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MY BEACH SOCCER 
After securing their place in the upcoming FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2011, thanks to an excellent performance in the CONCACAF Qualifier, Salvadorian National coach Rudis Gallo is absolutely confident on the possibilities of his team. Gallo believes that they are going to do definitely a better job that the one they carried out in the previous editions: Marseille 2008 and Dubai 2009. Read about his thoughts in the interview he granted to the national Salvadorian newspaper La Prensa Gráfica.
-What can you tell us about the team’s preparation for the upcoming FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2011, to be held in Italy?
-We are getting back to work five months prior to the World Cup, and we are also planning some international friendly games. There are teams in the Caribbean such as Jamaica or the Dominican Republic who are really interested in facing us in international fixtures, and we will always be willing to take part.
-And why are you aiming at Caribbean opponents?
-Jamaica is a pretty good team. They have many technical and physical characteristics similar to the African teams’. We faced Ivory Coast in 2009, for example. Besides, we need to get some running-in, so to achieve the necessary competitions pace. We have not talked to any of the South-American sides because they still have to play their World Cup Qualifier, and we will see afterwards. So, not to lose time, we are aiming at the Caribbean teams right now.
-One of the pending tasks of El Salvador is to earn a victory in a World Cup…
-Yes. This is a great challenge. We are regarding it as our first goal. I have listened to some of the messages given by some players of our National Team and this is exactly what everyone is thinking about. First, getting a first triumph, and, second, hopefully, getting into the next round.
-Will the 12 players you recruited for the CONCACAF Qualifier be the ones to travel to Italy for the World Cup?
-Obviously, they are in a better position to get onboard than other players that were not. But they have to earn their place, though, through effort, determination, preparation and attitude during these five months. I do not have any compromise with anyone, and nor does the National Team.
-And will Agustín Ruiz keep being the team’s leader?
-He is a player born for Beach Soccer, so he will always necessarily be. He will always have all my support, as long as he wants to, since he gives the team a lot of self-confidence. He is a real leader, some characteristics not all players possess.
-In Marseille 2008, Italy and Portugal swept you out of the road. One year later, in Dubai 2009, Japan, Spain and Ivory Coast sent you home with thanks to their bigger experience. Has the team become experienced enough to do it better in this third participation?
-I think we have. I was really satisfied after this last CONCACAF Qualifier, not only because we earned the right to be in our third FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, but also because of the way I saw the team play. The players have acquired a good tactic discipline, and some players, such as Tomás Hernández, Agustín Ruiz or Francisco Velásquez proved they can put the team on their back when things get hard. I was really pleased with this team’s maturity, and it is not only my view, since I was congratulated by other colleagues such as the Mexican, Canadian and Costa Rican coaches. Beach Soccer requires temper and character to manage the score, and the team has proved they are capable of doing so.
