the power of five #12 october 2014

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THE MAGAZINE OF NEW ZEALAND FOOTBALL FUTSAL ISSUE 12 OCTOBER 2014

OFC FUTSAL CHAMPIONSHIP INVITATIONALNATIONAL JUNIOR FESTIVAL & YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS ASB TRANS TASMAN CUPTACTICS BOARDJAN FISCHER INTERVIEW



ISSN 2324-3813

COACHES CORNER

PHOTO: Masanori Udagawawww.photowellington.com

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Learning from defeat was the focus after the Trans-Tasman Cup and the Futsal Whites became the first OFC team to defeat an Asian Football Confederation team in a competitive FIFA ‘A’ International when they ticked up a 4-1 victory against Malaysia at the OFC Futsal Invitational Tournament in New Caledonia.

So whether you’re playing, coaching, organising or officiating during the busy summer of futsal ahead we wish you all good luck and good experiences.

Yours in futsal

Dave PayneNZ Football Futsal Development Manager

From a national competitions and national team point of view, it has been a busy period. The National Junior Festival and Youth Championships were again a great success with WaiBOP taking out a Youth Grade for the first time. Their success in the highly competitive U-19 grade is surely a by-product of their commitment of two seasons where they fielded a predominately youth side of futsal specialists in the Futsal National League.

The annual Trans-Tasman Cup kicked off for its third year and the Aussies proved why they are ranked 24th in the world with three straight victories.

All game were outstanding matches for the neutral spectator, but the results highlight the gap we need to breach to compete against the top-tier futsal nations.

WELCOME...

Hello and welcome to the latest issue of Power of Five. With the winter football season over, it’s that time of the year where futsal always experiences a ‘spike’ in growth as keen footballers look at options to keep ‘kicking it all year round’ through futsal.

Over the past five months, the New Zealand Football Futsal development team have been on the road with the Futsal Whites providing free opportunities to first-timers to learn about the game, watch the experts play and most importantly play the game for themselves.

Providing first hand opportunities for newcomers to experience the sport provides New Zealand Football and its federations with the next wave of futsal enthusiasts. We all know that once you’ve played futsal there is no going back!

PHOTO:

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PHOTOS: Masanori Udagawa | www.photowellington.com

Futsal White Mohammed Kamri slices between Futsalroos Tobias Seeto (7) and Nathan Niski (11).PHOTO: Masanori Udagawa | www.photowellington.com

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MATCH ONE – 19 JULY 2013ASB Sports Centre, Wellington

Bertos strikes as Futsal Whites fallNEW ZEALAND 3(Bertos, Osman 2)AUSTRALIA 5 (Giovenali 2, Seeto, Basger, own goal)

WELLINGTON - A goal on debut for Leo Bertos (right) wasn’t enough for the Futsal Whites as they went down to the Futsalroos 5-3 in Game 1 of the Trans-Tasman Cup at the ASB Centre in Wellington.

The expectant crowd of 618 home fans were in good voice but were silenced after 15 minutes when an unmarked Wade Giovenali ran through to open the Futsalroos account.

Just two minutes later, a pinpoint ball from Jarrod Basger found Giovenali again and he made no mistake in burying the shot to give the Futsalroos a 2-0 halftime lead.

Early in the second half, after conceding an early own-goal, Bertos came back into the game to a raucous welcome and it wasn’t long before his impact was felt.

The 56-cap All White was picked out immediately after taking the court and

FUTSALROOS RETAIN TROPHY IN THREE MATCH WELLINGTON SERIES

chipped Angelo Konstantinou with his first touch of the half producing the Futsal Whites first goal against the Aussies in four Trans-Tasman Cup games.

Australia restored their two-goal lead shortly after through a superb sliding shot from Basger from the edge of the area however Kareem Osman replied almost immediately; finishing a silky passing move.

Basger managed to find space behind the defence again to score a tap in and give the Futsalroos a 5-2 lead but any thoughts of an easy win were shattered when Osman scored again to leave Australia with a tense final minute to hold on for the win.

Futsal Whites Head Coach Scott Gilligan said he was happy with the character his team showed after a slow start.

“We showed them too much respect in the first half and gave them goals early on through poor marking and the own goal. In saying that, the character the boys showed to come back in the second half was great.”

Also pleasing from Gilligan’s point of view was Bertos’ first-up effort.

“The professionalism he brought to the team was invaluable. He started a bit tentatively but really lifted the boys in the second half with his goal.”

TRANS-TASMAN CUP

Gilligan was also delighted the Futsal Whites were able to hit the back of the Australian net three times in the second half.

“Getting the monkey off the back and scoring three goals against the Australians is a big thing for us, especially not scoring one in three games last year. It’s a big boost.”

NEW ZEALAND: Elias Billeh (GK), Dylan Manickum, Daniel Burns (capt), Mohamed Hicham Kamri, Miroslav Malivuk. Substitutes: Atta Elayyan (GK), Josh Stevenson, Quadhah Ragued, Kareem Osman, Marvin Eakins, Jakub Sinkora, Jan Fischer, Leo Bertos, Tai Barham, Bakr Al-Saudi.

PHOTO: Masanori Udagawawww.photowellington.com

MATCH TWO – 20 JULY 2013ASB Sports Centre, Wellington

Australia run away from Futsal WhitesNEW ZEALAND 0 AUSTRALIA 6 (Mundell 3, Basger, Giovenali, Polkinghorne)

WELLINGTON - The Futsalroos put on an impressive second half performance on their way to a comprehensive 6-0 victory over the Futsal Whites in Game 2 at the ASB Sports Centre, securing the Trans-Tasman Cup in the process with a game to spare.

The signs looked ominous early on for the Kiwis, as they went behind in the first

minute when Jordan Mundell managed to turn his defender and dispatch the ball inside the left upright for an early 1-0 lead.

However, the goal seemed to spur the Futsal Whites on as they forced a number of classy saves from Australia’s goalkeeper Nicholas Starr in the opening 15 minutes.

The Futsal Whites would have been happy going into the break just 1-0 down and looking defensively sound in front of a stylish Futsalroos outfit.

But two goals in two minutes to Jarrod Basger and Wade Giovenali effectively ended the Futsal Whites hopes of a comeback after the break as the Australians gained confidence and continued to batter the New Zealand goal.

The Futsal Whites went close twice in the second 20 with two long range efforts getting beyond Starr in goal but denied by the post. Mundell scored twice in the final minutes to complete a hat-trick on the night before a rocket from Chris Polkinghorne added the ‘cherry’ on top to a dominant display.

Futsal Whites coach Scott Gilligan was disappointed with the score-line after being in the game for a long period.

“We had a solid first half and were in the game at the halftime break but their second goal killed us. It looked like it should have been our ball but that’s the way it goes.”

Gilligan said the Australians speed of ball movement was impressive and ultimately the difference between the two sides.

“In Oceania we have a lot of speed from the players but not the speed of ball movement that they have. Their guys move it around at pace and their runs are smart as they’re always cycling into space. Tonight they showed that in the second half.”

There were positives and taking those into the final game of the series was the key to gaining a result, Gilligan believed.

“We will be looking to finish the series on a high. We need to take the first half performance from tonight and emulate that for the whole game.”

NEW ZEALAND: Elias Billeh (GK - capt), Kareem Osman, Daniel Burns, Leo Bertos, Tai Barham. Substitutes: Atta Elayyan (GK), Joshua Stevenson, Dylan Manickum, Oudhah Ragued, Ryan Batty, Jakub Sinkora, Jan Fischer, Hicham Kamri, Miroslav Malivuk.

PHOTO: PHOTOTEK

Futsal White Dylan Manickum in action in Game 2.PHOTO: Masanori Udagawa | www.photowellington.com

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MATCH THREE – 21 JULY 2013ASB Sports Centre, Wellington

Futsalroos complete series sweepNEW ZEALAND 1(Fisher)AUSTRALIA 7 (Barrientos 3’, 31’, Giovenali 4’, Polkinghorne 10’, Basger 12’, Cooper 34’, Callum Smith 38’ )

WELLINGTON - The Futsalroos showed why they sit 24th in the world futsal rankings as they completed a Trans-Tasman Cup series clean sweep with a 7-1 win over the Futsal Whites in Wellington in Game 3.

After dropping the first two matches of the series on Friday and Saturday, early goals again proved to be a problem for the Kiwis as Jonathan Barrientos scored in the third minute to take the Futsalroos out to an early lead.

Heads dropped again within a minute as Wade Giovenali slid in at the back post for an easy tap-in to double the lead within five minutes.

A spell of possession and solid defence saw the Futsal Whites recover from the bad start, however the Futsalroos set alarm bells ringing when they scored twice in two minutes through Chris Polkinghorne and Jarrod Basger.

The crowd came to life on the quarter-hour mark after the Futsal Whites started to

come back into the game and they were rewarded with a goal when Jan Fischer latched onto a superb diagonal ball from Bakr Al-Saudi to tap home at the back post.

This sparked the Kiwis to life as they created a number of opportunities to score again before the halftime break but could not capitalise, going in facing a 4-1 deficit.

After the break, the Futsal Whites looked a stronger defensive unit before the constant pressure from the Australians took its toll as they conceded 32nd and 35th minute goals.

Callum Smith grabbed a goal 60 seconds from time to finish off the scoring as he was set-up brilliantly by Giovenali, who looked to be one of the best players on the court in Game 3.

Futsal White Kareem Osman manages to get his shot away despite the attention of Futsalroos’ Jarod Basger.PHOTO: Masanori Udagawawww.photowellington.com

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Futsal Whites coach Scott Gilligan said the team paid for a bad period in the game and never really recovered.

“We had a bad 10 minutes and it showed. There was no belief during that period and they capitalised on it. Once we actually played possession, we created a chance and got a goal from it.”

Gilligan said a few “stern words” at half-time were exchanged and to the Futsal Whites’ credit, they lifted their game and started to hold possession.

Despite the results throughout the series, Gilligan said it’s important that his players understand they are in a learning phase and it will take a little time to develop.

“We learned some hard lessons over the three games but you look at where they are in the world and how they play and learn from them.

“These guys have been playing futsal, and only futsal, since they were young and have developed over a long period. We are in the learning stage and the results won’t come

overnight but they will come in time,” he said.

“The performance in the first game showed what we can do.”

NEW ZEALAND: Atta Elayyan (GK), Joshua Stevenson, Ouadhah Ragued, Marvin Eakins (capt), Jakub Sinkora. Substitutes: Dylan Mackinum, Ryan Batty, Kareem Osman, Daniel Burns, Jan Fischer, Hicham Kamri, Miroslav Malivuk, Bakr Al-Saudi, Elias Billeh (GK)

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Futsal White Tai Barham in action.PHOTO: Masanori Udagawawww.photowellington.com

Welcome to ‘Tactics Board’, a Power of Five feature designed for fans new to the world’s most popular small-sided football game. When you first encounter futsal, some of the game’s terminology, techniques and tactics can be a little confusing, so over the coming editions we will look at examples of the more common technical, tactical, social and physical properties of futsal in an attempt to increase your enjoyment of the game.

After delving into the attacking ‘3-1’ in the last edition, this time we take a look at the ‘2-2’ attacking formation.

2-2 Though we perhaps see 2-2 less than 3-1 at top level, it can be a good starting point for teams new to futsal, as the ‘two at the back, two at the front’ concept is quite straightforward for players to understand. Also, this formation can offer some defensive security, as having two ‘defenders’ automatically in position immediately upon losing possession high up the court can give defenders time to stall a rapid counterattack and give the front two players time to get back behind the line of the ball.

A typical attacking 2-2 will see players positioned as in (A), with two players (2 and 3) stationed in the ‘build-up’ zone and two players (4 and 5) in the ‘finishing’

ATTACKING FORMATIONS PART TWO: 2-2

THE TACTICS BOARDA FAN’S GUIDE TO FUTSAL

zone. Typically, the players take up wide positions, to not only maximise the width of the court, but to create space in the middle of the court for off-the-ball movement that can ‘open’ the middle of the court for penetrating passes.

As with any attacking futsal formation, the key to creating shooting opportunities is accurate passing, ball speed and the intelligent off-the-ball runs that really characterise the game of futsal.

In addition to quality passing - if players positioned at 2 and 3 have good dribbling skills - this can be very useful for creating numerical advantages in the opponent’s

half, particularly if these players can beat their markers around the halfway line. By the same token, losing the ball when in a one on one in this area of the court can be very dangerous, as these players are also the last line of defence - so definitely proceed with caution!

So - how do attacks penetrate a defence using a 2-2 with passing and movement? In futsal we look at three main types of pass - square, diagonal and parallel. The square shape of the 2-2 is the perfect shape for these types of passes, as we can see in diagram B, above.

FUTSAL LEVEL 1COACHING AWARD

1-2-1 (IN POSSESSION)

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32

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A



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32

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B

Square

Parallel

Diagonal

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Ultimately, we are looking for the diagonal or parallel ball, as these passes provide penetration into the finishing zone. The square pass however, is also a key element of the attack. This a ‘safe’ pass - often in the build-up zone - that when used in combination with a diagonal run (immediately following the pass) can creates distractions for defenders and open up the space for the decisive, penetrating ball into a dangerous area.

Example of 2-2 movementDiagram C. Player 2 passes the ball to 3 [i] and runs diagonally into centre court [ii], then (backwards, facing the ball) into the position occupied by Player 4 [iii].

Diagram D. Player 3 receives and ‘drives’ the ball to the centre of the court [i], passes to Player 4 (who has run into the position previously occupied by Player 3) [ii], and runs diagonally into centre court [iii], then (backwards, facing the ball) into the position occupied by Player 5.

Diagram E. Player 4 receives and ‘drives’ the ball to the centre of the court [i] and the sequence begins again - starting with a pass to Player 5 who has taken up the position originally occupied by Player 3 in the first diagram.

The combination of movement and accurate passing can ‘unbalance’ the opponent’s defence, meaning gaps can open up to play the penetrating parallel or diagonal ball into the finishing zone (Diagram F). From there the players stationed at 5 or 4 have the option of shooting or linking with Player 2 or 3.

Mickey Malivuk, (Capital Futsal and Futsal Whites) is comfortable in either the fixed or rotating pivot roles. The 2013 ASB Futsal National League Golden Boot winner is very strong on the ball when under pressure and can turn and shoot off both feet. PHOTO: Alphapix



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C



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D



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E F

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54

3

52

4

4

5

2

[i][ii]

[iii]

[i]

[ii]

[i] [ii]

[iii]

[iii][iv]

3

52

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[iv]

[ii]

[i]

LEGENDPass

Run

Dribble



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Build up Zone

Finishing Zone

In this photograph from the OFC Futsal Invitational 2014, Malaysia (dark blue) put pressure on Tahiti (red) high up the court. The Tahiti #9 has the ball, with his team in a 2-2 attacking formation. In order to create a possible passing channel in the centre of the court, and to force the front two Malaysia players into decisions about how they will defend against a player moving without the ball, #9 can play a square ball, followed by a diagonal run or ‘cut’ into centre court. If a return pass is not immediately forthcoming, the Tahiti #9 can continue to run forward but change direction to take up a position near where the Tahiti #4 is currently positioned. The #4 meanwhile (in anticipation that he will need to offer a passing option) could drop back into the position originally held by #9 and provide just that option for the player on the far side, now in possession of the ball. The process repeats until Tahiti are able to find a penetrating diagonal or parallel ball.

PHOTO: OFC

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Dylan Manickum surges towards goal during the Futsal Whites’ historic victory over Malaysia in Noumea. PHOTO: OFC

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MATCH ONE – 12 AUGUST 2014Arena du Sud, Paita, New Caledonia

Futsal Whites stun Malaysia in openerNEW ZEALAND 4(Fischer 2, Kamri, Osman)MALAYSIA 1 (ZamirI)

The OFC Futsal Championship Invitational 2014 couldn’t have started better for New Zealand on Tuesday as the Futsal Whites overcame last year’s demons to record a 4-1 victory over Malaysia in New Caledonia.

New Zealand were overwhelmed 7-1 in their 2013 encounter with the Asian Football Federation side, but that appeared a distant memory as the Futsal Whites showed why they deserved to be just the second Oceania team to beat an AFC opponent, after Solomon Islands victory over Thailand in a 2012 FIFA Futsal World Cup warm-up match.

“It’s fantastic, a tribute to the players,” Futsal Whites coach Scott Gilligan says of his side’s impressive opening victory.

“As I’ve said, our preparation hasn’t been the greatest but we’ve come off a three match series against Australia where we

TWO WINS AND TWO LOSSES AS FUTSALWHITES BUILD TOWARDS

2015 QUALIFYING CAMPAIGN

really got hammered and I think they took stock and thought about what they’re playing futsal for.

“They played a simple game today. We decided to defend a lot more compact. We still struggled a little bit to create, I’ll be honest, we still need to work on that but you can’t fault the guys, a 7-1 loss last time to Malaysia to a 4-1 is leaps and bounds ahead.”

Malaysia looked a shadow of their former selves - lacking the pace and excitement fans came to associate with them.

While they started strong with some early shots, they soon started to fade as the New Zealanders perseverance paid off.

Seven minutes in the opportunity fell to one of the Futsal Whites youngest recruits Jan Fischer who didn’t falter as he tucked the ball into the back of the net.

To their credit, Malaysia countered strong and less than five minutes later a stunning and powerful strike from Shamsul Zamri found its way past Futsal Whites ‘keeper Atta Elayyan for the equaliser.

However, it wasn’t the visitors’ night and New Zealand once again had the advantage after a lurking Dylan Manickum tipped in Hicham Kamri’s delivery at the back post.

OFC FUTSAL INVITATIONAL

After the break Malaysia seemed reinvigorated and upped the pressure on the leaders as they looked to equalise a second time. But their offensive pressure left them weak at the back and with eight minutes remaining Kareem Osman added a third for the Futsal Whites when he capitalised on a ‘keeper error.

Fischer earned his brace after tapping a lay-off from Kamri in behind the goalkeeper. Down 4-1 Malaysia changed tactics, adopting the flying ‘keeper with Shamsul Zamri honoured with that role.

While an effective offensive move, it does leave the defence exposed and New Zealand certainly tried to take advantage of that factor. With the clock ticking down Malaysia simply ran out of options as New Zealand tightened ranks to secure a memorable victory.

NEW ZEALAND: 1. Atta ELAYYAN (GK), 3. Dylan MANICKUM, 6. Kareem OSMAN, 7. Marvin EAKINS (capt), 8. Daniel BURNS. Substitutes: 4. Ouadhah RAGUED, 9. Jakub SINKORA, 10. Jan FISCHER, 11. Lucas CORDEIRO OSORIO DA SILVA, 12. Mohamed Hicham KAMRI, 14. James VAUGHAN, 18.

MATCH TWO – 13 AUGUST 2014Arena du Sud, Paita, New Caledonia

Second win for Futsal Whites NEW ZEALAND 5(Eakins 2, Kamri, Fisher, Elayyan)VANUATU 1 (Tuigaloa)

The Futsal Whites continued their impressive domination at the OFC Futsal

Championship Invitational on Wednesday with a 5-1 victory over Vanuatu in New Caledonia.

After Tuesday’s opening 4-1 win over guests Malaysia, patience paid off for the Futsal Whites according to coach Scott Gilligan, especially in the first half, as the side was content to let Vanuatu test the waters in their half.

“I think in the first half we were very patient. Very patient when we had the ball, but also our defensive structure was sound

and we didn’t try to do anything fancy in the first half, but just tried to contain,” Gilligan said of his team’s approach.

“The second goal was a good counter attack which we converted at the back post and gave us a good 2-0 buffer. From there we sort of said we don’t need to chase the ball, it’s a matter of them coming to us. They certainly pressed a lot and gave away too many fouls – but we couldn’t convert them all either.”

Gilligan’s charges left it almost ten minutes before they pounced on an opportunity as Match Day 1 provider Hicham Kamri switched roles to score the opening goal.

The Futsal Whites’ second goal was courtesy of the effective partnership between Kamri and youngster Jan Fischer who was at the far post to tap in the cross with less than two minutes remaining in the first half.

Vanuatu got on the board six minutes into the second half when some great combination play up the court was finished at the post by Ricky Tuigaloa.

The celebrations weren’t long-lasting however as 30 seconds later a hand ball in their area saw the referee award a penalty for New Zealand. Captain Marvin Eakins stepped up to do the honours, smashing it past Vanuatu goalkeeper Ivano Philip.

With the foul count creeping past five for Vanuatu they found themselves in a spot of bother as they hit the maximum with 13 minutes remaining.

They were fortunate when Kareem Osman fired his effort over the target from the 10m mark, but when Vanuatu conceded again with eight minutes remaining Eakins

Goalkeeper Atta Elayaan takes advantage of Vanuatu’s loss of possession during a power play to crash home New Zealand’s final goal of the evening. PHOTO: PHOTOTEK

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showed a touch of class as he fired past Philip for his second.

The fifth and final goal for the Futsal Whites was a great reward for the hard work keeper Atta Elayyan put into denying Vanuatu as he booted into an empty net after Vanuatu adopted the flying keeper tactic.

With Eakins directing from the centre of the court, the New Zealand defense proved itself one of the toughest in Oceania to break down as they kept Vanuatu at arms-length and drawing the shots before blocking and transitioning rapidly.

“I think our defence has been key to our success so far, most definitely,” Gilligan continues.

“That’s one of the things we talked about after the Trans Tasman – we let too many goals in and we give away stupid balls. What we talked about for this tournament was eliminating the small errors that have been costing us games and I think it’s shown.

“We copped one tonight and again it was from an error, but at least we’re minimising those chances for the opposition.”

NEW ZEALAND: 18. Elias BILLEH (GK), 3. Dylan MANICKUM, 6. Kareem OSMAN, 7. Marvin EAKINS (capt), 8. Daniel BURNS. Substitutes: 1. Atta ELAYYAN (GK), 4. Ouadhah RAGUED, 9. Jakub SINKORA, 10. Jan FISCHER, 11. Lucas DA SILVA, 12. Hicham KAMRI, 14. James VAUGHAN. Coach: Scott GILLIGAN.

MATCH THREE – 15 AUGUST 2014Arena du Sud, Paita, New Caledonia

New Caledonia topple Futsal Whites NEW ZEALAND 1(Kamri)NEW CALEDONIA 2(Bamy, Kaouwi)

With the boisterous home crowd behind them, New Caledonia came from behind beat the Futsal Whites 2-1 on Friday at the OFC Futsal Championship Invitational.

Back on the bench after a serving his one match suspension, New Caledonia coach William Brett was deservedly proud of his side’s victory and performance against their Kiwi opponents.

“It’s truly extraordinary what happened here. We prepared the team for this type of result and voila, that result is what we got and the work paid off,” Brett says.

“Anything can happen in futsal, when we arrived in this competition I don’t think anyone saw us at this level – leading the table. So we have shown that we are capable of doing anything, and we can maybe go right through to the end – we will see.”

The public expected a spectacle at Arene du Sud and those who filled the stands were treated to exactly that.

The physical nature in which New Zealand intended to play was signaled when Kareem Osman earned a caution just three minutes into the match. While the tempers calmed after that there was no break in the frenetic pace that both sides defended and

Marvin Eakins on target from the penalty spot against Vanuatu. PHOTO: OFC

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be honest. It’s quite difficult to play when you have lots of people cheering for the other team, so we knew that match would be difficult,” he said.

“We came with a purpose of defending well like we did in the last couple of games, unfortunately there were a couple of counter-attacks that cost us the game, and these things happen.”

counter-attacked as they worked to get an advantage over their opponent.

It took nearly 15 minutes of unrelenting pressure from both teams before New Zealand were finally rewarded. Solidifying himself as one of the most important players in the squad, Hicham Kamri opened the scoring when he lifted the ball over the diving keeper Ronan Euzen.

While expected to sit back and defend as is common for the Futsal Whites, the side instead tried to make the most of any opportunity to counter-attack at pace in an effort to create a comfortable cushion for his side.

It wasn’t to be however, as a swift transition and a tidy string of passes from New Caledonia just five minutes after the break saw Ivannoe Bamy slot past Elias Billeh, in goal for New Zealand, for the equaliser.

One minute later and Mainon Kaouwi was on the board as he smashed goal-wards with a shot Billeh could only deflect into his own net.

Like New Zealand, Les Cagous could have been expected to sit back and defend their slim lead, but like the Kiwi’s they chose to continue searching.

Both sides had some close calls with the two keepers proving themselves up to the challenge as the shots fired in from all angles of the court.

His first night in charge isn’t one New Zealand’s assistant coach Felipe Bernadi will want to be remembering any time soon, as he stepped up to fill the shoes of absent coach Scott Gilligan.

“We knew it was going to be quite tough to

NEW ZEALAND: 1. Atta ELAYYAN (GK), 3. Dylan MANICKUM, 6. Kareem OSMAN, 7. Marvin EAKINS (capt), 8. Daniel BURNS. Substitutes: 4. Ouadhah RAGUED, 9. Jakub SINKORA, 10. Jan FISCHER, 11. Lucas DA SILVA, 12. Hicham KAMRI, 14. James VAUGHAN, 18. Elias BILLEH (GK).

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Teanoui Tehau, who featured in the Confederations Cup in Brazil in 2013, played a starring role for Tahiti against the Futsal Whites, breaking the deadlock in the second half with a fine finish from wide. PHOTO: OFC

“Defensively we were strong, we were really tight so I was really happy and when the first goal, a shot on the left, came in and scored it changed the whole game.”

With defending the strongest point in the New Zealand game, they came out cautiously with a lean towards keeping possession and countering quickly.

But with Tahiti of a similar ilk they were forced out of their comfort zone at times as Tahiti applied an enormous amount of pressure from the outset with some thrilling transitions. The shots flew back and forth, with the New Zealand keeper Elias Billeh in the first half, and Atta Elayyan in overdrive as he blocked shots from all over the court.

Tahiti finally got their break when the unrelenting Teaonui Tehau fired a blinder past Elayyan from close range in the last ten minutes of the second half.

New Zealand adopted the fifth man approach that they had practiced in training, with Daniel Burns charged with

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MATCH FOUR – 16 AUGUST 2014Arena du Sud, Paita, New Caledonia

Futsal Whites finish with Tahiti lossNEW ZEALAND 0NEW CALEDONIA 2(Tehau, Smith Tino)

The Futsal Whites finished up their OFC Championship Invitational tournament in New Caledonia on Saturday with a 2-0 defeat by Tahiti seeing the New Zealand side finish the event in third place.

Dylan Manickum and the Futsal Whites finished third at the OFC Championship Invitational in New Caledonia. Photo by Oceania Football.

Sitting on six points, one behind leaders New Caledonia and equal with Malaysia but with a better goal difference, New Zealand went into the match confident they had a side which could topple what had been a relatively underwhelming Tahiti.

But with national pride on the line there was no chance Tahiti were going to roll over for the Futsal Whites making it a disappointing finish to what has been one of the most inspiring series of performances from the tight-knit Kiwi side.

“I’m happy with the performance absolutely,” Futsal Whites’ assistant coach Felipe di Marchi Bernardi said.

“Despite the result – 2-0 – the goal was not to concede and for the most part we did that and in fact it was one of the best games I have seen the boys play.

covering the back as well as aiding the attack. Three outright chances presented themselves while New Zealand adopted this tactic and they were unfortunate they didn’t pay off.

However to add salt to the wounds, Tahiti’s top goal scorer and all around playmaker Smith Tino drove a powerful shot past Billeh with just over a minute remaining in the match.

The Golden Gloves went to New Zealand’s two goalkeepers Atta Elayyan and Elias Billeh who shared duties for the duration of the competition while the team also picked up the Fairplay award.

NEW ZEALAND: 18. Elias BILLEH (GK), 3. Dylan MANICKUM, 7. Marvin EAKINs (capt), 8. Dylan BURNS, 14. James VAUGHANSubstitutes: 1. Atta ELAYYAN (GK), 4. Ouadhah RAGUED, 6. Kareem OSMAN, 9. Jakub SINKORA, 10. Jan FISCHER, 11. Lucas DA SILVA, 12. Hicham KAMRI.

Golden Ball winner Tino Smith tussles for possession with outstanding Futsal Whites skipper Marvin Eakins. PHOTO: PHOTOTEK

TABLE P W D L F A GD PtsMalaysia 4 3 0 1 21 14 7 9New Caledonia 4 2 1 1 15 13 2 7New Zealand 4 2 0 2 10 6 4 6Tahiti 4 1 1 2 9 13 -4 4Vanuatu 4 1 0 3 12 21 -9 3

GOALSCORERSShamsul ZAMRI [MAS] .......................................................5

Smith TINO [TAH] ...............................................................4

Eric SAIHULIWA [NCL] ........................................................4

Asmie ZAHARI [MAS] .........................................................4

Jan FISCHER [NZL] ............................................................3

Pakoa RAKOM [VAN] ..........................................................3

Ben HUNGAI [VAN] .............................................................3

Ivannoe BAMY [NCL] ..........................................................3

Mohammed KAMRI [NZL] ...................................................2

Marvin EAKINS [NZL] ..........................................................2

Ivann POUROUORO [NCL] ...................................................2

Mainon KAUOWAI [NCL] .....................................................2

Nizam ALI [MAS] ................................................................2

Ridzwan BAKRI [MAS] ........................................................2

Fitri YATIM [MAS] ...............................................................2

Dudley DOMINIQUE [VAN] ...................................................2

Teaonui TEHAU [TAH] .........................................................2

Dylan MANICKUM [NZL] .....................................................1

Kareem OSMAN [NZL] ........................................................1

George MAHIT [VAN] ..........................................................1

Atta ELAYYAN [NZL] ...........................................................1

Ricky TUIGALOA [VAN] ........................................................1

Gaby KAVERA [TAH] ...........................................................1

Alexis TOOFA [TAH] ............................................................1

Romain GUITTON [NCL] ......................................................1

Anderson PAULIN [NCL] ......................................................1

Donald AVOCK [VAN] ..........................................................1

Firdaus AMBIAH [MAS] .......................................................1

Steeven TINO [TAH] ............................................................1

Fariq MOHAMMED [MAS] ...................................................1

Terry MALAPA [VAN] ..........................................................1

Aula AHMAD [MAS] ............................................................1

Jess Poairaora [NZL] ..........................................................1

OFC FUTSAL CHAMPIONSHIP INVITATIONAL 12-16 AUGUST 2014

ARENE DU SUD, PAITA, NOUMEA NEW CALEDONIA

MALAYSIA 1 Shamsul ZAMRI

NEW ZEALAND 4 Jan FISCHER 2, Dylan MANICKUM, Kareem OSMA

VANUATU 4 Pakoa RAKOM 2, Ben HUNGAI, George MAHIT

TAHITI 1 Teaonui TEHAU

TAHITI 4 Smith TINO 2, Gaby KAVERA, Alexis TOOFA

NEW CALEDONIA 4 Eric SAHULIWA, Anderson PAULIN, Jess POARAIROUA, Ivann POUROUORO

NEW ZEALAND 5 Mohamed KAMRI, Jan FISCHER, Marvin Eakins 2 (1 pen), Atta ELAYYAN

VANUATU 1 Ricky TUIGALOA

NEW CALEDONIA 7 Eric SAHULIWA 2, Ivann POUROUORO, Ludovic BOIT, Ivannoe BAMY, Mainon KAOUWI

VANUATU 2 Donald AVOCK, Terry MALAPA

TAHITI 2 Steeven TINO, Smith TINO

MALAYSIA 5 Firdaus AMBIAH, Nizam ALI, Ridzwan BAKRI, Asmie ZAHARI, Shamsul ZAMRI

MALAYSIA 5 Ben HUNGAI 2, Pakoa RAKOM, Dudley DOMINIQUE 2

VANUATU 8 Fariq MOHAMED, Fitri YATIM 2 (1 pen), Ridzwan BAKRI, Shamsul ZAMRI 2, Asmie ZAHARI 2, Nizam ALI

NEW CALEDONIA 2 Ivannoe BAMY, Mainon KAOUWI

NEW ZEALAND 1 Mohamed KAMRI

TAHITI 0

NEW CALEDONIA 2 Teaonui TEHAU, Smith TINO

MALAYSIA 6 Eric SAHULIWA, Jess POARAIROUA, Romain GUITTON

NEW CALEDONIA 3 Teaonui TEHAU, Smith TINO

22



PHOTO: Masanori Udagawa | www.photowellington.com

PHOTOS: WWW.PHOTOWELLINGTON.COM

PHOTO: Masanori Udagawa | www.photowellington.com

55 TEAMS ENJOY GREAT WEEKEND OF FUTSAL

A total of 55 teams gathered in Wellington last week for the NZF Futsal National Junior Festival and Youth Championship at the ASB Sports Centre.

The fourth edition of the event brought together 550 players, 50 coaches, 40 team staff and 24 referees from around the country and New Zealand Futsal Development Manager Dave Payne said the tournament reflects futsal’s rapidly-rising status.

“The standard of play on show has improved every year we’ve had the event and this year was certainly no different,” Payne said.

“The level of the play in general and some of the individual players on show was of a very high calibre and it shows the work being done in federations in futsal is beginning to pay big dividends.”

Under-10 and U-12 teams also took part in the Junior Festival section of the event which allowed players to display their skills.

The Junior and Youth event dovetailed around the Futsal Whites clash with the Australian Futsalroos side in the three-match Trans-Tasman Cup series, something Payne says is a key ingredient in the event.

“After our future stars get their chance to show what they can do, it is great that they are able to watch our Futsal Whites in action in the flesh. It certainly gives our youngsters something to aspire to.

“The greatest success of this event is the holistic development of the game with all the key members of the futsal community from the regions being represented in their administration, referee, coaching and, of course, playing roles.”

RESULTSU-19 Boys Rankings1. WaiBOP; 2. Capital; 3. Central; 4. Mainland; 5. Futsal South; 6. Northern; 7. WaiBop Waikato; 8. Auckland Blue. 9. Auckland White

AwardsMVP: John Penyas (WaiBOP) Golden Gloves: Ryan Watson (WaiBOP) Golden Boot: Charles Robertson (Northern) - 10 goals

U-16 BoysRankings 1. Capital Yellow; 2. Central; 3. Mainland4. Nelson Bays; 5. WaiBOP; 6. Futsal South; 7. Capital Green 8. Northern.

AwardsMVP: Van Rolan (Nelson Bays) Golden Gloves: Sean Beresford (Capital ellow) Golden Boot: Fazeem Khan (Capital Yellow – 16 goals)

U-14 BoysRankings1. Central White; 2. Capital White; 3. Capital Yellow; 4. Nelson Bays; 5. WaiBOP;

NATIONAL JUNIOR FESTIVAL& Youth Championships 2013

6. Capital Green; 7. Mainland; 8. Auckland; 9. Central Black; 10. Northern.

AwardsGolden Gloves: Zac Jones (Capital White)Most Valuable Player: Jacob Richards (Mainland) & Brayan Heredia (Capital White)Golden Boot: Seth Ward (Capital White) – 16 goals

U-19 Girls Rankings1st- AFF Futsal 19 Girls2nd- Capital Futsal 19 Girls3rd- WaiBOP Futsal 19 Girls4th- Mainland Futsal 19 Girls5th- Central Futsal 19 Girls

AwardsGolden Gloves: Bridie Barry (Central)Most Valuable Player: Emily Morison (Capital)Joint Golden Boot: Hannah Reid (WaiBOP) & Maxine Cooper (AFF) – 9 goals

U-15 Girls Rankings1. Futsal South – Wanaka 2. Capital Futsal3. Mainland Futsal 15 Girls 4. AFF Futsal5. WaiBOP 6. Central Futsal

AwardsGolden Gloves: Hannah Hegarty (Mainland)Most Valuable Player: Maggie Jenkins (Capital)Golden Boot: Maggie Jenkins (Capital) – 15 Goals Scored

07



Photos: WWW.PHOTOSPORT.CO.NZ

PHOTOS: WWW.PHOTOWELLINGTON.COM

PHOTO: Masanori Udagawa | www.photowellington.comPHOTOS: Masanori Udagawa | www.photowellington.com

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FEDERATION ROUND-UPNorthernDuring Term 3 we had a number of successful programmes running in North Harbour, Hibiscus Coast, Waitakere and Whangarei. In addition, we had our College Futsal programme, which boasts the highest participation in the country with over 2,000 kids giving futsal a go! Northern Football was represented at the recent Junior and Youth Nationals with four teams competing against the best in the country in the U12s, U14s, U16s, and U19s. The holiday programme our Futsal Development Officer Felipe De Marchi Bernardi ran at Massey University was a huge success with almost 40 players taking part. We also had the FIFA U20 World Cup portable futsal court in Whangarei for a week, which saw a number of senior teams playing in a competition, our FTC players using futsal for their training, and futsal sessions were delivered by Futsal Whites Head Coach Scott Gilligan to a number of junior and youth players from around Northland.

We’ve also just had the Futsal Roadshow with futsal festivals and tournaments for girls, junior, youth and senior players, culminating in the Futsal Whites victory over a Forrest Hill team which featured former All Whites David Mulligan and Andy Boyens.

nff.org.nz

AucklandEast CityWinners from last season’s competitions:Premier Men: MangabaSenior B: Huuuuuump Day and GrassrootsYouth: Shots www.eastcityfutsal.org.nz

University of AucklandSaeta featuring Futsal Whites and National League players won the entertaining final against IH8U which was mostly comprised of University of Auckland Football Club members. Both teams will be looking to continue their form in the Semester 2 season. The women’s league came down to the wire with the experienced Belles going down to the youthful DC United. Players from this league represented AFF in both the U15 and U19 competitions at the Nationals in Wellington with the U19s taking the title! Semester 2 retained nearly all of the teams with a couple of new teams joining the competition. Central Auckland Futsal Centre A boys U13 league was held with some of the most skilful and talented youngsters on show! Players from Western Springs AFC, Eastern Suburbs AFC, Onehunga Sports and Mt Roskill Intermediate took part with Eastern winning a close final against Onehunga Sports. Congratulations Eastern!

www.facebook.com/cafutsalcentre Avondale Fun Futsal CentreEach school term this Fun Futsal Centre keeps kids active on Sunday. Thanks Bobby for your time and effort! Mt Wellington Tennis Club Fun Futsal CentreEven through the winter, futsal is enjoyed on the multi-sport surface. Congratulations to Martin and his team for creating such a fun environment for the kids to develop their skills. College ProgrammePlenty of Auckland Colleges have enjoyed futsal over the last few months with more looking to get involved in the future. Special thanks to the following schools:Alfriston College, Baradene College, Diocesan School for Girls, Edgewater College, Lynfield College, Marist College, Mt Roskill Grammar, One Tree Hill College, Rosehill College and Western Springs College.

www.aff.org.nz

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Action from the Monday night East City Premier League with Tiki Toa (red) taking on Freestylers at ASB Stadium in Kohimarama

Auckland Football Federation Futsal RoadshowThank you to Albie and her crew at the University of Auckland for getting behind this event and putting time and ‘manpower’ into helping be a great success. Over the three days there was an inter-hall tournament which was greatly contested and well supported by all the University of Auckland halls. A university selection team took on the Futsal Whites and certainly rose to the challenge. A women’s university selection played the champion AFF under 19s team in a close and entertaining game. The final day consisted of a futsal festival with players, coaches and parents from the Mt Wellington Tennis Club Fun Futsal Centre taking part. Thank you Martin for getting the troops ready to play futsal! Also an under 15s girls college tournament consisting of Diocesan,

Selwyn College, Mt Albert Grammar and Baradene took place. Diocesan, under the coaching of AFF 15s girls coach Rhys Greensill, beat MAGS in the final. The last piece of action was the AFF 12s boys and the AFF 19s girls enjoying some games with the Futsal Whites before they left for the Oceania Championships. The Futsal Whites appreciated the send off and some of the tips the youngsters passed on! Registrations If you require any information or wish to register for any of these leagues or programmes please do not hesitate to contact Marvin at Auckland Football Federation through the following details. E: [email protected]: 021 933 953

www.aucklandfootball.org.nz

Wai-BOPNational Junior Festival and Youth ChampionshipThe youth nationals in July saw two girls’ sides and six boys’ teams travel down to Wellington to represent WaiBOP at a national level, with all sides giving the region something to be proud of with the constant growth and development of players. The highlight of the weekend was the Waikato U19 boys winning their final to be crowned champions - a first for any WaiBOP futsal team. National leagueThe success of the U19s squad in Wellington gives high hopes for the youthful men’s national league side with a real feeling that this could be the year when WaiBOP can look to really compete with all sides and finish high up the ladder. With the squad now selected and new coach Wayne Bates appointed, everyone is looking forward to the challenge ahead for the competition.

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Girls and Women’s FutsalOne of our key areas for the year has been to have girls and woman’s only leagues and set some solid foundations for this side of the game. With this year’s futsal roadshow being the same week as ‘Girls and Woman’s Week’, this focus continued with opportunities to compete at the roadshow with the winners playing the Futsal Whites. Following the roadshow we will be launching girls and woman’s only leagues initially in two of our centres - Hamilton and Tauranga. College ProgrammeWith the launch of the NCEA programme in 2015 there will be a continued focus over the coming months on the college programs we currently deliver. There will be a particular emphasis on driving the NCEA component and getting student involved in all aspects of the game - playing, coaching, officiating and administrating. The Futsal Season!The WaiBOP futsal season begins in Term 4 with competitions available in all six regions for all age groups. Keep an eye out for more information on or website or contact Joe Dixon at the address below.

[email protected] or contact

CentralJuly and August has been an exciting time of transition within the Central Futsal team.

It was with the best wishes of the Central Federation that we saw Nat Wright, who worked tirelessly over many years to put Central Futsal on the map, leave us for a new experience in Australia.

Ethan Dent has stepped in to his role as the Futsal Development Officer for the Eastern region, with Josh Margetts being

promoted from his coaching duties to a full time role as Futsal Development Officer for the Western side of the geographically-challenged federation.

Both Ethan and Josh are looking forward to the challenge of expanding participation numbers and knowledge of the game within the region and are actively running the Futsal in Schools and Secondary School Programmes in Manawatu, Hawke’s Bay and Wanganui with the goal of tapping into the Taranaki and Gisborne provinces in the near future a priority.July was a huge month in terms of futsal in the Manawatu with the Roadshow being held over 4 days. This event was a great showcase that boosted the profile of the sport in the region by offering players and teams the chance to experience the game.

Women’s futsal is one of the areas that we are encouraging growth in. This was facilitated by a coaching session and games run by the Futsal Whites Head Coach Scott Gilligan. The junior and secondary school tournaments were a hit with over 130 participants playing the game at Arena Manawatu. We were also able to offer the Palmerston North public a taste of elite futsal with the inclusion of the Futsal Whites playing in an exhibition match against a Central representative team. By including the ‘Introduction to Futsal Coaching Course’ into the roadshow, we were able to develop futsal in the Manawatu from a coaching perspective, which will prove invaluable in the future. All in all, an outstanding event!

The recent National Youth Championships in Wellington again saw the Central Federation well-represented through Hawke’s Bay Futsal. Two sides - the Under 10 Blues and Under 14 Whites - were crowned national champions with four other sides gaining top four finishes, an achievement that confirmed Hawke’s Bay as a national stronghold. This is an

achievement that Central will look to improve upon even further next year.

Attention now turns to the upcoming Term 4 leagues and National League Series beginning in October. Both Futsal Development Officers will be concentrating on increasing the number of participants and teams within their respective leagues while identifying potential new players for the Manawatu and Hawke’s Bay sides that will do battle with New Zealand’s six other federations. Watch out for both these sides, who may have a different look about them than in previous years, and both may have some aces up their sleeves. Hawke’s Bay in particular, in their home series, will be looking for a fast start come October.

centralfootball.co.nzhbfutsal.org.nz

CapitalThe winter months have, as always, been a busy time in the ‘Home of Futsal’, with the National Junior Festival and Youth Championships and Trans-Tasman Cup once again showcasing the New Zealand’s top futsal talent.

In the nationals, an excellent all-round performance was capped by Capital White, who took out the U16 boys title in a hard fought final with Central - Hawke’s Bay. Meanwhile, the festival continued with sizeable crowds flocking to the Trans-Tasman Cup games to demonstrate that interest in international futsal is at an all-time high.

A busy run into the end of the year awaits us, with college and club futsal leagues all in full swing and the much-anticipated NZF Futsal Roadshow in September.

www.capitalfootball.org.nz

35



Mainland FutsalJunior and Youth Champs 2014We ended Term 2 and started Term 3 with the Junior and Youth Championships in Wellington. The level of participation and quality of the teams has increased again this year and it was impressive to see. Mainland had 9 teams attend over the 5 days (7 boys, 2 girls) with 6 from Christchurch and 3 from Nelson. All enjoyed the experience and the opportunity to compete against the other federations. The closest we came to a title was with our 19s Boys who had a heart-breaking loss to eventual winners WaiBOP in their semi-final. However, Mainland did bring home some individual awards. Congratulations to Jacob Richards (Canterbury) and Van Rolan (Nelson) who won MVP for the 14s and 16s Boys respectively. Hannah Hegarthy took away the golden gloves for the 15s Girls tournament.

Futsal Holiday ProgrammeWe held our first Futsal Holiday Programme in the second week of the July school holidays with great success. It was run at Pioneer Sports & Recreation Centre over two days with around 130 kids attending. Three of our Futsal Development Officers, along with additional coaches, took the kids through the activities which ended with a world cup tournament on the final day. The feedback and interest we’ve received has been very positive and encouraged us to run an expanded holiday programme in the October holidays.

2014 National LeagueOur preparation for the national league began with the appointment of Ricardo Felitti as the head coach. Ricardo has been involved with both football and futsal for a number years in our region and made us aware of his desire to coach the national league side very early on. Hailing from Uruguay, Ricardo hopes to bring his enthusiasm and passion for the game into

26



the role and we wish him the best of luck.

Following on from Ricardo’s appointment, we held two trials and have selected a squad of 25 to compete in the national league. The boys began training soon after in preparation for Series 1.

CompetitionsOur competitions grew again in Term 3 and we now have 24 youth teams competing on a Sunday with at least four of them all-girls teams, which bodes very well for the future. Our Wednesday competition has also increased, with more women playing in our mixed leagues than before.

We hope to introduce at least two new

competitions and new programmes in Term 4 as the demand for futsal in the region increases across all ages - boys and girls.

Futsal SouthFutsal South’s winter is nearly over and the preparations for the spring and summer futsal competitions have been set up and are open for team registrations. 48 competitions have been created.

Over the winter there were 22 adult teams competing in three leagues over 12 weeks. The continued competitiveness of the competitions and the improvement of overall skill and match play gives us great satisfaction. The development structure has

27



been well worthwhile.

It has also been noticed that there has been a number of premier football players giving futsal a go and enjoying the experience.

Coaching in schools continues to be going flat out with us working in and signing up a number of high schools. In July to August our staff has been running coaching sessions at Bayfield, John McGlashan and Columba High schools. As well, there were 27 students who took part our coaching program for peer coaches at Dunedin North Intermediate.

Our July holiday programmes combined with football and had 59 futsal players participating in the afternoon program. We have also signed up with Sport Otago and are helping run a series of ‘Have A Go’ days for primary schools. In August we had 106 children from St Josephs, Pine Hill, Green Island and Broad Bay involved.

Over the past couple of months we have presented a number of new futsal initiatives in high schools including “Futsal working with NCEA”, intra school competitions and festivals, plus recreation ‘Have A Go’ days. The feedback has been very positive with several schools signing up to our programmes.

This year we have selected two age-group representative teams to play in the U15 & U19 boys National Championship in Wellington in July. There was also a U15 girls team from Central Otago (Wanaka).The girls’ leader Derek Lilly reported they had a great time and came away winning their age group competition.

The boys also enjoyed the experience and confirmed to us that our development programmes are on the ‘right track’, as we were able to compete very well with the other federations.

www.footballsouth.org.nz

16



Photo: Phototek

PHOTO: OFC

29



similar minded people, sometimes the most amazing plays and skills arise out of nowhere and it’s so exciting and rewarding to be part of teams that are capable of this. I also find futsal is very social, the community is very friendly and accepting, many friendships have arisen through futsal.

What about football – do you still play, or are you a futsal specialist?I have stopped playing football predominantly because of university; the time commitment associated with trainings and weekend games is too much for me at the moment. Most futsal trainings are very close to me, plus I have far more friends in futsal than football these days. I still have respect for football and wish to play again someday.

Where are you playing your local futsal – in one of the Northern leagues?Yes, I play in the NFF leagues and a few other leagues around the city; it really changes every week depending on which teams need players, for example. Knowing lots of people from all over the city helps to get a lot of games in, especially in leagues I didn’t even know existed.

Looking back on the Futsal Whites year so far – it was a tough beginning with the Trans-Tasman Cup where Australia was too strong over three games. It seems like it is very hard to close the gap between the two teams. Do you agree? What do you see as the major differences between the Futsal Whites and the Futsalroos? Obviously the series was a disappointment

Eighteen year-old Futsal White Jan Fischer has had an outstanding year, with his two crucial strikes against Malaysia propelling New Zealand to a historical first win over AFC opposition at the OFC Invitational in Noumea in August. With his sound technical base and intelligent off-the-ball movement Fischer has been described by his coach Felipe Bernardi as a “very smart player”. He now finds himself a vital fixture in both the Northern and New Zealand setups - a young player with not only a bright future, but one that has the creativity and vision to light up the court on the national and international scene for many years to come.

Power of Five caught up with the thoughtful number ten on the eve of his preparations for the 2014 Futsal National League.

Tell us about your early days in futsal – when did you first begin playing? How did you get started?I first kicked a futsal ball when I was 15 back in 2011. My outdoor club had a social open day at Massey University, where there was a game between some of the Northern national league players. I joined in, and was asked to come to one of their trainings later in the week. I played my first national league series only a few weeks later.

What do you like about futsal?Everything! You receive the ball all the time, and you are forced to play as a team, you can never hide like in outdoor. I relish the flair that arises when you play with

for us, especially after the reasonably close first game. It is hard to pinpoint one aspect of the Australian game that they completely dominate us in. I believe as individuals and as a team, they are only slightly better in most aspects, but the summation of these finer details is the gap between the two nations. It really comes down to international experience and constant training.

The OFC Futsal Championship started very well for New Zealand, with a first up win over Malaysia How did the team go from a 1-7 defeat against them last time to a comprehensive 4-1 victory? What were some of the key things the Futsal Whites did better in this year’s game? I can’t really comment closely on the game last year as I was not part of the squad. From what I’ve seen, defensively we applied slightly more pressure this year, giving Malaysia less time on the ball. We knew they were skilled individual players and it was crucial to not let them relax and get into the game at all. Another difference to last year was our clinical finishing. We took the opportunities when they needed to be taken, and it paid off massively in terms of keeping Malaysia on the back foot the whole game.

Obviously the results didn’t go your way in the New Caledonia and Tahiti games. What do you put that down to – have both teams improved from last year?Surprisingly, I thought we played well in both those two games. I think we did not expect to play such a physical and spontaneous opposition; we were catered

JAN FISCHERINTERVIEW

30



towards a structured and composed opposition such as Malaysia. Obviously both teams have massively improved, but our lack of physicality and ability to get out of tight situations let us down here. A huge point to address before next years qualifiers...

You’ve started to find the back of the net regularly, with four goals in your last six games for the Futsal Whites. Have you always had a goal scoring knack or is this just starting to develop? I’ve always seen myself as a team player, its part of the reason I prefer futsal over football. As a child all I wanted to do was score goals, but that changed over the years as I gained greater appreciation for the value of assists and build-up play. All of my goals here have been the result of a team effort, coupled with my ability to be in the right place at the right time. I guess my confidence is starting to develop more and more with every game; hopefully my playing style will evolve to net more goals over the years.

You seem to have struck up a great partnership with Hicham Kamri. Any thoughts on why you two are working together so well?We get along great on and off the court, and after two years of playing together at NFF we have a good understanding of what we like to do. I know he is a player with vast experience and skill, so I can trust he will always somehow pick out a pass if I’m in the right position. Off the court I can always approach him for help and support when I need it, and I think it is this honesty between us that contributes to our partnership.

Any thoughts on the qualities you bring

“BEING THE YOUNGEST PLAYER MEANS I NATURALLY HAVE A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO

FUTSAL...WHICH CAN BE REFRESHING AND ADD FLAIR TO THE TEAM.”

PHOTO: OFC

to the team? You are the youngest player by a considerable margin, yet with every series you seem to be becoming more valuable to the Futsal Whites…I like to think of myself as someone who players can trust on the court. Being the youngest player means I naturally have a different approach to futsal to some of the older players, which can be refreshing and add flair to the team. I know Scott has confidence in me to keep developing and hopefully become an even more integral part of the team.

What about Scott Gilligan’s influence on the team? What has he brought into the environment that has made a difference?Scott has brought a huge amount of belief and expertise to the team. He gives us a clear sense of direction and the players trust him.

In one month all the attention will turn to the Futsal National League. Do you think the competition is getting tougher every year? It definitely has gotten stronger from when I started playing. I think federations are taking futsal more seriously and the

amount of preparation and training that goes into teams is gradually increasing.

Can we expect Northern to challenge for top honours again this year?It’s hard to say, I think we will have a strong squad because most of us have played together in the past. However at present we lack a bit of depth and this may hurt us in terms of injuries and suspensions. Word has it that squads such as Capital have bolstered their lineups with some marquee signings, which will be interesting!

What about the future for futsal in New Zealand. Do you feel there are other young players who can follow you and make the step up to international level? Anyone in particular?It’s hard to pinpoint any one in particular, because it remains to be seen how loyal and dedicated players will remain to futsal. If I had to choose one player it would be Eden Caudwell from our Northern U16s. I think he has the potential to one day play for the national team.

Do you have any advice for young football

players who perhaps dreamed of a football career, only to find it hasn’t quite worked out? Do you see futsal as a realistic option for them? Can these players convert to futsal at - for example - 15 or 16 years, or do you think they need to start in futsal earlier?This divides opinions everywhere. I believe as long as you have a very good technical base with which to work, you can succeed at a high level in futsal. Obviously, starting earlier has huge benefits as you have a longer time to develop your futsal specific skills. As New Zealand’s prominence grows, the pathways to European and Asian professional leagues will start to open, so there is a bright future ahead for the game here.

What about your future? What are your plans in futsal for 2014 and 2015?It would be a dream come true to go to the FIFA Futsal World Cup Columbia 2016, and I will work hard to mentally and physically to prepare myself for selection for the 2015 qualifiers. Apart from that, national league currently has priority and I think it’s time for me to prove myself as a key member of the squad this year.

Beyond that, would you like to achieve in futsal? It would be nice to be able to play professionally overseas. It all depends on how my studies and other interests will work out, so at this point absolutely anything can happen in the next few years!

Outside futsal – what do you do? Are you working? Any other hobbies?I finished high school last year, and am currently in my first year at the University of Auckland. I am studying Biomedical Science, with the intention of applying into Medical School at the end of the year. My other major hobby is music production (primarily Electronic Dance Music). I have played guitar and piano since I was 5, and am currently using those skills to promote myself as a guitarist and aspiring producer.

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PHOTO: OFC


www.nzfootball.co.nz | www.nzffutsal.co.nz | Follow the Futsal Whites on Facebook

the power of five #12 october 2014

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