Play Store. Both tournaments will be contested at the Futbol Salou Sports Complex in Salou, outside of Barcelona.
Men’s PNT head coach Stuart Sharp has called 14 players to represent the United States at the IFCPF Men’s World Cup. The USA enters the 15-team tournament ranked sixth in the world and is set to face Iran and Australia in Group C play. The Men’s PNT finished sixth at the 2019 World Cup, one of its best finishes at a world championship event in the modern era of the sport.
GOALKEEPERS (2): Sean Boyle (Minneapolis, Minn.), Marc Estrella (Bakersfield, Calif.)
DEFENDERS (4): Drew Bremer (East Grand Rapids, Mich.), Joshua Brunais (Stafford, Va.), Jacob Crumbley (Fortson, Ga.), Jacob Kaplan (Morganville, N.J.)
MIDFIELDERS (5): Adam Ballou (Virginia Beach, Va.), Chileshe Chitulangoma (Rochester, Minn.), Cameron DeLillo (Blandon, Penn.), Ben Lindau (Chicago, Ill.), Kevin McCandlish (Chesapeake, Va.)
FORWARDS (3): Shea Hammond (Montclaire, N.J.), Jonah Meyer-Crothers (Sylvania, Ohio), John Sullivan (Tucson, Ariz.)
“We finished strong at the last World Cup and plan to go further this time around,” said Sharp. “We’ve had some issues with injuries and withdrawals, but we’ve brought in some young players that I’m confident are ready to perform at this level. In a three-team group, we have some additional challenges with classification, but we use the motto ‘adapt and thrive’ for a reason and are ready to overcome any obstacles we face in Spain.
“Both Australia and Iran are well-coached sides who have had a lot of turnover since their last time on the pitch, so they’re a little bit of an unknown quantity. Therefore, we are taking nothing for granted and have been preparing for whatever challenge comes our way. Being back on the highest platform of the sport is a special moment, and we will be making the most of it.”
In March, the Men’s PNT returned to international action for the first time since the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic with friendlies against England and Scotland at CP Tri-Nations in England.
Prior to the pandemic, the USA recorded a number of successful performances at recent major international competitions. At the Parapan American Games in August 2019, the Men’s PNT won bronze, its first-ever medal at the tournament. In addition to a sixth-place finish at the 2019 World Cup, the U.S. took third at the 2018 IFCPF Copa America and fifth at the 2017 IFCPF World Championships.
Ten players return from the 2019 Parapan American Games roster, while eight competed at the 2019 World Cup. Three made their international debut during CP Tri-Nations in March – midfielders Chileshe Chitulangoma and Kevin McCandlish plus forward Jonah Meyer-Crothers.
|
Date |
Match |
Time (ET) |
TV Info |
Venue |
|
Tuesday, May 3 |
USA vs. Iran |
3:30 a.m. |
ESport+ (Web and App) |
Futbol Salou Sports Complex; Salou, Spain |
|
Saturday, May 7 |
USA vs. Australia |
6:30 a.m. |
ESport+ (Web and App) |
Futbol Salou Sports Complex; Salou, Spain |
Midfielder Cameron DeLillo was the USA’s top scorer at the 2019 ParaPan American Games with nine goals, and also netted five at the 2019 World Cup. Midfielder Adam Ballou is the squad’s most senior player, representing the U.S. at the 2012 and 2016 Paralympics. He plays club Para Soccer at Valencia CF, two hours south of Salou.
The Women’s PNT will take the field in international competition for the first time in Salou following initial training camps in January and April. Head coach Tricia Taliaferro has called in 10 players for the team’s international debut. In addition to the United States, Australia, Japan, Netherlands and Spain will compete at the Women’s World Cup, the first-ever world championship event for Women’s Para Soccer.
GOALKEEPERS (2): Rebecca Ostrander (Carson CIty, Nev.), Emily Lauritsen (Omaha, Neb.)
DEFENDERS (3): Michelle Cross (Orange County, Calif.), Joey Martin (Smyrna, Ga.), Annie Wickett (Frederick, Md.)
MIDFIELDERS (3): Cassidy Leake (Murrieta, Calif.), Kat Renick (Safety Harbor, Fla.), Jesslyn Kuhnel (Panama City, Fla.)
FORWARDS (2): Leah Glaser (Montclair, N.J.), Catarina Guimaraes (Cranford, N.J.)
|
Date |
Match |
Time (ET) |
TV Info |
Venue |
|
Thursday, May 12 |
USA vs. Spain |
3:45 a.m. |
ESport+ (Web and App) |
Futbol Salou Sports Complex; Salou, Spain |
|
Friday, May 13 |
USA vs. Netherlands |
6:45 a.m. |
ESport+ (Web and App) |
Futbol Salou Sports Complex; Salou, Spain |
|
Saturday, May 14 |
USA vs. Japan |
6:45 a.m. |
ESport+ (Web and App) |
Futbol Salou Sports Complex; Salou, Spain |
|
Sunday, May 15 |
USA vs. Australia |
6:45 a.m. |
ESport+ (Web and App) |
Futbol Salou Sports Complex; Salou, Spain |
|
Monday, May 16/Tuesday, May 17 |
Placement Game |
TBD |
ESport+ (Web and App) |
Futbol Salou Sports Complex; Salou, Spain |
"We’re so grateful for the opportunity,” Taliaferro said. “Being able to give opportunities to players to represent their country and play for a World Cup is unbelievable. To be one of the 10 women in the whole country to represent the United States at this first World Cup tournament is a historic moment. I’m extremely proud to be a part of it.”
Taliaferro is a long-time U.S. Youth National Teams coach and currently serves as girls’ technical director for the Tampa Bay United Rowdies, and has enjoyed a long career coaching in the college and youth game. Longtime Men’s PNT midfielder and captain Kevin Hensley will serve as an assistant coach for the Women’s PNT.