We spoke with Daniel Cranston of our FISTF World Cup team in the sixth installment of the interview series with members of the USA squad going to Rome.
ASA: Can you describe the feeling of representing the USA at the FISTF World Cup?
DC: I’ve had the privilege of representing the USA five times at the FISTF World Cup. Each time I always try to take a step back on the Saturday morning with all the players in the hall kitted out in matching uniforms from their national association and take the scenes in. It is always super motivating to see table soccer players from all over the world come together, make friends and relationships, and compete. Traveling, sightseeing, and playing with teammates from the USA also brings our community closer together by making new memories and bonds between players from across our vast country.
ASA: It’s been four years since the last World Cup in Gibraltar: how has your game changed since then?
DC: It’s been four years already!? Wow. Since the last World Cup, my game has changed incrementally as I become more comfortable with my identity as a player by embracing and learning from my strengths and weaknesses. I have been fortunate to play regularly with the Maryland Subbuteo Club over the last year. One area of improvement I feel I’ve made is focusing on shot quality over shot quantity. Trusting myself to make the extra touch up flicks to beat that last defender or get a shot from a more central position can make the difference against strong opponents.
ASA: How are you training for the World Cup?
DC: Most of my practice has come from playing with the Maryland Subbuteo Club, but I do practice entries and shooting on my own (the perks of teleworking 5 feet from my pitch!). I have also spent time analyzing top players to glean strategies I can learn and implement or identify player tendencies that could help myself or my teammates come game time.
ASA: What are your individual goals for Rome?
DC: With a tournament of this volatility, the draw for the group can play a large part in how to set one’s expectations for the weekend. Personally, I would love to advance from the group stage and win my first knockout round in a World Cup. But rather than solely focusing on those goals, I prefer to focus on my preparation and make my main goal that I play to the best of my ability no matter the situation.
ASA: What are the prospects for the U.S. team in the Open category?
DC: The U.S. team this year is certainly in contention for our strongest team fielded at a World Cup to date and having the additional flexibility of strong substitutes should make us a tougher matchup than in past years. The primary goal is to advance from the group stage and make the most of the opportunity of playing as Team USA at the FISTF World Cup.
