Courtesy: The AFC.com


Nagoya Oceans storm to glory

Tuesday, 02 February 2010

NAGOYA: Japan’s Nagoya Oceans will head to the inaugural AFC Futsal Club Championship with another domestic glory in their bag.

Nagoya downed title contenders Pescadola Machida 5-2 in the 23rd round to clinch their third consecutive Japan Futsal League (F.League) title on Sunday.

Nagoya are on 57 points with four more rounds to go but are 13 points ahead of Machida.

Nagoya have been placed with hosts Foolad Mahan Sepahan, Stroitel Zarafshan (Uzbekistan), AUB Altyn Tash Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) and Iraq’s Nawrouz for the continental tournament, which will be played in Isfahan, Iran, from March 4 to 21.

The Iraqi club’s participation will depend on FIFA’s lifting of the current suspension on Iraq. They will participate only if the ban is lifted by February 4, the player registration deadline for the competition.

Yoshifumi Maeda gave Nagoya the lead in the seventh minute and former AFC Futsal Player of the Year Kenichiro Kogure extended their lead in the next minute.

Captain Wataru Kitahara, Bruno Takashi Hatakeyama and Kaoru Morioka added one goal each to seal their 18th victory over the season.

Yuki Kanayama and Syuji Kai reduced the deficit for Machida.

“I would like to congratulate Nagoya Oceans for winning the title again. I hope they will also succeed in the AFC Futsal Club Championship,” F-League CEO and JFA Vice-President Kuniya Daini was quoted as saying on the F-League official website.

The 10-team Japan Futsal League concludes on February 28.


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