U.S. Amputee Soccer Team Preparing for 2022 World Cup The game of soccer can be played in so many ways, and Team USA is proving that every time they hit the pitch.To get more news about VeboTV, you can visit vebobd.live official website. The American Amputee Soccer Association is quickly growing in the U.S., with regional teams in New York, New England, Texas, southern California, Seattle/Portland, Chicago and the Delaware/Philadelphia areas. Our mission as an organization is to not just prepare for international competition at the most elite level, but it's to provide a place for anyone who loves the game of soccer who's living with amputation to have a place to play to develop a sense of community, and those that are willing to take the sacrifice of the dedication, the training and the skill will find their way onto the national team, said Team USA head coach Eric Lamberg. Codified in 1980 by Seattle native Don Bennett, amputee soccer is played on a field three quarter the size of a usual field with seven players to a side. Field players use forearm crutches and may play the ball with only one leg. Goalkeepers defend a net seven feet by 16 feet in size and may use only one arm. Team USA qualified for the 2022 World Cup in March during the regions first ever Amputee Soccer World Cup qualifying event. They will head to Istanbul, Turkey in September to compete in the 24-team tournament, an impressive feat for a team of volunteers. This is not a pay for play type of experience right now, but they are the elite athletes from their parts of the country, said Lamberg. We come together a few times a year since we've qualified, and this is the strongest team that we've ever put together. We're very excited to compete at the World Cup. The field is where players like captain Nico Calabria have grown to feel right at home. Born with one leg, hes been a member of Team USA for 12 seasons and a captain since 2014. |