Nine- and 10-year-olds from Rose City Futsal are training for the Costa Blanca Cup in Spain. The team practices three nights a week.
PORTLAND, Ore. — The work on the futsal court is intense. Nine- and 10-year-olds from the Rose City Futsal select team are preparing for the trip of a lifetime.
“Sometimes, I just like to shoot baskets with my dad, but I love the game of futsal,” says Henry Meschke.
Meschke and the rest of the team are getting ready for the Costa Blanca Cup in Benidorm, Spain. Three nights a week, these players sharpen their skills.
Futsal is a fast-paced indoor version of soccer. It’s played on a hard court with no walls — just out-of-bounds lines. Five players are on each team: four field players and a goalie.
“Futsal is the best developmental tool for the younger kids. It’s gonna teach them how to work in small spaces, make quick decisions, as well as work on their technical aspects,” says head coach Emily Roose.
Roose knows all about futsal. She’s played professionally in Europe and with the U.S. Futsal national select team.
The Rose City team has been together for several years and they’ve had great success. They finished second at the 2024 and 2025 Northwest Regional Tournament. They also won the 2025 Diego Valeri Rose City Cup.
The Costa Blanca Cup runs from July 6-11. The team has a GoFundMe page to help with the cost of the trip.
