New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
New SHA coach competes in Futsal World Cup
The start of Everson Maciel’s high school coaching career was pure perfection: the Sacred Heart Academy girls soccer team won its first three games.
Maciel has viewed the games on tape and has spoken with his players through zoom meetings. This happened because Maciel was not with the
team. In fact, he was more than 4,000 miles away from Connecticut representing his country.
Maciel competed in the FIFA Futsal World Cup Lithuania 2021, an indoor version of soccer still taking place on the world stage.
“This is a dream coming through. When you put our USA Jersey on, it is an amazing feeling. I’m proud to represent our country,” said Maciel, a former standout player at Quinnipiac University.
The possibility of being selected for the national team was something that Sacred Heart Academy athletic director Ray Degnan said Maciel mentioned when interviewing for the position.
“This man, coach aside, is one of less than 20 individuals (16 to be exact) (that) earned the opportunity to go compete for his country,” Degnan said. “This is something we would all be lucky enough to do and we are lucky to have him.”
Maciel, now 43, who grew up playing soccer in his native Brazil, has been playing futsal soccer for the past decade. Futsal is played indoors on a floor, usually with five players per side and unlimited substitution.
“I believe that exposure on the World Cup for team USA can help us grow the game in Connecticut,” Maciel said.
The 2020 CONCACAF, which the U.S. team participated in, was postponed to this past spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The United States was able to place second behind Costa Rica. The top four teams qualified for the FIFA Futsal World Cup.
The U.S. lost all three matches in its group and were eliminated from the Futsal World Cup.
Maciel came to North America to play college soccer at Quinnipiac University (2000-01). He was the Northeast Conference Player of the Year following the 2001 season after leading the conference with 17 goals.
After his pro career in outdoor soccer ended, Maciel switched over to futsal soccer. The Everson Soccer Academy has been a staple in the Greater New Haven area since 2005.
Maciel was able to be at Sacred Heart Academy for the start of preseason practice and the team’s first scrimmage before departing overseas. His assistant coach, Jessica Hauser, coached with Maciel at the club level, so, “it is like I’m with the team the whole time.”
Maciel said the first question he asked Degnan after accepting the position was to push for Hauser to be hired as his assistant coach.
Macial has been able to stay in touch with the team through zoom meetings. He was in contact with Hauser and his three captains (Kayla King, Ava King and Ella Guth) to go over practice and game plans.
And he was able to watch the Sharks beat Stratford, Lauralton Hall and Sheehan in succession to start the season.
“What his type of coaching can do for this program for the next decade or two vastly outweighs the brief absence at the beginning of the first season,” Degnan said.
“The players have been focused and I know they will get better as the season progresses,” Maciel said. “We can’t take it easy now because some tougher competition is ahead of us.”