Canadian Futsal History by Carlos Mateus

In 1984, Osvaldo Garcia contacted me in Nanaimo, we decided to have the first North America Cup in order to promote the game in Canada and USA; however in the event were two team from Canada and two from USA.
The two Canadian teams were from the Nanaimo League were futsal officially started in Canada.
It was a two day event, the USA team coached by Osvaldo Garcia was supposed to be the USA National Futsal Team, and the Canadian Team coached by Ike Mackay. the other USA team was a pick up team from Oregon State, coached by a Brazilian fellow, and the second team from Canada, was a native team.
On Saturday the USA National team played the Nanaimo Native Sons and won by 6 to 5, and the Canadian team beat The USA Oregon by 6 to 2.
The cup was decided on Sunday. The Canadian team beat the USA National Team by 9 to 3 and won the championship.
The event was televised by BCTV.
Alex Para was the referee, and done everything possible to change the score in favour of the USA. Like most of the people involved in futsal, Alex Para did not know the rules of the game, as he was an outdoor referee of a beer league in Berkeley, Ca.
Osvaldo knew the Game , and was surprised with the Canadian team. The final game was watched by 300 people at the Nanaimo Civic Arena.
Also we had youth games before the main games.
The Canadian team led by Ike MacKay was formed by players from the two time Canadian Amateur Soccer Champion Victoria West.
The Canadian team players were all born in Canada, the USA team was formed with players from Brazil (2), Argentina, Mexico, and an Italian American goalkeeper.

In the same year we were invited to attend the first
Pan American Cup in Brazil. The same team led by Ike,
had the best game against Argentina leading the score
in the first half by 3 to 2, before loosing by 4 to 3,
we played Bolivia and Paraguay, loosing 3 to 1 and 11
to 4. The USA team drew Brazil and lost by 31 to nil,
and the goalkeeper smashed his face in the goal post,
and was take to the hospital.
The North America Cup in Nanaimo and the Pan American
Cup in Brazil were the spring board to have futsal in
The Pan American Games, and that was my share to
develop the game.
"Now I'm back home, living by the sea side, wondering
why I left this tropical paradise".