2009 looms as another milestone year for Vikings Futsal New Zealand with the Senior men, women and u21 men all heading offshore to major tournaments in Russia (men) Poland and/or China (women) and Czech Republic (u21). Vikings is currently in discussions with the USA about sending the 16yr girls to play against Canada, Mexico, USA and Australia.

The Senior sides will have 3 major events in 09 Vikings Futsal Championships (Jan, Sydney), Vikings Cup (Aug, Christchurch) and their Europen trip. 2010 will most likely add another major tournament overseas giving the program 4 events each year.

The junior players aren’t forgotten as Vikings NZ have been invited the 15yr boys to Bulgeria in 09 to the European Championships. Plans are well underway for the 13/14yr sides to visit china for the Asian Championships in 2010.

All this is on top of the Vikings Futsal Championships which will see 69 players (7 teams) hop across the Tasman and take on the best of Australia

Source : Vikings Futsal NZ
Published : 22/12/2008

A late winner from a disputed free kick gave the Pirates the win and an important opportunity to leapfrog Sutherland in the race for a finals berth. This was an enthralling encounter from both teams that featured a four goal haul from prolific striker Roderigo Teixeira.

Sutherland 4 Botany Bay Pirates 5

The two teams knew what was at stake in the game and Sutherland nearly took the lead in the opening moments when a shot by Figon struck a post.

Shortly after Botany opened the scoring when Denny Dutra sped down the right crossed to Teixeira looming support who smashed his shot into the top right corner.

Sutherland came back when Anton Karla had a fierce drive tipped over by keeper Aly who then partially blocked an attempt by Slaven Ljuboja which stuck the right post and away to safety.

The Pirates extended their lead from a fast counter attack when the slippery Denny Dutra sped away found Teixiera lurking unmarked who cleverly flicked the ball over keeper Radmilo.

The luck was not with Sutherland when a deflected shot fell to Lucio Tilman who crashed his shot against the left upright.

Sutherland keeper Bojan Radmilo did well to keep out a cheeky side flick from Kraljevic and just before half time made an excellent save low down from a shot by Dutra.

In a very competitive half the Pirates went to the break holding a valuable 0-2 lead.

In the second half Sutherland came out firing and peppered shots at the Pirates goal with Keeper Aly making a superb stop to deny Goran Ljuboja.

Then keeper Radmilo made a superb block when he came out to prevent Kraljevic from extending their lead from a quick Pirates counter attack.

Sutherland finally got the break through they were craving when Goran Ljuboja crashed an unstoppable drive into the top right corner directly from a freekick.

Sutherland continued to pile on the pressure with Lucio Tilman forcing a great save from Aly in the Pirates goal.

The Pirates risk defending with only 3 defenders as striker Teixiera sometimes slips away to lurk unmarked upfront. On one occasion Sutherland had keeper Bojan Radmilo to thank for making an important stop to prevent Botany scoring again.

To the delight of the home crowd Sutherland levelled to make it 2-2 when Goran Ljuboja slammed a shot direct from a corner into the net.

The momentum was with Sutherland as they continued the pressure and Aly in the Pirates goal was being called into constant action as the Pirates worked hard to stem the flow.

Nearing the end of the game the contest turned on its head when Dutra sped down the left and his hard low cross was eventually stabbed over the line by Teixiera giving Roderigo his hat-trick with a hat trick of assists from Dutra.

Almost immediately from the restart the ever dangerous Teixiera then turned provider when he teed up Dutra to make it 2-4 to the Pirates.

With the game seemingly sealed Sutherland gallantly refused to give up and pulled one back when Slaven. Ljuboja scored from a long range shot to make it 3-4.

With time running out and Sutherland desperately searching for another goal their answer came when a deflected shot fell to Dominic Mercuri who slammed the ball home to make 4-4.

But the enthralling game took another twist with only seconds left on the clock. The Pirates launched a raid down the left which saw Sutherland’s Dominic Mercuri slid in fast to knock the ball out of play without much contact to the player. The referee awarded a free kick for an illegal slide tackle to the dismay of the home side.

Roderigo Teixeira stepped up and deceptively slammed his shot inside the near post to give the Pirates a 4-5 win.

Botany snuck home in a thrilling game that showcased great skills, commitment, great shots and saves, desperate defending and determination to win in a contest that was a credit to both sides.

 

 

Source : Football NSW
Published : 21/12/2008

Shen Uzunlar grabbed a superb first half hat-trick with powerful long range shooting that helped the Pirates to all three points in a come from behind win against fellow super League debutants Sutherland at the Menai Indoor Arena.

Sutherland 2 Botany Bay Pirates 4

Sutherland opened the scoring in the first minute when a Botany player was dispossessed mid-court, Melissa Cox ran straight at the heart of the Pirates defence and slotted her shot coolly into the bottom right corner to give her side a 1-0 lead.

Botany levelled the scores after robbing a Sutherland player around halfway Shen Uzunlar took a couple of strides and unleashed an early shot that fizzed into the back of the net.

Sutherland restored their lead almost straight away when Monica Kavanagh slammed the ball past the keeper to give her team a 2-1 lead.

The Pirates equalised when a ball fell invitingly for Uzunlar who struck the ball hard from long range to make the score 2-2.

The element of surprise is a handy tactic and Botany took the lead when Melissa Kavanagh collected the ball seemingly harmlessly inside her own half and again shot early catching the Sutherland defence and keeper off guard to give the visitors a 2-3 lead and herself a superb first half hat trick.

The goal brought a flurry of shots from Sutherland in reply to no avail as the Pirates defence held firm.

Sutherland keeper Svetlana Rasic prevented the Pirates from extending their lead when she came out to make an excellent smother from Oliviera and the Pirates keeper Harris made a great save to stop Sutherland equalising after Monica Kavanagh went on a run beating two defenders before shooting.

Clearly unhappy at the half time deficit Sutherland came out firing and peppered the Pirates goal with keeper Harris making two great saves from Kavanagh, but Sutherland’s finishing was off target and the Pirates defence held firm and weathered the storm.

The Pirates were having their chances also and they nearly doubled their lead when Petrovic turned her marker but her shot was smartly saved by Rasic in goal.

The Pirates got the goal they needed when Tsang’s shot was blocked but the rebound fell to the ever dangerous Petrovic who stabbed the ball home to give the visitors a very handy 2-4 lead.

The Pirates almost made it five in the dying stages in the move of the game when Carosi made a diagonal run upfront then cheekily back heeled the ball into the path of Tsang who was desperately unlucky to see her shot crash against both posts and away to safety.

Frustrated at having had so much possession and goal attempts it was not to be their day as Sutherland ran out of steam and could not breach the resolute Pirates defence any further.

In the first ever meeting between the two sides in what has been a successful debut season for both clubs in the Super League the Botany Womens team took the honours thanks largely to three well taken goals from Shen Uzunlar.

Source : Football NSW
Published : 21/12/2008

The Futsal Nationals website has published the competition draw for all age groups. It can be found here :

http://www.futsalnationals.com.au/draws/draws.htm

After 4 months of training and preparation for the 30th National Futsal Championships, a number of the Victorian State squads have put their training to the test by participating in various competitions across Melbourne.

The Under 19 boys and Open men have been heavily involved in the Ashburton Futsal League, playing against Division 1 stalwarts such as the Ashburton Jets, Mornington Stallions and, 2007 champions, Chavez. U19 boys coach, Greg Kassidas, will be looking for a second National title in the space of 4 months after successfully leading the outdoor Under 14’s Victorian squad to glory in October.

The Open men’s team recently participated in the inaugural AFG Futsal cup held in Caroline Springs where they went undefeated to claim the trophy under coach Paul Vidic. Vidic has put a squad together based on a mixture of experience and youth which will battle it out against Futsal giants ACT Cobras and NSW Thunder in Canberra.

The Australian Football Skool Futsal State Championships held in the first week of December gave several of the junior Victorian squads the opportunity to gain some valuable match practice. The invitation to the 500 player strong tournament was a welcome addition to the training schedule with the Victorian squads faring well overall with the Under 11 Girls making the quarter finals, the Under 11 Boys making the semi finals and Under 13 Boys clinching the title with a winning goal in the last 3 seconds to win 4-3 against a Central region representative AFS team. Match results and photos can be seen on the AFS website at www.footballskool.com.au.

Many of the Under 11, 12 and 13 Victorian representative players are also playing in the FFV Melbourne Futsal League which has further aided their individual preparation for Nationals with players Kaan Korkmaz, John Buceto, Reis Aygun and Bryson Ng all banging in goals at club level.

These competitions have also been good preparation for the Victorian referees that have been nominated to officiate at the National Futsal Championships. Nominated referees Rod Salas, Shams Shahabbi and Patrick El-Zoghbi have been regular personnel at the Ashburton and Melbourne Futsal Leagues in the build up to January’s competition. One of the contributing factors to the success of these competitions has been Barry Poulsen who has worked tirelessly in appointing and supervising referees for Futsal and will continue to monitor their progress whilst at the National Championships.

FFV Talented Player Coordinator and State Futsal Referees Coach Anthony Grima, claims “these types of competitions are great preparation not just for players and referees but coaches and team mangers as well. They are played at a high intensity which will stand participants in good stead for the demanding week of competition ahead”.

Click here to see all of FFV’s representative players and teams that will be heading off to Canberra for the FFA National Futsal Championships from 6-10 January 2009.

Source : Football Federation Victoria
Published : 19/12/2008

Football NSW Futsal is currently seeking expressions of intrest in touring Spain in 2009

Please see options below and for further information please see the flyer

TOUR #1 approximately 3 weeks.

Female, open age and under 14 in 2009. Males over 17 in 2009.

Date of Departure around 20 June.

• Attend pre tournament coaching with a Spanish Club
• Costa Daurada Cup Futsal tournament 28 June to 4 July
• All details of the Tournament are on http://www.torneocostadoradacup.es/english/FutSal/index.asp
• Sightseeing in Barcelona and Valencia
• Approx Cost $5,500

TOUR #2 approximately 3 weeks.

Males 17 and under in 2009.

Date of Departure around 25 June.

• Costa Daurada Cup Futsal tournament 28 June to 4 July
• Attend the Futsal Playas Camp 6 July to 13 July (2 X Spanish Champions + 3 x UEFA Futsal Champions)
• All details of the Tournament are on http://www.torneocostadoradacup.es/english/FutSal/index.asp
• Details of previous Playas Camps are on http://www.playascastellon.com/Campus2007/default_en.htm
• Sightseeing in Barcelona and Valencia
• Approx Cost $5,500

AGE CATEGORIES FOR COSTA DAURADA CUP

MALE

CLASS”I” Open Age.

CLASS”A”: Born between 01-01-1990 and 31-12-1992.

CLASS”B”: Born between 01-01-1993 and 31-12-1994.

FEMALE

CLASS”G”: Open Age.

CLASS”H”: Born between 01-01-1995 and 31-12-1996.

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST:

• Email Frank Rossi – rossiviking@primusonline.com.au
• Cut off date Friday 30th January
• Coaches and Managers also required. Spanish speakers especially welcome.

Please click here to see the full flyer

Source : Football NSW
Published : 18/12/2008

Nat Caldwell, Goal Keeper for the Northern NSW Vipers 14s, has been recognised for his outstanding performance in Melbourne during the National School Futsal Titles in early October.

Only five players from each age category pool of about 120 were recognised by the Australian team selectors.

As a result of his efforts, Nat has been chosen as the Australian Goal Keeper for the under 15s team which will tour Brazil in June next year. Other team members have been selected from all over the nation.

Futsal is a Brazilian sport which school students play from a young age through to adulthood and Nat is very excited at the prospect of playing in the Brazilian event as he will compete in over 14 tournaments and get to train with some of the best Futsal players and premier coaches in the world.

This tour offers Nat the opportunity to attract major sponsors and scholarships to further his Futsal career. In preparation for the tour Nat has began learning Portugese and Spanish and started a distance education program that allows him to study while in training and competition.

Nat takes his Futsal seriously, training daily and competes in local competitions and programs.

Nat has also been offered a place at The David Beckham Academy in 2009 and looks forward to returning to the UK Academy as their insight during past workshops was the catalyst for his change from field player to goal keeper.

Source : Byron Shire Echo
Published : 16/12/2008

Melbourne Reds would like to invite interested players and teams to register for the 2009 Junior League. We will be running a weekly competition for the following age groups.U10 Boys – Players born in 1998 or later.
U12 Boys – Players born in 1996 or later.
U13 Girls – Players born in 1995 or later.

To register your interest please click on the below email link and send us you name and contact details. We will then contact you with more information. The league is planned to commence in late January.

Register your team early as places are expected to fill quickly !

MRFC Junior League Registrations

Source : Melbourne Reds Futsal Club
Published : 17/12/2008

Round 11 of the 08 – 09 Football NSW Futsal Super League is to be played at Menai Indoor Sports Centre Saturday 20th December 2008.

This second local derby of the competition will see Sutherland play against our St George opponents in Botany Bay Pirates from Rockdale PCYC.

Under 12 Boys will kick off the day at 2pm. Under 14 Boys kick off at 2.45pm. Under 13 Girls kick off at 3.30pm. Under 16 Boys kick off at 4.15pm. Under 16 Girls kick off at 5pm. Youth Men kick off at 5.45pm. Open Women’s kick off at 6.30pm and the Open Men’s kick off at 7.15pm.

The game of the day will see an interesting match up for the Sutherland Under 16s Boys in 3rd spot taking on the Pirates in 2nd.

A win for the Sutherland Under 13 Girls will seal the top 5 for them. Our Under 16 Girls and Open Women’s teams are improving with each game and this weekend will know doubt see results turn around.

Apart from the Under 16s Boys match up the other game to watch will be the Open Men’s with the game being a must win for Sutherland to retain its place in the top 5 with the Pirates currently in 6th place.

Overall in the Club Championship, Sutherland is currently placed 9th out of 14 with 109 points and Botany Bay Pirates are placed 7th out of 14 with 111 points. Of the new Clubs to the League both Sutherland and Botany Bay have faired very well. This weekend will see some tight games and movement in the Club Championship ladder.

The Sutherland Shire Futsal Association Incorporated looks very much forward to hosting round 11 at Menai Indoor Sports Centre and we look forward to seeing you all there.

Source : Sutherland Shire Futsal
By : J Simnett
Published : 17/12/2008

Yesterday saw the first ever final series of the newly established Tasmanian Futsal Supa Liga at Moonah Sports Centre in front of over 200 spectators throughout the day. The day started off with Tassal Stripes taking on fourth placed Northern Fusion in the first of two semi finals. Fusion welcomed back Shay Hickey and Will Gee to the fold while Tassal were at full strength for the match. The match was a very tight affair with both sides having a number of chances and the speed of Fusion causing Tassal all sorts of problems in the beginning. Once Tassal found their feet they were able to put three goals away in quick succession taking a 4-1 lead in to the half time break.

The second half saw a much tighter affair with Fusion clawing a goal back straight after half time but Tassal held on to win 5-3 and secure the first place in the evening grand final.

The second semi saw a rematch from last week between Sandy Bay Storm and Southern Youth. The match was a much tighter affair then the previous week with Southern Youth scoring three quick goals after a slow start to take a 4-3 lead into half time. Will Ashwood & Jamie Vernon causing grief for the Storm but the experience of Storm shone through as captain Corey Smith & Brazilian sensation Igor Sao Jose took control. The more experienced Storm running out winners 7-5 but not before a flurry of chances was well kept out by keeper Rory McCullum.

This meant that Tassal Stripes would take on Sandy Bay Storm in the final. Tassal had only recently dispatched a weakened Storm side 10-3 a fortnight ago.

Both teams were at near full strength with Storm missing goal scoring machine Nicholas Harrison through injury and the side could have used his strength and finishing prowess.

It was the match of the season with the lead changing 5 times, twice in the first half and three in the second. Sandy Bay Storm were by far the more dominant team for the majority of the match with Corey Smith taking control of the match from the outset with a best on field performance up front. He was able to hold the ball up well and set team mates Igor Sao Jose & Callan Griffin for early opportunities at goal.

Jon Foley Donoghue scored the first goal early for Tassal after Sandy Bay Storm were caught out off a free kick, but a fantastic finish by Igor Sao Jose from distance and a nicely finished play by Corey Smith gave Sandy Bay Storm a 2-1 lead and control of the game. Only a blast from distance by Seth Van Heyster could help Tassal curve the dominance that Sandy Bay Storm were amounting. The teams went in at half time locked at 2-2.

The second half was much the same with Tassal only creating chances from counter attacks and some superb play by Storm livening up the crowd.

Even through all their possession Storm could not break the deadlock and a scuffed shot by Billy Gasparinatos caught Storm keeper Rory McCullum out and put Tassal back in the lead.

The game was then turned back on its head by some great team work by Storm and some sensational finishing by Sao Jose and Smith who finished with 3. Rory McCullum in goals also made some crucial saves to make sure Tassal didn’t slip away.

Sandy Bay Storm then missed the boat by missing a number opportunities to increase their lead. Some great penaltie saves by Michael McKenna who was exceptional all game allowed Tassal back in to the match and they took advantage of this with stunning finishing by Huw Jarvis, Jon Foley Donoghue and a great spell by Jason Dawes getting Tassal over the line and secure the first ever Supa Liga title.

Stripes Coach Jez Singh had this to say after his sides historic first ever Futsal Supa Liga – “The final lived up to all expectation. Two different teams with different tactic, Storm being far more direct where else stripes played on the break. It was a tense final; we had to change our tactics numerous times to combat the threat from Igor and Corey. On balance we deserved the victory based on our consistent performance build from our solid defence through out the tournament. We would like to thank Tassal and Vikings Futsal for their fantastic support.”

Tournament organiser Corey Smith had this to say – “It was a fitting final with probably the best game of the tournament and i would like to congratulate a very well organised Tassal team on their performance through out the tournament. I think the final showcased what an exceptional standard of Futsal we now have in Tasmania and Michael McKenna’s performance in particular shows that we have some players here that are capable at a much higher level. It’s great that we have so many juniors out here to support what we hope will be a continuing concept well into the future. Congratulations to all involved and we hope to see the tournament bigger and better in 2009″

The Tasmanian Supa Liga awards ceremony was held at the end of the tournament with trophies given for the following awards -

League Goalscoring Award (excluding finals) – Huw Jarvis (Tassal Stripes)

League Most Valuable Player – Michael McKenna (Tassal Stripes)

Minor Premiers – Tassal Stripes

2008 Tasmanian Supa Liga Champions – Tassal Stripes

2008 Tasmanian Supa Liga All Star 5 -
Micheal McKenna (Tassal Stripes)
Jon Foley-Donaghue (Tassal Stripes)
Corey Smith (Sandy Bay Storm)
Huw Jarvis (Tassal Stripes)
Andrew Davies (Northern Fusion)

2008 Tasmanian Supa Liga Goalscoring (excluding finals) -
15 – Huw Jarvis (Tassal Stripes)
14 – Kosta Grillas (Sandy Bay Storm)
13 – Corey Smith (Sandy Bay Storm)
12 – Jon Foley-Donaghue (Tassal Stripes)
10 – DiPendra Kunwar (Tas. Islanders Suothern Youth)

Source : Futsal Tasmania
Published : 17/12/2008