USA TO DEFEND TITLE AT 2010 WORLD CUP… OF TABLE SOCCER

Nantes, France – While the men's U.S. National Soccer Team has made tremendous strides in international competition over the last 15 years (even achieving a world ranking as high as fifth) most soccer enthusiasts aren't convinced the U.S. team can pull off a win at the upcoming FIFA World Cup. However, the U.S. National Table Soccer Team, whose players have captured a total of over 30 World and 100 Major tour titles, is widely expected to repeat its amazing 2009 victory this week in Nantes, France at the World Cup – of "Foosball."

Yes, you read that right: foosball, a.k.a. "table soccer." You know, that game with miniature soccer men attached to rods that spin around to hit a little ball on a kitchen table sized soccer field. As it turns out, there's much more to it than that, as some 500 of the world's most elite players from over 40 countries will compete this week in the International Table Soccer Federation's combined World Cup and World Championship tournaments.

Not that the U.S. foosball team will have it easy: world #1-ranked team Germany and USA's arch-rival France have their sights on an upset, while top name competition will include world #1 ranked Frederico Collignon of Liege, Belgium and defending ITSF World Singles Champion Yannick Correia of Luxembourg, both heading up some of the strongest teams in the tournament. Each team, having selected eight of their nation's best players, will be competing in a combination of doubles and singles events. In a true test of all around foosball skills, competition will take place on five different official styles of tables: Tornado Table Soccer™, Bonzini™, Garlando, Lehmacher Tech-Ball, and Roberto-Sport.

So who is the 2010 U.S. National Foosball Team? They are: Larry Crowder of Cherryville, NC; Dave Gummeson, Coon Rapids, MN; Robert Mares, Aurora, CO; Tracy McMillin, Houston, TX; Ryan Moore, Lexington, KY; Billy Pappas, Lowell, MA; Tony Spredeman, Cudahy, WI; and Tom Yore, Tampa, FL. The women's World Cup event will also feature an exceptional USA team: Tommie Bagley, of Denver, CO; Amy Eckhart, Durango, CO; Christina Fuchs, Laguna Hills, CA; Liz Hellstern, Stroud, OK; Natasha Kraus, Lincoln, NE; and Shelly Langley of Greely, CO. Additional qualifiers for the combined event include Robert Janac, Bruce Nardoci, Gregg Perrie and Bud Spredeman. Sponsors of the U.S. National Table Soccer Team include Valley-Dynamo's Tornado Table Soccer™, NetFoos.com, TTR Masterwraps and Foosball.com.

Thursday and Friday are qualification rounds, with a special opening ceremony at 5:00 pm Friday. All press and spectators are invited to attend. Playoffs are on Saturday, semi finals and finals on Sunday the 10th. The tournament is sanctioned by the ITSF and hosted by the French Table Soccer Federation (Fédération Française de Football de Table). Sponsors of the event include Region Pays de la Loire, Ville de Nantes, and Le Mouv, among others. Media partners include EuroSport2, Kazoom Production, Production 44, and Presse Ocean.

Other ITSF 2010 World Tour events are scheduled to take place in China, Czech Republic, Germany, India, Japan, Lithuania, Mexico, Poland, Russia, South Africa, the United States, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and more. In fact, this year's tour is expected to be the largest worldwide table soccer pro tour ever!!

For additional details about this event and the sport of table soccer, please see the following websites:
www.ustsf.org - USTSF official web site / Pro Tour & U.S. National Team sponsorship opportunities
www.table-soccer.org - ITSF Website: World Rankings / Tour News / ITSF World Cup & Championships Event Information
www.itsfworldtour.com/worldcup/videos.php - Live video feed begins online January 7th!!

Or contact: Larry Davis, President, USTSF, Tel: +1-563-580-9485; Email: larry.davis@ustsf.foosball.com
Christine Cabrera, ITSF, Tel: +33-240-479-084; Email: info@table-soccer.org