Courtesy: The AFC.com


Aussies take Group A top spot

Monday, 22 February 2010

JAKARTA – Australia finished top of Group A in the 2010 AFC Futsal Championship ASEAN Zone qualifiers with a comfortable 4-1 over hosts Indonesia to set-up a semi-final showdown with Group B runners-up Vietnam.

FIFA’s suspension of Brunei had reduced the group to three teams and with Australia and Indonesia enjoying big wins over Myanmar (6-1 and 7-1 respectively) both teams progress to the next stage was assured with Monday’s match at the Jakarta Indoor Tennis Stadium determining who would emerge top of Group A and therefore their last four opponents.

Toby Seeto put the Futsalroos one up in the fifth minute before substitute Karismawan equalised against the run of the play four minutes later.

Skipper Simon Keith regained Australia’s lead in the 14th minute when he slotted home the rebound after his initial free-kick had been blocked by an Indonesia defender before a close-range effort from Fernando de Moraes seven minutes into the second-half extended the Aussies’ advantage.

With full-time approaching Indonesia played the last four minutes with an outfield player in place of the keeper but the tactic backfired as Greg Giovenali dispossessed Indonesia’s last man to score into an empty net and seal the 4-1 in the 37th minute.

The Futsalroos face Vietnam on Wednesday while Indonesia will hope to return to winning ways against Group B toppers Malaysia on the same day. The winners of the semi-finals will then square-off on Thursday with the victorious side booking their ticket to the 2010 AFC Futsal Championship which will be held in Uzbekistan in May.




Courtesy: The AFC.com


Malaysians rally to finish first

Monday, 22 February 2010

JAKARTA – Malaysia finished top of the table on goal after coming back from a 2-0 half-time deficit to draw 2-2 with runners-up Vietnam in their final 2010 AFC Futsal Championship ASEAN Zone Group B qualifier.

Nguyen Trong Thien opened the scoring with ten minutes of Monday’s top-of-the-table clash at the Jakarta Indoor Tennis Stadium before Truong Quoc Tuan doubled Vietnam’s advantage four minutes later.

Sergio Gargelli’s side held their 2-0 advantage until the 31st minute when Mohammed Fairuz pulled one back for Malaysia before Khairul Effendy completed the comeback two minutes later.
With the match ending all square Malaysia finished in pole position courtesy of their superior goal difference, with their 13-1 win over Cambodia compared to Vietnam’s 12-2 ultimate proving the decisive factor after both semi-finalists had defeated the Philippines by an identical 4-1 score line.

The Philippines, meanwhile, avoided the wooden spoon following their 8-4 win over Cambodia with Misagh Bahadoran putting in a memorable performance, scoring six of his country’s eight goals and inadvertently one of Cambodia’s also.

Malaysia will face Group A runners-up Indonesia in Wednesday’s semi-finals while Australia await for Vietnam after the Futsalroos defeated the tournament hosts 4-1 to finish top of Group A.

The winners of the semi-finals will then square-off on Thursday with the victorious side booking their ticket to the 2010 AFC Futsal Championship which will be held in Uzbekistan in May.


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