LANSING - Similar to soccer, sometimes even called indoor soccer, futsal is becoming more popular in the U.S.

Helping to establish the futsal presence in the Midwest is the Lansing City Futsal Club.

The main difference between the sports is that futsal focuses
more on technique and footwork, so that players can come up with and show off unique skills.

Owner, coach and player Jeremy Klepal created the team after
being offered to play at many different places, one of them being Sao Paulo, Brazil.

This summer, Klepal was selected to the United States Futsal Federation Pacific Cup National Team.

The Pacific Cup of Nations happened in San Jose, California, and included Mexico, Mexico U-20s (under 20-years-old), Australia and Australia U-20s.

Team USA faced Mexico U20s in their first Pacific Cup game, winning, 4-2, with a goal from Klepal.

In the second game, against Australia, Klepal came up with a goal he said some officials want to enter it into a competition for Goal of the Year.

Klepal flicked the ball over the Australian defender’s head and volleyed it into the top corner of the goal.

Team USA would win the game, 7-2.

In the final group game, Team USA took on Mexico.

Down by one goal heading into the final minutes of play, Team USA scored twice to take the victory, 4-3.

Klepal scored in the first goal for Team USA in that match.

They went on to lose the Pacific Cup Final to Mexico in the rematch, 2-3.

Klepal said that he hopes his successful play in the Pacific Cup will bring more attention to futsal in Michigan.

"It's mostly more technical, more than soccer, because there's a lot of different types of players in soccer, but futsal really focuses on getting control of the ball because it's in such a fast environment and I really like it, it's a lot of fun,” Jackie Reilly, 99 Girls Academy team member said.

Aside from playing for Lansing City Futsal, Klepal is the coach for all of the club’s futsal camps.

"We meet Tuesdays and Thursdays, we have games on Sundays and Saturdays. We travel a little ways, not super far,” Maggie Orlando, 99 Girls Academy team member said.

Camps are for kids and teens, and Klepal runs drills and teaches plays then lets the athletes apply those skills in a scrimmage against members of each camp.

"I started playing futsal a couple of years ago and I like it because it's a lot faster-paced and the ball moves around faster and you can do more creative things with it,” Sydney Padgett, 99 Girls Academy team member said.

With summer season over, the youth futsal clinics and tryouts for the Winter Youth Academy will at 10 a.m. on Sunday, September 11, where new teams will be formed.

The academy also offers a Women’s semi-pro team, in which tryouts are November 5.