PREVIEW: U.S. Power Soccer National Team Begins Quest for Third World Cup Title

The U.S. Power Soccer National Team begins the quest for its third World Cup title when it begins the 2023 FIPFA Powerchair Football World Cup against host nation Australia on Saturday, Oct. 14 at 9 p.m. ET (Live on YouTube, @OfficialFIPFA and @FIPFAPowerchairWorldCup2023). 

Here’s what you should know going into the tournament:

WHAT IS POWER SOCCER?

Power soccer is the first competitive team sport designed and developed specifically for power wheelchair users. The co-ed Power Soccer National Team is for athletes who use power chairs and can qualify through a variety of conditions, including Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Arthrogryposis, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, and Cerebral Palsy.

The game is played in a gymnasium on a regulation basketball court. Two teams of four players attack, defend, and spin-kick a 13-inch soccer ball in a skilled and challenging game similar to able-bodied soccer.

Watch below as members of the U.S. Power Soccer National Team explain the intricacies of the game:

USA HISTORY AT THE POWERCHAIR FOOTBALL WORLD CUP

Having operated independently since 2007, the U.S. Power Soccer National Team joined U.S. Soccer’s Extended National Teams program in 2022, making this year’s World Cup the first for the team under the Federation umbrella.

Put simply, the Power Soccer NT is a juggernaut in the sport of powerchair football, claiming two of the three previous FIPFA World Cup titles.  

• STORE: Buy U.S. Power Soccer National Team Gear

At the inaugural 2007 edition in Tokyo, the USA breezed through the group stage before defeating France on penalty kicks in the final to claim its first World Cup title.

Four years later in Paris, the USA overcame a 1-0 defeat to England in the group stage, going on to defeat France 2-0 in the semifinals before upending the England with a 3-0 victory in the final to claim a second-straight world title.

• MORE: All-Time U.S. Power Soccer National Team Results

At the 2017 edition in Kissimmee, Fla., the USA again rifled through the group to advance to the knockout round. The home side defeated England 2-1 in a tight semifinal, before ultimately falling to France 4-2 in the championship match. 

The USA has also claimed both Copa America titles, winning in 2014 and 2019 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The team is 28-2-2 in 32 all-time international matches, and 11-2-2 all-time at the FIPFA Powerchair Football World Cup.

SCHEDULE AND HOW TO WATCH

The 2023 FIPFA Powerchair Football World Cup will take place from Oct. 14-20 at the Quaycentre in Sydney, Australia. The 2023 format will see 10 different countries play each other in a true round-robin format over the course of five days.

Once the group stage is finished, the top four teams will advance to the knockout round, with the semifinals and final to take place Oct. 19 and 20.

Fans can follow all 52 matches of the 2023 World Cup via FIPFA’s two YouTube channels, @OfficialFIPFA and @FIPFAPowerchairWorldCup2023.

The full USA group schedule is below:

Date	Opponent	Time (ET)	Broadcast
Saturday, Oct. 14	Australia	10 p.m.	WATCH
Sunday, Oct. 15	France	7 p.m.	WATCH
	Northern Ireland	10 p.m.	WATCH
Monday, Oct. 16	Republic of Ireland	7 p.m.	WATCH
Tuesday, Oct. 17	Japan	1 a.m.	WATCH
	England	10 p.m.	WATCH
Wednesday, Oct. 18	Denmark	1 a.m.	WATCH
	Uruguay	8:30 p.m.	WATCH
	Argentina	11:30 p.m.	WATCH

THE U.S. ROSTER

On Sept. 11, U.S. Power Soccer National Team head coach Tracy Mayer named his eight-player World Cup roster around the team’s visit to U.S. Men’s National Team training in St. Paul, Minn.

Six players have previous World Cup experience, including the husband and wife duo of Jordan Dickey (2011, 2017) and Natalie Russo-Dickey (2007, 2017). Riley Johnson (2017), Nathan Mayer (2017), Peyton Sefick (2017) and Pete Winslow (2011) are each headed to their second World Cup.

Striker Zach Dickey, brother of Jordan, and winger Lexi Heer are the two first-time selections.

DETAILED ROSTER BY POSITION (Hometown; Club):

GOALKEEPER (1): Nathan Mayer (Monticello, Minn.; Minnesota Shockwave)

WINGS (3): Lexi Heer (Fishers, Ind.; Sudden Impact), Natalie Russo-Dickey (Carmel, Ind.; Sudden Impact), Peyton Sefick (Syracuse, N.Y.; CNY United)

CENTERS (2): Jordan Dickey (Pendleton, Ind.; Sudden Impact), Riley Johnson (Saint Cloud, Minn.; Minnesota Shockwave)

STRIKERS (2): Zach Dickey (Pendleton, Ind.; Auburn Wheelchair Soccer), Pete Winslow (Woodbury, Minn.; Minnesota Shockwave)​​​​‌‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍​‍​‍​​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‍‍​‍​‍‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‍‌‍​‍‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‍‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​​‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‍‍‌‍​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‍‍‌​​​‍‌‌‍‍‌​‌​​‍​‌‌‍‍‍‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‍​‌​​​‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌​‍‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‍​‌‍‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍‌​​‌‌‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‍‌​‍‌​​​‌​‌‍‍‌‌​‌‌​‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‍‍‌‍​‍‌‍‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‌​‌​​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍​‌‌‍​‌‍‌​‌‍​‍‌‍​‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‍‌‍​​‌‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​​‌​‍‌‌​​‍‌​‌‍​‍‌‌​​‍‌​‌‍‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‍‌‍​‍‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‍‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‍‍‌‍​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‍‍‌​​​‍‌‌‍‍‌​‌​​‍​‌‌‍‍‍‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‍​‌​​​‍‌‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‍​‌‍‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍‌​​‌‌‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‍‌​‍‌​​​‌​‌‍‍‌‌​‌‌​‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‍‍‌‍​‍‌‍‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‌​‌​​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍​‌‌‍​‌‍‌​‍​‍‌‌