FFAA (Futsal 5 A-Side Australia) Executive have confirmed the draw for the Inter-State Championships to be held at the Hills Sports Stadium, Castle Hill over the January 2009 Australia Day Weekend (24, 25 &26th).

President of FFAA, – Dave Birch, commented that numbers had increased from the extremely successful 2008 tournament requiring an additional field to be used and he expects the 2009 event will be enjoyable for all and looks forward to seeing everyone at the game.

He emphasised that spectators are welcome free of charge and encouraged players to bring their friends to support them and make the atmosphere even bigger than last year.

Photos from the previous 2008 event can be found here.

Teams have been finalised for this years tournament and numbers are up from 2008 with four fields to be used. Age groups are - 11/12’s, 13’s, 14’s, 16/17’s, Men’s and Ladies.

The draw – 2009 Castle Hill Tournament is available here.

FFAA Executive would like to remind teams and their managers, that as occured in 2008, games will start and finish on time so please be at the venue at least 20 minutes before your scheduled game to ensure that forfeits are avoided.

Games start at 9:00 am each day.

FFAA Executive wishes all the team well – see you at the game!!.

Source : Futsal 5 A-Side Australia
Published : 20/1/2009

2009 Sign on details for the DalPonte Futsal Academy :

Acacia Ridge Academy and GK Academy
Day: 15th of February Sunday
Time: 9-11am
Location: Head Office on Beaudesert Road, Brisbane.
ACADEMY RUNS SUNDAY MORNING

Brendale Academy and GK Academy
Day: 21st of February Saturday
Time: 3-5pm
Location: South Pine Sports Complex, Brisbane.
ACADEMY RUNS SATURDAY AFTERNOON

Atletico Mineiro Academy – Football
Day: 28th of February Saturday
Time: 3-5pm
Location: Moorooka Bowls Club, Brisbane.
ACADEMY RUNS SATURDAY AFTERNOON

Gold Coast Academy
Day: 8th of March Sunday
Time: 3-5pm
Location: Tallebudgera Centre, Gold Coast.
ACADEMY RUNS SUNDAY AFTERNOON

International Futsal Camp Live In – Tallebudgera Gold Coast
14 to 16 of April
More information up soon

See the Dal Ponte Website for more information.

Source : Dal Ponte Futsal Academy
Published : 20/1/2009

Note the info below is updated from a previous posting on January the 12th. The Western Sydney Champions Cup has been renamed slightly to the YMCA Western Sydney Champions Cup.

The new tournament will be taking place on Sunday the 1st of February 2009 at YMCA Hawkesbury. It will be run annually from here on in.

The YMCA Western Sydney Champions Cup will be  a 32 team Tournament. The format will be group knockout with 15 minute halves, and 6 courts in action at Hawkesbury. All six courts have been sanded and polished and are looking brand spanking new.

Winners and Runners-Up Trophies, Player of the Tournament, Golden Gloves and Golden Boot awards will be handed out as well.

It will be a professionally run Tournament, with official NSW Futsal referees during the matches and St Johns Ambulance staff for first aid and other injuries in attendance. Free swimming pool tickets will be given to every player for recovery sessions during breaks between their games.

A BBQ will be available for all players and guests. YMCA will also be organising a special guest to present MVP, Golden Gloves and Player of the Final awards.

All each player on a team must have the same jersey as their teammates and numbers on the back are compulsory. The cost of entering is $35 per player.

16 of the 32 spots have already been filled and the remaining slots are on a first in first served basis.

If you want to put a team in please give Kevin a call on 0449-543-571, or email him at kevinguerrero@live.com

Please see below for the FNSW Futsal Premier and Super League Finals Venues

PREMIER LEAGUE

Semi Finals 7 February 2009, Menai Indoor Sports Centre, 98 Allison Cres, Menai.

Semi Final One 1st v 2nd

Semi Final Two 3rd v 4th

(normal kick off times apply)

Preliminary Finals 14 February 2009, Menai Indoor Sports Centre, 98 Allison, Menai.

Loser SF1 v Winner SF2

(normal kick off times apply)

Grand Finals 21 February 2009 Dural Sports & Leisure Centre,Cnr Kenthurst & Pellitt Lane, Dural.

Winner SF1 v Winner PF

(kick off times 12 Boys 1pm,14 Boys 2pm,13 Girls 3pm,16 Boys 4pm,16 Girls 5pm,Youth Men 6pm,Women 7pm,Men 8pm)

SUPER LEAGUE

Minor Semi Finals 31 January 2009, Dural Sports & Leisure Centre,Cnr Kenthurst & Pellitt Lane, Dural.

Semi Final One 2nd v 3rd

Semi Final Two 4th v 5th

(normal kick off times apply)

Major Semi Finals 7 February 2009, Bankstown Basketball Centre, Third Ave, Condell Park.

Semi Final Three 1st v Winner SF1

Semi Final Four Loser SF1 v Winner SF2

(normal kick off times apply)

Preliminary Finals 14 February 2009, Menai Indoor Sports Centre,98 Allison, Menai.

Loser SF3 v Winner 4

(normal kick off times apply)

Grand Finals 21 February 2009, Dural Sports & Leisure Centre,Cnr Kenthurst & Pellitt Lane, Dural

Winner SF3 v Winner PF

(kick off times 12 Boys 1pm,14 Boys 2pm,13 Girls 3pm,16 Boys 4pm,16 Girls 5pm,Youth Men 6pm,Women 7pm,Men 8pm)

Source : Football NSW
Published : 19/1/2009

A new mixed Futsal competition will start at the Michael Wenden Centre, Miller.

The competition will begin on Wednesday 18/2/2008

Expressions close Friday 30/1/2009

Please contact Damian on 8814 4463 or by email futsalcomps@footballnsw.com.au if you are interested in taking part in this competition.

Source : Football NSW
Published : 19/1/2009

After overcoming two difficult injuries during the past season Karim Reda showed he hasn’t lost his goalscorers touch by scoring five goals to help the Vikings easily overcome Barcelona 10-4 at Emerton Indoor Sports Centre tonight.

After a pacy start to the game the Vikings gradually began to get the upper hand. Karim Reda struck a shot against the post and Barcelona keeper James Becerra bravely smothered another shot by Reda.

Barcelona were working hard to remain in the game with Robert Ristevski calling the shots in the defence but the Vikings were faster in attack and also looking solid at the back.

Halfway through the first half Reda crashed another shot onto the crossbar as the game somehow remained scoreless.

The opening goal finally came when Andrew Macerola skipped passed a couple of tackles to slip the ball to the overlapping Dave Blackburn who scored from close range.

Barcelona’s answer was immediate. In a swift counter attack Paul Reilly received the ball on the left ran at goal and nicely slammed the ball past the keeper to draw level.

From there the floodgates opened and the Vikings virtually killed the game off with five unanswered goals before half time.

Dave Blackburn got his second from almost the same position on the right as his first after receiving a nice pass from Josh Saumatua.

In a fast counter attack Reda crashed a third shot against the woodwork but the ball fell to John Jones who slammed the ball into the net to make it 3-1.

Barcelona nearly pulled one back when Paul Reilly saw his low shot cannon off the left post and away to safety.

Reda opened his scoring account when he stepped around a defender on the right touchline and hard toe poked the ball past the advancing keeper to make it 4-1

Reda hit the Vikings fifth after receiving a nice pass from Blackburn and Dave Blackburn was again the supplier as Josh Saumatua slotted the ball home to make it 6-1 just before half time.

The Vikings grabbed the initiative early in the second half when Dave Blackburn sealed a fine hat-trick when he crashed his shot from the right side into the top right corner to make it 7-1.

Barcelona pulled a goal back when David Gioia smashed his freekick through the wall to score.

Karim Reda grabbed his hat-trick also when he spun out of a tackle turned on goal and slotted the ball nicely past the keeper to make it 8-2.

Comfortably in control the Vikings switched off a little and this helped Barcelona enjoy a mini revival. Maurizio Farallo was unlucky to see his low shot hit the post before David Gioia scored his second when he slammed his shot home after a receiving a pass from Paul Reilly to make it 8-3.

Reda then took advantage of a mix up in the Barcelona defence to round the keeper to score the Vikings ninth.

To their credit Barcelona continued to plug away at their opponents and Viking keeper Cameron Barrett saved well from Preston Shehadie and then bravely smothered a close range attempt from the luckless Farallo. Paul Reilly capped off a fine game for Barcelona with a well earned second goal to make it 9-4.

But the last word came from Karim Reda who netted his fifth goal of the game when he received the ball out on the left touchline turned on goal and slammed the ball past the keeper to make the final score 10-4 to the home team.

Source : Football NSW
Published : 19/1/2009

The Futsal Excellence Program at Robina State High School on the Gold Coast has been established for 10 years.

The program has numerous aspects including:
• Excellence class for senior students; 6 lessons a week including theoretical and practical work
• Excellence class for students in year 9; 4 lessons a week including theoretical and practical work
• Robina Futsal Club; students play, referee and administrate the club
• Our students coach students at local primary schools that compete in an annual tournament
• Organising tournaments to compete against other High Schools
• Competing in tournaments run by other organisations
• Training for teams in all ages groups and both genders

In 2009 the number of students who have been enrolled in the program since it began will pass 500. Most of these students joined the program when they entered high school and were still in the program when they graduated year 12. Graduates of the program continue to be involved by coaching teams.

If you know of any tournaments school teams can enter please contact Daniel Hoey, ph 07 55 623 444 or email dhoey4@eq.edu.au as Robina High would be interested in attending.

If you would like more information regarding Robina High’s Futsal Excellence Program contact us or visit our website Robina SHS Futsal Excellence Program.

Source : Daniel Hoey, Robina State High School
Published : 19/1/2009

Twenty-one years of soccer experience is lining up to take to the field this season with the Whitsunday Miners.

David Pritchard is among players training with the Mastermyne Miners ahead of trials over the next two weeks from which a squad will be selected for the team’s second season in the Queensland State League.

“This year will be my 21st season of playing football,” he said yesterday.

“I started playing when I was four years old. Football has been my life for a long time.”

This year is also a return to his roots, as Pritchard, 26, was born in Mackay but left at the age of three when his family moved to Cairns.

He is the grandson of Mackay identity Bill Pritchard, and is teaching at Sarina High this year.

A winger or midfielder, he played for Rocklea in Brisbane premier division 1 last season, where he has lived for the past nine years.

He’s also played on representative teams and was a member of the national Futsal (indoor soccer) side which toured Europe and Japan.

“Futsal is all about skills, it helps you develop your short game and reflexes,” he said.

“I had to give it away because of a knee injury.

“When I play Futsal it blows up because of the hard floor, but it’s okay on the field.”

Pritchard said he was looking forward to the opportunity of trying out for the Miners, who he said should have a strong squad this year.

“I’ve played against a few of the players like Troy Mundy, who had a few seasons down south.

“I think a lot of the players are aged 18, 19 or 20, there aren’t many over that age.

“They look like a young squad but they’ll keep improving.

“Hopefully I can impart a bit of wisdom to some of the young players.”

He said the Miners just needed a little more depth to ensure they were competitive.

“There is a lot of good quality all around the club, they’re looking a lot better this season. Definitely there’s some good footballers here.”

Source : Daily Mercury
By : Charlie Payne
Published : 18/1/2009

A lack of planning for national teams is the Fiji Football Association’s biggest problem, says former Rewa vice-president Abdul Shah.

Shah said the Fiji FA continued to work with obsolete ideas.

“They don’t think anything is wrong so they continue doing what they have been doing all along while the results are all big failures,” he said.

Shah has raised concern ahead of the Oceania Under-17 World Cup qualifiers to be hosted by Fiji in April.

“New Zealand already has a squad and is playing build-up games against tougher opponents but in Fiji we are still trying to hold trials in different districts.

“This shows how badly we lack planning. If we are serious about qualifying then at least a shadow squad should have been named last year and by now the players should have attended a few training camps.

“The progress made by New Zealand and Solomon Islands is a wake-up call for Fiji FA officials to resign because they are just sleeping on the job,” Shah said.

The New Zealand U-17 side recently lost 1-0 and 3-0 to Chile U-18 as coach Steve Cain works on perfecting a fearsome combination for the qualifiers.

The Junior All Whites will have the services of two UK-based academy players in Cameron Lindsay (Blackburn Rovers) and Andrew Milne (Glasgow Rangers).

Since 1983, the Fiji U-17 has only played the final of the Oceania qualifiers in 1999 while gleefully making up numbers in the other 11 qualifiers.

When contacted Fiji FA chief executive Bob Kumar referred questions to chief development officer Farook Janeman, who said now was not the right time to talk about the U-17 team.

Janeman said people in the West were still trying to come to terms with the recent flooding.

The Solomon Islands national U-14 futsal team recently featured in the 30th Australian National Futsal Championship in Canberra, competing against Australian state opponents but in Fiji, futsal is yet to reach age group level.

Solomon Islands last year humiliated Fiji in round robin play to win the Oceania Futsal qualifiers for a historical appearance in the FIFA Futsal World Cup.

Source : Fiji Times
By : Amit Raj
Published : 19/1/2009

Round 12 of the 08 – 09 Football NSW Futsal Super League was played at Dural Sport and Leisure Centre results from each match are shown below;

Under 12s Boys, Sutherland 1 vs. Dural 1
Under 14s Boys, Sutherland 3 vs. Dural 5
Under 13s Girls, Sutherland 5 vs. Dural 0
Under 16s Boys, Sutherland 1 vs. Dural 7
Under 16s Girls, Sutherland 2 vs. Dural 5
Youth Men, Sutherland 0 vs. Dural 14
Open Women, Sutherland 0 vs. Dural 3
Open Men, Sutherland 1 vs. Dural 9

Source : Sutherland Shire Futsal
By : J Simnett
Published : 18/1/2009