Our History
Our Staff
What is Futsal?
Our History
It all started in 1993, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil when coach and player Rodrigo Da Silva started his first steps with a Futsal ball at Grajau Country Club. He was then only 3 years old and Futsal would be the only path to playing soccer at such a young age.
Rodrigo then moved to Zico’s Soccer School where he first started playing outdoor soccer at the age of 7 but continued to practice and play Futsal.
Some months later, we were coming to US and Rodrigo quickly joined a local soccer club as there was no Futsal around. At first, we thought that he would do just fine with the soccer activities but in less than a year he was already telling us how much he was missing Futsal.
After some time looking for any Futsal activity around Walnut Creek, Concord, Pleasant Hill and surroundings, we ended up finding a Futsal spot in San Jose at the end of 1998 - 45 miles away from our home! Rodrigo joined the U10 Boys team of what was known as MACSA and that was his first team at a US Futsal National Tournament held in Las Vegas, NV in 1999.
During the outdoor soccer tryouts, the skills practiced at Futsal led Rodrigo to play one-year up and being noticed by his quickness and very good control of the ball. We mentioned about Futsal to his teammates and during the Winter season, instead of training indoor soccer, Ricardo started training Rodrigo&rsquot;s team in Futsal.
It was not difficult to make the kids fall in love with the Futsal game as they participated in their first Futsal State Cup and National Tournament - in that first year Rodrigo playing with his team, in the U12 Boys group, and, at that same time, playing with MACSA U10 Boys once again.
From this first year on, his outdoor team started practicing Futsal every Winter season and the results in the outdoor fields were noticeable by other coaches of the club. More teams decided to join and an Academy started using the gym at Walnut Creek Intermediate school, Foothill Middle School, and Tice Valley Gym. Meanwhile, some parents at Rodrigo&rsquot;s soccer club (then known as DVSC) tried to convince the club to start a Futsal program. In that process, Ricardo Da Silva set up an Open Men team with the coaches of the club to participate in the US National Futsal tournament in 2004. This was the triggering point to start a league and teach the coaches and teams the rules of Futsal but mainly how to connect some Futsal skills to the outdoor fields.
More coaches and parents got involved as they started to realize how much the kids were improving their soccer skills every year. As the league grew, Ricardo and Rodrigo, with some assistance from Decio L., Sissi, Tafa, who have all experienced futsal before, started to train selected kids to form teams to compete at the State and National Futsal tournaments. Every year, the results improved and we are happy to see the results of some players going to college, or coming back to play State and National tournament with DVFL as U19 Boys/Girls and up.
At this point, we can say that we have spread the passion of Futsal around, keeping the real rules, exposing the kids to different tournaments even outside US - in Brazil, with Paulo&rsquot;s yearly trips to Santos FC grounds where one of the greatest soccer players have grown in Futsal and Soccer to be recognized all over the world - Pele!
Futsal is not only a fashion to us, it is a true passion that started many years ago and has grown together with the so many players that we have inspired! Everything done with persistence, patience, and mainly love for the game!
As a result of all this work and dedication, coach Ricardo Da Silva is today part of the USFF as the coach for the National U-20 Men's Team, the Coordinator of the ODP program, and the Trainer of Coaches for the Northwest
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Our Staff
Here are the folks that help us keep our Futsal environment fun but safe!
Keeping everybody updated with the Futsal rules, creating opportunities to have more experience with Futsal (Refs being appointed to Regionals and Nationals), training coaches with Futsal strategies taken to Regionals and Nationals) and, continuing contact and education with the Brazilian Futsal (where, in reality, everything started)!
Ricardo Da Silva - DVFL President, Coach, Ref
Grew up playing Futsal in Brazil - school and club competitions
Assistant coach for Las Lomas HS in 2010
Coach at Evolution Soccer Camp
US Futsal National Champion in 2001 as a player
Founded DVFL in 1999
USFF Coach and Referee Certified - National level
USFF Certified Referee Instructor
US Soccer Certified Futsal Referee
Coach of U17 Boys representing the United States in International Tournament in 2012
Organized Regional Futsal Tournament with USFF in 2012
Coaches' Official Trainer for USFF
USFF ODP Coordinator
Coach of USFF National U-20 Men's team
Founder and President of Diablos Futsal Academy
Trained several teams at local, regional and national levels
Director of Coaching for USFF
Part of Board of Directors for USFF
Rodrigo Da Silva - DVFL Director, Coach, Player
Started soccer activities at Zico Futebol Clube in Brazil 1996-97
Played club soccer for DVSC - ODP State Captain, Regional and National Level
Selected for U15 Men US National Soccer Team in 2004-05
Trained at Santos FC in Brazil 2006, 07, 08
Trained at Zico FC in Brazil - 2008
College Soccer for SCU and HNU
Coach at Evolution Soccer Camp
Soccer and Futsal Coach for Evolution FC
Started Futsal at the age of 3 in Brazil at Grajau CC
MIP Futsal Award in Brazil in 1996
USFF Coach Certified
US National and Regional Champion in Futsal as player and as coach
U19 Men Finalist in 2010 National playing for DiBufalla FC
Open Men Regional Champion in 2011 playing for DiBufalla FC
Open Men Semifinalist in National in 2011 for DiBufalla FC
Selected to US Futsal National Team Roster in 2011
NAPL Champion Open Men's Team playing for Diablos in 2016
Claudia Da Silva - DVFL Registrar, Ref
USFF Coach and Referee Certified
US Soccer Certified Futsal Referee
Coach U10 Girls National Champion in 2007
League administrator and registrar
DVFL Webmaster
Mike Volan - DVFL Ref
Soccer referee since 1995 (youth of all ages, high school, adult)
Soccer coach for 15 years (house and competitive - 3 sons playing at WCSC)
USFF Certified Futsal Referee
US Soccer Futsal Certified Referee
Futsal Referee Regional & National Tournaments - 2011-18
Other Helpers
We have to thanks these people that have always helped DVFL as a coach, and/or player, and/or ref: Paulo De Souza, Nazira Arabi, Elisama Padilla, Elisama Padilla Jr, Abisai Padilla, Morgan Vaisset-Fauvel, Brandon Henriquez, Nicholas Romo, Christine Laymon and parents, Conrad Rowling (with photos), and so many others that got somehow involved and helped the growth of DVFL as a coach, and/or referree, and/or volunteer!
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What is Futsal?
Futsal is a type of football (soccer) that is played on a smaller field mainly indoors. The name came from the Portuguese words ”futebol“ (football / soccer) and ”sal&atild;o“ (saloon) and in 1985, the Spanish name ”fútbol sala“ was used.
The game was developed in Brazil and Uruguay in the 30s and 40s and in Brazil it is played everywhere and many successful soccer players have started their career playing futsal.
The game is played between two teams with 5 players each, including the goalie. Substitutions happen ”on the fly“ and are unlimmited and unlike indoor soccer, there are no walls or boards to be used. The ball is smaller with less bounce than the usual soccer ball. The type of court, the ball, and the rules emphasize on improvisation, creativity, quickness, and technique as players need to move around and take the ball to the opposing goal using small spaces.
Brazil has been extremely succesful in futsal and has won many World Cup titles. This page shows the current rank of National teams.
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