The Sutherland Mens Futsal team got off to the best possible start making it two wins in a row with a fine win over Sydney Uni in a rousing game of fast skilful attacking Futsal from both teams.

Sutherland are a brand new club to Super League Futsal while Sydney Uni were welcomed back to the league after not competing last season.

Syd Uni started the better of the two sides and opened the scoring early when Renato Jelen swivelled and slammed the ball home after a pass from Jamal Boulkabout.

Sutherland responded by mounting a sustained period of possession which eventually lead to them levelling the game when Figon drew the keeper from goal and slipped the ball to Tilman to score from close range.

The game remained in the balance until Sutherland took the lead when a precise cross court pass to Sgouros saw him round both defender and keeper to slot the ball home.

Sydney Uni were playing a fast tempo one touch game and wanted to break quickly from defence while Sutherland played a more patient possession game.

Sutherlands patience paid off and they opened up a significant two goal gap when Tilman was not closed down from a corner and had time and space to pick his spot to score from outside the area.

Uni got back into the game when youth player Ben Hudson scored from close range after a nice backheel from Boulkabout to make it 2-3 at the break.

Sydney Uni drew level early in the second half when Jamal Boulkabout skilfully held off the Sutherland defence then quickly swivelled and slammed the ball home to make it 3-3.

Sutherland responded well and restored their lead when Sgouros dispossessed a defender and struck the ball home from an angle.

The game swung from end to end as both teams went in search of goals with both keepers Radmila for Sutherland and Kennedy for Uni making fine saves to keep their side in the game.

In the ensuing battle it was Sutherland who prevailed and they extended their lead to 5-3 when Butterworth slotted home after some brilliant quick cross court one touch play involving 3 players.

Sutherland then assumed control of the game when Sgouros netted his hatrick after a quick counter attack.

Uni mounted a sustained assault on the Sutherland goal with keeper Radmilo making some excellent saves and Renato Jelen grazing the woodwork twice. But to no avail as Sutherland ran out winners 6-3.

John Simnots fledgling Sutherland club did not have it all their own way against Uni over the whole day but their Mens side certainly have got their new club off to a good start.

Source : Football NSW
By : Peter Davies (Mens Open futsal)
Published : 29/9/2008

Despite a second half rally from Sutherland the Sydney Uni womens team put on an unstoppable first half performance to set up a comfortable 7-3 win which was highlighted by a four goal tally to Uni’s Belinda Seers.

Sydney Uni came out blazing and took immediate control with the sort of precise passing and movement that the new Sutherland team could not contain.

After some early heroics from keeper Svetlana Kasic, Uni opened the scoring when Anne Querin slipped the ball past the advancing keeper.

Sydney Uni kept the pressure up and scored again when Belinda Seers opened her account after playing a slick one two with Kate Trebilcock.

Sutherlands Monica Kavanagh forced a fine save from the keeper after a nice lay off from Collins and later Ciraolo fired just wide of goal.

But the relentless pressure form Uni started to tell and they grabbed their third when Kate Trebilcock scored following a poor defensive clearance.

Uni made it 4-0 when Alicia Shirley nipped in to score following a nice pass from Carmel Anne Dimarco. Then Belinda Seers slipped the ball past the keeper after a pass from Querin to make it 5-0 at the break.

At the start of the second half Sutherlands Ciraolo fired just wide after a pass from Lim. But Uni turned the screw to make it 6-0 when Seers scored an excellent goal when she shot the ball between the defender and the post after the keeper was out of her goal after making an earlier save.

With a comfortable lead Uni took their foot off the pedal and lapsed into a tardy performance from hereon. Despite having most of the possession they were no longer converting their chances and Sutherland held them out for a long period.

Then Brittany Collins slipped the ball past the keeper from an angle to open her account for Sutherland. Collins was on the spot to again to slam the ball home for her second to make it 2-6.

Uni responded when Seers scored a long range shot following a corner to grab her fourth for the evening. Uni continued to pepper away at the Sutherland goal with keeper Svetlana Kasic making a string of fine saves to keep the score down.

Despite Uni’s pressure Sutherland rallied and scored their third when Schwartz pounced on a rebound off a defender to slam the ball home to make it 3-7.

Despite Sydney Uni’s superiority Sutherland rallied well in the second half to add respectability to a fighting performance.

Source : Football NSW
By : Peter Davies (Open Womens Futsal)
Published : 29/9/2008

The NSW Futsal Competition opened on Saturday with a cracking match up between Sydney Magic PCYC and the Forty Winks Campbelltown City Quake at Marrickville.

In front of a crowd of over 300 people (putting to shame some outdoor NSW League crowds) the atmosphere was terrific as both clubs demonstrated why they have had so much success in Futsal.

The Men’s Open Match certainly lived up to its billing with an entertaining, yet low scoring, 1-2 win by the visitors. Within the first thirty seconds of the match Quake had taken the lead with Simon Keith stealing the ball from Magic and forcing Jack Atkinson into making a fantastic save as he pushed Keith’s shot around the post. From the corner Keith laid it straight to Dean Lockhart who put it low into the far corner of the net.

In the eighth minute Magic broke through Dylan Maloney and his shot from distance beat the keeper but smashed against the post and away from the target. Two minutes later and the Quake players were up in arms appealing against Atkinson being over the line and having touched the ball with his hands in their opinion. However the referee declined their request to give a free kick as he felt it did not come off the hands of the Magic’s custodian. A minute later and superstar Marino Musumeci flew down the right flank, turned the defence inside out, hit the goal line took one step back, and then fired the ball home from the tightest of angles to tie things up at one each.

Quake hit straight back through Heber Carvalho but his attempt to score was denied thanks to great work from Atkinson. Magic however regained control of the game and Ross Fazzalaro shot twice in a couple of minutes, the first one over the top and the second was blocked by the keeper. On this occasion the ball ended up back with Fazzalaro and his follow up effort actually beat the keeper but came off a defender on the line. Again claims for a penalty were declined by the referees. Three minute later and Fazzalaro was at it again but his effort this time went wide.

All square at half time and normal service was renewed after the break with both sides playing some entertaining Futsal but Magic having the dominant possession for the opening five minutes. On the break Tuan Cao was certainly dangerous for Quake and Magic had to be wary of this. In the 36th minute Cao broke forward and shot past the keeper but somehow Andres Gomes was able to scramble back and clear the ball off the line to deny the goal. Then in the 44th Simon Keith chipped the advancing Magic keeper and the ball looked like dropping into the top corner when on the line Fazzalaro managed to clear the ball away off his knee with a very difficult, yet obviously successful, manoeuvre.

With two minute to play a set of crisp passes from Simon Keith on the right to Tim Simpson on the left and then into Carvalho in the middle saw Quake with a game winning opportunity. This was one opportunity they would not let slide from their hands and Carvalho slotted home the winner for Quake. The next two minutes saw Magic put much pressure on the visitors and the last play of the game was Jon Azzopardi in the Quake goalmouth pulling off a wonderful save from the shot of Musumeci.

In the earlier celebrity match Les Murray’s side was comprehensively beaten by an ex-Futsalroo side led by Adam Cofoy with the final score being 8-2. In the second minute legend Sisko Filipovic put Murray’s team up by a goal, demonstrating the skills he still has to this day, However within a couple of minutes the scores were level when Joe Naven pounced on an error between Alex McPherson, in goals, and Erkin Osman to slot home. A minute later and a long-range effort from Jason Wells gave his side a lead that they would never lose. In the 12th minute Wells turned provider as he played the ball to Zlatko Momircevski who placed the ball past McPherson at his near post and into the back of the net with a sublime piece of skill. A minute before the break and Wells had an effort blocked by the hand of Carlo Logiudice and Wells scored the resultant penalty. There was still time for one more goal in the half as Paul Lombardo laid the ball across from the left to Wells who fired home another goal.

With the score at 5-1 at half time it was more about pride than anything else from Murray’s team and they certainly had that. Filipovic had his second and his side’s second goal in the 22nd minute and five minutes later they almost had a third but Jason Lancer’s back heeled effort was saved by Confoy. The ball then broke the other way through Dario Torrisi and he set up Lombardo who took his chance to make the score 6-2. In the last five minutes of the match Torrisi scored a double to complete the scoring for the match.

The under 16’s girls match that was held after the men’s open match was also an entertaining affair. Early on it was all Magic with Juliana Dundovic making particular inroads and forcing Carla Monforte into making a fingertip save in the fifth minute. Three minutes later Quake’s Zoeie Redman cut out a strong Magic attack. Magic regained possession but Samantha Bergin gave the ball up to Jasmina Kasic and she put Linda Dudek in on goal. Against the general run of play Quake had a chance and Dudek slid the ball past Brigitte Hunt and into the net for the opening goal of the match.

In the 13th minute Monporte pulled off a spectacular save from Jenna Kingsley’s shot and on the break Dudek had her effort denied by Hunt at the other end. One goal in it at half time but within two minutes of the other side of the break the score was level. Bergin flicked it to the right with a great piece of skill and Natasha Logivoice slid the ball back into the path of Bergin who shot past the keeper and home.

A minute later and a shot from over half way by Emma-Jade Cocker was just punched over the cross bar by Hunt. Kasic was unlucky not to score from the resultant corner. In the 27th minute Magic’s Jenna Kingsley set up a chance for Natasha Logivoice and she converted to give her side the lead. However Quake struck back within three minutes thanks to a Magic goal kick which went straight to Dudek who simply slotted the ball back just to the side and behind from where it had come.

Then after a three-minute period of superb Futsal skill the locals took the lead again. Through traffic Kingsley fired the ball home with keeper Monporte unsighted until the last second and unable to stop the ball from going in. Magic then piled on the pressure to make the game sure but Monporte was in fine form and the cross bar occasionally helped as well. With three minutes to go Quake’s Zoeie Redman turned her marker and from a tough angle shot the ball goal wards and watched as it slid into the back of the net for an equaliser. Despite a couple of late Magic shots the game’s action was complete with the final score reading 3-3.

Source : Football NSW
By : Stuart Jones
Published : 29/9/2008

The Sutherland Shire Futsal Association made history today playing in and fielding all 8 teams in each of the required age groups playing round 1 against Enfield Rovers FC at Ashfield Boys High School.

Results as follows:
Under 12 Boys, Sutherland Shire FA 1 vs. Enfield Rovers FC 2
Under 13 Girls, Sutherland Shire FA 4 vs. Enfield Rovers FC 8
Under 14 Boys, Sutherland Shire FA 5 vs. Enfield Rovers FC 6
Under 16 Girls, Sutherland Shire FA 3 vs. Enfield Rovers FC 3
Under 16 Boys, Sutherland Shire FA 2 vs. Enfield Rovers FC 2
Under 19 Youth Men, Sutherland Shire FA 3 vs. Enfield Rovers FC 8
All Age Women, Sutherland Shire FA 3 vs. Enfield Rovers FC 11
All Age Men’s, Sutherland Shire FA 8 vs. Enfield Rovers FC 4

Source : Sutherland Shire Futsal
Published : 28/9/2008

Pumas Futsal Club was, in quantity, shown to be a powerhouse of the VFFC Futsal League in Round One at Melton Sports and Recreation Centre as the club was involved in every, single match on the night. It was a night full of valuable lessons.

Pumas Mix got the ball rolling with a practice match against an experienced Victory 5s U11 side after their original opponent was forced to forfeit this week. Despite being comprehensively beaten, “the Mix” produced the highlight of the match when a set play from a corner was driven with force into the bottom corner from fifteen meters out by Kim Matin. It was a valuable lesson learned for “the Mix” who will regroup and officially start their campaign next week.

Pumas U9 took on Keilor Park U11 who is a leading side in the Under 11 Championship. After struggling at the beginning of the match, the “U9s” regrouped and emerged in the second half with a swagger about them as Steven Lechowicz dominated the centre of the court. The final score of 6-2 to Keilor did little to truly represent the game’s chances as Pumas could’ve scored ten in an impressive second half.

Pumas Blue suffered a Futsal lesson at the hands of Victory 5s U13 as “The Blues” went down 9-0. It was a frustrating evening for the younger Pumas side that saw many chances hit the Victory 5s goalkeeper. “The Blues” fatigues kicked in during the second half and were continuously picked out on the counter-attack by a well-organised Victory 5s U13 side. The young Pumas did get unlucky at times with man of the match Alex Lizio rattling the post from a 15 metre direct free kick in the second half.

Pumas Yellow gained valuable experience in an incredibly tough game against Green Gully U13s. The first half was played in Green Gully’s fast, physical style after two early goals frustrated “The Yellows”. The style of game clearly didn’t suit the Pumas who were taken by surprise at the sheer strength and power of their opponents. After going down 9-1 at the half time break, Pumas regrouped and went out in the second half playing their own style again. It was a majestic second half display which, if had’ve been the case in the first half, would’ve certainly spelled victory for “The Yellows”. In true Pumas style, “The Yellows” emerged in the second half a different side and ripped apart Green Gully with sheer intelligence and creativity. Backheels, nutmegs and brilliant passing movements were all the order of the day as the second half score of 1-1 immensely flattered Green Gully as it should’ve been 9-1 to Pumas. Adrian Di Pasquale and Peter Bakaj ran the show for Pumas in an impressive second half performance.

However, the performance of the night came from the star-studded Pumas U10s who had no less than four players out due to a Semi Final for their outdoor team at the Fawkner Cup. It didn’t matter as “the 10s” ran riot, inflicting a 15-0 defeat on the Victory 5s U11s and entertaining the crowd at the same time. The highly skillful Pumas side dismantled their opponents with amazing close-ball control, triangular passing movements and ruthless finishing. Diminutive playmaker Nejmi Ozluses put in a remarkable display as he defended very well, created chances with intelligent passes and scored relentlessly to leave the opposition dazed and confused.

Overall, the first round produced some great and some not-so-great moments that will be worked on and improved. The idea is not to go out and expect to win every game, but to go out and play Futsal in the true Pumas style: creativity, intelligence, possession and technical skill instead of falling into the trap of fast, physical teams who want to play the game at breakneck speed. Until next week, GO PUMAS!

U10s and U12s PLEASE BE ADVISED: Pumas have managed to secure an extra hour for training at 8.30pm on Thursday nights. This hour is open to all U10s and U12s and should be utilized to keep improving yourself. It would be great to see how committed you all are to your training and improvement by attending training on Thursdays. It is optional but please keep in mind that for 2009 one of the criteria for players selected in the Pumas squads will be commitment and will to improve.

Source : Pumas Futsal
Published : 26/9/2008

Football Queensland has released a Flyer for Gold Coast Futsal. The Flyer can be found here.

Its main contents are as follows :

Futsal on the Gold Coast!!!

Come and join the only Football Federation Australia and Football Queensland sanctioned Futsal competitions on the Gold Coast.

• Extend your football season and join Futsal with your current team under your favoured Clubs name and banner (subject to clubs approval).
• Sharpen up those skills and keep up your fitness during the “Off Season” with the fast paced action of Futsal and be part of the fun and excitement!
• The opportunity for you to trial for State Teams!!! (To be held in October)

WHO CAN PLAY?
Age groups from U/8s through to U/17s, Youth U/19’s, Men and Ladies. (Limited to 8 teams per age group)

WHERE?
Tallebudgera Leisure Centre
Varsity College
Bond University
Carrara Indoor Sports
Sports Super Centre Runaway Bay
Ashmore

WHEN?
Season commences Saturday 11th Oct 2008 and concludes in February 2009.
Registration Mondays from 5:30pm-8:30pm at Ashmore PCYC, and Wednesdays from 5:30pm-8:30pm at Carrara Indoor Sports
Registrations close 8th of October 2008.

COST?
$175.00 per player – Minimum 8 players per team.
An easy “one off” registration fee that covers all expenses including registration, insurance and match fees. No more searching for notes or loose change on the day!

Call us direct to register your team today or for further details.

Marcelo Maciel – 0407 144 840

Source : Football Queensland Futsal
Originally Published : 19/9/2008
Revised : 24/9/2008

The Round 2 Premier League Clash between Sydney City Eagles and Sydney Magic on Sunday the 28th has some kick-off time changes.

The 12 Boys and 13 Girls matches are postponed due to Champion of Champions commitments and will be rescheduled within the subsequent two weeks after Round 2.

The new game times for Eagles and Magic on Sunday are :

2:00pm 14 Boys
2:45pm 16 Boys
3:30pm 16 Girls
4:15pm Youth Men
5:00pm Women
5:45pm Men

Solomon Islands Kurukuru face an anxious wait as three of their star players battle with injury just five days out from the start of the FIFA Futsal World Cup – Brazil 2008. Elliot Ragomo, Jenan Kagu and Junior Kogua received treatment for ankle injuries at Goias Sports Club after injuring themselves in warm-up matches and training.

The loss of a player like Elliot Ragomo would be a hammer-blow for the Solomon Islands who face Cuba in Match 2 of the tournament on 30 September in Brasilia. Goias Sports Club physiotherapist has put Ragomo, Kagu and Kogua through a rigourous pool programme to ensure the three players will be available for selection for the opening match.

“We are taking a cautious approach to the three players at the moment, we do not want to take any unnecessary risks. We’ve taken the three players out of the training environment and will work them through a controlled rehabilitation programme,” a team spokesman said in a brief statement today.

Solomon Islands Kurukuru squad is still training twice a day and will leave Goiania tomorrow for Brasilia where the team will be based.

Solomon Islands will face Cuba, Brazil, Japan and Russia in Group A of the FIFA Futsal World Cup – Brazil 2008.

GROUP A
Tuesday 30 September
Brazil vs. Japan Kick-off: 10h30 (local)
Cuba vs. Solomon Islands Kick-off: 12h30 (local)
Thursday 2 October
Solomon Islands vs. Brazil Kick-off: 10h30 (local)
Russia vs. Cuba Kick-off: 12h30 (local)
Saturday 4 October
Brazil vs. Russia Kick-off: 10h30 (local)
Japan vs. Solomon Islands Kick-off: 12h30 (local)
Monday 6 October
Japan vs. Cuba Kick-off: 10h30 (local)
Russia vs. Solomon Islands Kick-off: 12h30 (local)
Wednesday 8 October
Brazil vs. Cuba Kick-off: 10h30 (local)

For all the latest news from the FIFA Futsal World Cup – Brazil 2008 please visit www.FIFA.com

Source : Oceania Football Confederation
Published : 25/9/2008

Mariana Rudan travelled to Victoria to uncover the growing sport of Futsal, the indoor counterpart of the beautiful game, a pivotal component in the development of ball skill at an early age.

Melbourne Reds players featured strongly in the video and members of our State Championship U11 Rep Team, Charlie Bircham, Aaron Diplacido, Stefan Cardamone, Reis Aygun, Jesse Mills-Warthold and Bryson Ng were all shown in the segment.

Bryson was also interviewed during the segment. We wish all remaining state team participants the best of luck with their final stages of selection.

Watch the video online via the following link:

SBS Futsal Video

Source : Melbourne Reds Futsal Club
Published : 25/9/2008

After playing in the Vikings International Cup in Christchurch New Zealand, the IROK Philippines womens side invited NZ CEO Paul Wadsworth for a visit to the Philippines.

Futsal in the Philippines is very small with Basketball being the number one sport. But a core group of passionate Futsal players lead by IROK Coach Manny Batungbacal and his assistant Paul Encarnacion have progressed the sport along nicely.

The womens side won the Philippines their first medal ever for any football code with a well desrved Bronze at the South East Asian Games in 2007. This sort of success is not without it’s hardships though. The side had to fund itself to the tournament and with the girls running min tournaments, selling fusal socks, holding garage sales and collecting plastic bottles they still fell short of their target, so Coach Manny stepped in and sold his car to ensure the side made it to the event.

Futsal in the Philippines faces similar problems to a lot of other countries around the world. A National Football Body that wants ownership of Futsal but is not willing to invest. Discrimination from football people and lack of funds. but through this Coach Manny and Paul along with the girls have pressed on and spread the word that is Futsal.

The visit by Wadsworth gave him a chance to see first hand the set up in the Philippines. It is likely teams from Australia and New Zealand will look to visit in the future to play against local Philippine talent in tournaments and tours. The hospitality shown by the IROK group was fantastic as they showed Wadsworth around the city, put on a mixed Futsal tournament for him to run an eye over local players and then hosted a garden party for him on his last evening.

Manny, Paul and the girls have the heart and passion for Futsal which is one of the most important ingredients for growth. Their dedication and personal devotion to Futsal is unrivalled and we wish them all well in the Future.

Source : Vikings Futsal NZ
Published : 25/9/2008