U.S. captain Nico Calabria is pictured. (credit: Nigel Degraff)
The U.S. amputee soccer team is pictured (credit: Carl Calabria)
STONY BROOK, N.Y., UNITED STATES, September 19, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — Team USA will kick off its quest for the Amputee Soccer World Cup with an opening match against England when the sport’s premier global event gets underway in Istanbul, Turkey, later this month.
The Americans will take on England at 6 a.m. EDT (1 p.m. local) on Oct. 1 before rounding out the group stage against Argentina (Oct. 2) and Indonesia (Oct. 3). England, one of the strongest sides in the 24-team field, will pose a particularly staunch foe after reaching the final of the 2017 European Amputee Football Championship.
Sixteen teams will advance to the knockout rounds: the top two sides from each of the six groups, in addition to the top four third-place teams. Nef Stadium, the home of famed Turkish soccer club Galatasaray, will host the Oct. 9 final. Turkey, which finished second at the 2018 World Cup, is an early favorite to hoist the trophy.
The U.S. will bring 15 players and 11 staff, representing 10 states, to the World Cup. In the squad is captain Nico Calabria, of Boston, Mass., who was named Most Valuable Player of the regional qualifying tournament in Jalisco, Mexico, this past March. The Americans also enjoy some high-profile…
