Courtesy: The Morning Bulletin


Brandon sees brazilians master beautiful game

by Alan Kennedy

FUTSAL: Brazil is the home of the beautiful game and after his recent trip to that country Brandon Harvey can see why that is so.

The 17-year-old was a member of an Australian Vikings squad which travelled to South America to play Futsal against the country that has helped make the sport popular.

Brandon, a defender with Nerimbera in its local Capricornia premier team for the eleven-a-side game, has only played Futsal for a short time, taking up the sport for fitness rather than having designs on making a national squad.

“I was picked for Queensland Schools and then the Vikings,” the Rockhampton Grammar School student explained.

Squads of 15 boys and 15 girls made the journey, with the Vikings making its base at Belo Horizonte, a city of about three million inhabitants.

As with most visitors to South America, Brandon was a little surprised at the passion for football held by everyone he met.

“Even 10-year-olds had the skills and tricks,” he recalled.

The trip was not about playing games and carrying out sightseeing. Brandon said while in Belo Horizonte the squad was coached by some of Brazil's finest Futsal coaches, men who have made that country the world leader in the sport.

While in awe of some of the skills opponents possessed, Brandon found out that the Brazilians also had a tactical awareness which made them even harder to beat.

“In the first half (of games) it was close, but in the second they pulled away,” he recalled.

“We tried to mark man-to-man, but once they worked us out they changed their plan.

“Most of the teams we played had at least one outstanding player.

With the Vikings facing tough opposition it was satisfying for the Rockhampton player to return home as his team's leading scorer.

The squad viewed the sights including a visit to Rio and an overview of that city from Cristo Redentor, but what was his favourite memory?

“The first half of our last game; we were 1-0 down and I scored a penalty to get us back in the game,” he said with a grin.

Now Brandon hopes to combine the two sports, gaining selection for a Vikings tour of China while progressing his 11-a-side game through the Young Cougars with an eye towards the North Queensland Fury.







Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com