The United States men's national CP soccer team, formerly known as the United States Para 7-a-side national team, represents the United States in men's

CP football Cerebral palsy football, also called ''7-a-side football'' or formerly ''Paralympic football'', is an adaptation of association football for athletes with cerebral palsy and other neurological disorders, including stroke and traumatic brain injury. ...

international competitions. It is operated by the

United States Soccer Federation The United States Soccer Federation (USSF), commonly referred to as U.S. Soccer, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States. Headquartered in Chicago, the federation is ...

. The team finished seventh at the 2015 IPCPF World Championships. They have competed at several Paralympic Games, including the 1984, 1992, 1996, 2004 and 2012 editions. One of their best finishes was in 1996 when they finished fourth. Their head coach is Stuart Sharp. Comedian Josh Blue is one of their former players. The U.S. Para 7-a-side National Soccer Team (USPNT) is an elite level program that selects players from across the United States in preparation for International standard competition. The National Team, in addition to friendly matches and invitational tournaments, competes in the following events: Intercontinental Cup, Copa America, World Championships, Parapan American Games, Paralympic Games. For players to be eligible, they must be ambulant (no requirement for assistive walking aids) and have one of the following neurological conditions, have had a Stroke, have Cerebral Palsy, have had a Traumatic Brain Injury / Acquired Brain Injury. Individuals with the above conditions may display varying degrees of the following impairments: Diplegia, Hemiplegia, Triplegia, Quadriplegia, Monoplegia, Dystonia, Athetosis, Ataxia, Balance issues, Co-ordination issues, Weakness in certain areas of the body. In many cases the above conditions may result in only minimal levels of motor dysfunction (some not noticeable to the untrained eye); however, under the rules of the sport, this could still make players eligible for the U.S. Paralympic National Team. "Football 7-a-side" is the standard term for the game informally known as "C.P. Football," and international tournaments are hosted by the International Paralympic Committee, FIFA, or International Federation of CP Footbal
IFCPF
Team selection and tournaments are competitive, and tend to be run like professional sport organizations. The USA team trains at the Olympic Training Center at Chula Vista, California, and the

Home Depot Center Dignity Health Sports Park is a multi-use sports complex located on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills in Carson, California. The complex consists of the 27,000-seat Dignity Health Sports Park soccer stadium, the Dignit ...

at Carson, California.

Background

IFCPF Pre Paralympic Tournament Salou 2016 37

The national team is managed by the US Soccer Federation. Current Head Coach Stuart Sharp, has been his role since 2014. In 2012, the team was coached by Jay Hoffman. While the United States was active in participating in the IFCPF World Championships and Paralympic Games by 2016, the country did not have a national championships to support national team player development.

Ranking

The United States was ranked fourth in the world by the IFCPF in 2019. That same year, the team is also ranked third in the Americas. In September 2012, August 2013 and November 2014, the team was ranked ninth in the world. In July 2011, the team was ranked eighth.

Players

There have been a number of players for the American squad.

Results

The United States has participated in a number of international tournaments. Six teams participated in the Toronto hosted American Cup in 2014. Group A included Venezuela, Argentina and Canada. Group B included Mexico, Brazil and the United States. The tournament was important for preparations for the

2015 Parapan American Games The 2015 Parapan American Games, officially the V Parapan American Games and commonly known as the Toronto 2015 ParaPan-Am Games, were a major international multi-sport event for Disabled sports, athletes with disabilities, celebrated in the tra ...

, and because it was the last major continental level competition of the year. The United States has also played in a number of friendlies. In December 2011, Canada and the United States played a series of three friendly matches in Chula Vista, California. Canada won the opener 4 - 2. They then repeated this score in the second match. The United States won the third game 2 - 3.

IFCPF World Championships

The United States has participated in the IFCPF World Championships.

Paralympic Games

The United States has participated in 7-a-side football at the Paralympic Games. Paralympic Results

References

External links

US Soccer

International Paralympic Committee
{{National sports teams of the United States

Paralympic The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the ''Games of the Paralympiad'', is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, including impaired muscle power and impaire ...

United States at the Paralympics PARA 1913 establishments in the United States National cerebral palsy football teams Football 7-a-side teams at the 1984 Summer Paralympics Football 7-a-side teams at the 1996 Summer Paralympics Football 7-a-side teams at the 1992 Summer Paralympics Football 7-a-side teams at the 2004 Summer Paralympics Football 7-a-side teams at the 2012 Summer Paralympics Football 7-a-side teams at the 2016 Summer Paralympics