PNT Will Face Iran, Finland and Ireland in Group B Play from July 8-12;
USA Looks to Build on Best Modern-Era Finish Achieved at 2017 World Championships
CHICAGO (July 1, 2019)—U.S. Para 7-a-Side National Team head coach Stuart Sharp has selected the 14 players who will represent the United States at the 2019 IFCPF World Cup in Sevilla, Spain from July 4-20.
2019 IFCPF World Cup Roster by Position (Hometown)
GOALKEEPERS (2): Carter Alvey (Mount Washington, Ky.), Sean Boyle (Minneapolis, Minn.)
DEFENDERS (5): Andrew Bremer (Grand Rapids, Mich.), Joshua Brunais (Stafford, Va.), Jacob Crumbley (Fortson, Ga.), David Garza (San Diego, Calif.), Jacob Kaplan (Morganville, N.J.)
MIDFIELDERS (5): Adam Ballou (Virginia Beach, Va.), Tyler Bennett (Wadsworth, Ohio), Cameron DeLillo (Blandon, Pa.), Ben Lindau (Chicago, Ill.), Nicholas Mayhugh (Manassas, Va.)
FORWARDS (2): Shea Hammond (Upper Montclaire, N.J.), Seth Jahn (Lakeland, Fla.)
Following strong showings in its last two major international competitions, the 2017 World Championships and the 2018 IFCPF Copa America, the PNT enters the World Cup ranked No. 4 in the world, its highest-ever mark. At the 2017 World Championships, the USA came from behind to win two thrilling placement matches and finish fifth overall. Facing the best of North and South America at last fall’s Copa America, the PNT clinched a spot in the World Cup with a third-place finish.
Eleven players return from the PNT’s Copa America roster: Adam Ballou, Tyler Bennett, Andrew Bremer, Joshua Brunais, Jacob Crumbley, Cameron DeLillo, David Garza, Shea Hammond, Seth Jahn, Jacob Kaplan and Nick Mayhugh. Nine return from the 2017 World Championships roster: Ballou, Bennett, Sean Boyle, Bremer, DeLillo, Garza, Jahn, Ben Lindau and Mayhugh.
The 2019 World Cup represents the PNT’s most important competition of the year and comes two years after the team’s last world championship, the 2017 IFCPF CP Football World Championships. The PNT’s fifth-place finish at that event marked the team’s best in the modern 7-a-side era (2014-present). The 2019 World Cup also marks the USA’s first world championship competition since the International Federation for Cerebral Palsy Football (IFCPF) introduced its new classification rules for players in March 2018.
“We are confident that we can continue to show that we are one of the top teams in the world,” Sharp said. “At the World Cup, it’s always going to be tough, and we are in one of the tournament’s most difficult groups. But, what's important is that we also know on our day we can defeat any of the nations that we are set to face.”
Drawn into Group B for the 16-team tournament, the USA opens play on Monday, July 8 against Iran at 3 p.m. ET, faces Finland on Wednesday, July 10 at 3 a.m. ET and wraps up the group stage vs. Ireland on Friday, July 12 at 1:10 p.m. ET. All matches will be streamed and played at the Ciudad Deportiva Jose Ramon Cisneros Palacios, the training center for La Liga club Sevilla FC.
USA’s 2019 IFCPF World Cup Schedule
|
Date |
Match |
Time (ET) |
Venue |
|
Monday, July 8 |
USA vs. Iran |
3 p.m. |
Ciudad Deportiva Jose Ramon Cisneros Palacios; Sevilla, Spain |
|
Wednesday, July 10 |
USA vs. Ireland |
3 a.m. |
Ciudad Deportiva Jose Ramon Cisneros Palacios; Sevilla, Spain |
|
Friday, July 12 |
USA vs. Finland |
1:10 p.m. |
Ciudad Deportiva Jose Ramon Cisneros Palacios; Sevilla, Spain |
“We had some excellent performances in our May preparation matches against England and we have pushed on from there,” Sharp said. “However, we are in no way delusional of the task that awaits us- whether that be negotiating the unprecedented challenge of having all our players classified during the group stage of the competition or going up against some very strong opponents on the field.”
The USA is set for a difficult group stage slate in Spain. Iran, its first opponent, is a perennial Para 7-a-Side powerhouse and finished second at the 2017 World Championships. Ireland finished third at the 2018 IFCPF European Championships, and the USA’s second group stage game vs. the Irish will be a rematch of the PNT’s last-second comeback victory in the fifth-place match at the 2017 World Championships. The U.S. scored in the final minute of regulation and the third minute of stoppage time to top Ireland in Argentina. A rising team in Europe, Finland qualified for the 2019 World Cup by nature of its IFCPF world ranking.
|
Group A |
Group B |
Group C |
Group D |
|
Brazil |
USA |
Ukraine |
Netherlands |
|
England |
Ireland |
Argentina |
Russia |
|
Japan |
Iran |
Australia |
Canada |
|
Germany |
Finland |
Spain |
Thailand |
After the group stage, the PNT will play three additional classification matches depending on its finish. The top two teams from each group advance to the quarterfinals, where the USA would face a team from Group A.
The 2019 IFCPF World Cup features 16 of the world’s top Para 7-a-side teams that qualified through IFCPF Regional Championships and the IFCPF rankings. Eight spots were determined by teams’ finishes at the IFCPF Copa America, European Championships and Asia-Oceania Championships, seven berths were secured by the best-placed teams in the IFCPF rankings and host Spain earned an automatic entry. Ukraine enters the tournament as reigning world champions after winning the 2017 IFCPF World Championships.