From Dec. 26 to Jan. 4, Arthur Chung (11) participated in the International US Youth Futsal competition in France. Competing in a series of four rounds against the top teams in the country, it was a showcase of young talent and camaraderie that Chung would never forget. 

Chung never could have predicted spending his New Year’s Day playing in the futsal courts of France. He couldn’t imagine himself playing futsal on an international level at all, considering his main focus all his life had been soccer. 

“Futsal is basically an indoor version of soccer with only 10 players, as compared to 11 on soccer,” Chung said. “It was really more of a hobby for me, and I’ve played it on and off since I was 9, mostly to improve my soccer skills and for fun. I played for a little on a [semi-professional] team, but practices ended up being too much to handle with soccer and school, and since then I haven’t played it [consistently].” 

Chung initially received an invitation to play  from his teammate on the MLS Next soccer team, who competed on the US Youth Futsal team last year. 

“I learned about the [US Youth Futsal program] from [my teammate], since he had competed on their international team last year,” Chung said. “He’s a much more futsal-focused player and he thought it would be a good opportunity for me to come and try out.” 

Chung and his teammate actually missed the first round of regional tryouts in late December of 2022, but their coach was able to advocate for their talents and they were permitted to attend the national qualifier in Kansas in April, which was a small selection of around 30-40 players of the best futsal players in the US. Chung wasn’t sure what to expect going into the tryout.  

“To be honest, we just thought we would try our best, but it was mostly for the experience and fun, considering I was not a futsal-based player,” he said. “I didn’t think [at that time] I would make it. I was very surprised when I ended up getting the email that I did.” 

Both Chung and his teammate took their places on the five-player team, but it would be eight months until they would actually board the plane to France. Chung said all the pressure about the international tournament hit him when they landed.

“I really wasn’t that nervous before,” Chung said. “I started to get nervous when we attended our first practice in France and I saw the other teams. There was a good chance that all these players would be way better than I was.” 

Chung said this stemmed from his inexperience as a futsal player. But, when he attended the first practice, Chung’s anxiousness faded away. 

“Once we got to our first scheduled practice, I saw that I wasn’t too far behind,” Chung said. “After determining where I was at and how I was keeping up with the [other players] I wasn’t nervous anymore.” 

The competition began in Paris and they slowly made their way towards Nantes, competing against the top teams in France.  

“There were four rounds [in total] spread out over Paris and Nantes,” Chung said. “Over the [eight] days we were there, we’d have practice in the morning every day and then, if we had a game, play it in the afternoon. [The other teams were] obviously good and skillful. But they played a different style, which challenged us to adapt quickly.”

The differences between futsal and soccer became largely apparent throughout these games and it was one of the challenges that Chung personally had to face. 

“I just like the outdoor environment for soccer a lot better since it’s more open,” he said. “[Indoor arenas] are a lot smaller and condensed. Also, [the indoor arenas] did not vary greatly, while in soccer there’s a large variety of different fields. ” 

Chung said futsal functions in a less rigid and less technical manner than soccer. 

“In soccer, I’m a defender and that’s basically my entire role for the game,” Chung said. “I stay in that position. But, in futsal because of the smaller team and fields, you kind of take on all roles. If you are in the position to be a [defender or offender], you just take it. It’s a little more chaotic. I eventually got used to it.”

Working with completely new teammates was difficult for Chung. 

“Futsal is a very team-based sport,” he said. “You have to know how your teammates play in order to play well with them. I only knew one person. We were all kind of strangers.”

That dilemma, however, was solved rather quickly due to their sheer proximity to one another.

“We literally spent the entire day together: staying in the same hotel room, eating the majority of our meals together, exploring France, practicing futsal, talking with one another,” Chung said. “So, we bonded really quickly, and throughout our games, we became more [in sync] with one another [and] understood each other’s playing [styles].” 

Overall, Chung enjoyed the program immensely, particularly due to how much he learned. Chung said the futsal skills he developed in France translate well into his soccer. 

“There’s a large aspect of futsal which is the footwork,” Chung said. “Since it’s on a much more condensed field, you’re forced to improve your dribbling and footwork, which is one thing I needed to improve in for soccer. This international tournament really provided me with practice to do this.”

Though it seemed to be a short amount of time, Chung said he gained a lifetime’s worth of experiences from the trip.

“It was my first time traveling and competing internationally for a sport,” Chung said. “Overall, it was a great experience.”