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The AFC.comWuhan Dilong (CHN) 3-4 Pro's Cafe (LIB)Saturday, 06 March 2010Esfahan: Pro's Cafe battled back from two-goals down to defeat Wuhan Dilong 4-3 on Saturday and keep alive their hopes of a semi-final berth at the inaugural AFC Futsal Club Championship.
Without a win from their first two games at the tournament the Lebanese side needed to take all three points against the Chinese if they were to stay in the hunt for a top-two finish in Group B.
Things got off for a bad start though as Hu Jie opened the scoring after four minutes when he hooked the ball over Rabie Kakhi and into the back of the net.
Hu then turned provider when his corner was swept home by Yan Fei after eight minutes before Mahmoud Itani pulled a goal back for Pro's Cafe with a low angled drive into the bottom right corner of the net.
Khaled Takaji brought a smart reflex save from goalkeeper Li Kai early in the second half as Pro's Cafe pressed for an equaliser before Itani fired straight at the legs of the shot-stopper.
Their pressure finally told when Itani smashed home from close range to give Pro's Cafe hope but Wuhan should have regained the lead with three minutes remaining but for a spectacular miss by Hu.
Wang Wei slid the ball to the defender leaving him in front of an open goal but Hu somehow managed to hit the bottom of the post when it would have been easier to score.
He made amends seconds later though when he smashed a shot off the inside of the post to restore his side's advantage.
Pro's Cafe refused to surrender their semi-final hopes though and again equalised when Takaji's turn-and-shot crept inside the right post.
The Lebanese side pressed for a winner and it duly arrived with a minute left on the clock as Rabih Abou Chaaya back-heeled into the path of Takaji, who made no mistake from close range.
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The AFC.comCafé had a nice slice of luck admits ChaayaSaturday, 06 March 2010Esfahan: Pro's Cafe coach Rabih Abou Chaaya felt luck finally shined on his side as they kept alive their hopes of place in the semi-finals of the AFC Futsal Club Championship with a 4-3 win over Wuhan Dilong at Pirouzi Stadium on Saturday.
The Lebanese side battled back from two-goals down before Khaled Takaji's late strike secured their first win from three games and ensures they still have all to play for ahead of their final Group B match against NSW Thunder on Tuesday.
“It was a critical game for us,” said player-coach Chaaya, pictured second left.
“We had to win and we gave our best.
“We had no other result to aim for except just to win and because of the big heart displayed by my team we played well today.
“It was not a futsal game, it was a fighting game. After three games in three days it was very hard for us but it was an advantage for them as they had had more rest than us.
“Futsal is becoming a more physical game and at the end I think we had a bit of luck and everything changed for us.”
With NSW (New South Wales) Thunder without a win from their two games so far, a defeat to Port Authority of Thailand on Monday could leave them with nothing to play for when they meet Pro's Cafe.
Chaaya, however, is refusing to consider the permutations that could help his side, insisting they will settle for nothing less than three points.
“Our aim for the next game against the Australians is to win,” he added.
“For now we will look to get fit and be physically ready.”
Wuhan team manager Sun Junmin had no qualms with the result but admitted the suspension of player-coach Li Xin had a negative affect on the Chinese players' performance.
“We can accept the final score,” he said.
“As we all know the head coach of our team was suspended and without his instructions we did not play as well.
“But to be honest they played better than us, all of our players were too anxious to win this game and that is why we lost.”
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The AFC.comNagoya Oceans (JPN) 8-3 AUB Altyn Tash (KGZ)Saturday, 06 March 2010Esfahan: Nagoya Oceans kept on course for a place in the AFC Futsal Club Championship semi-finals following an 8-3 win over AUB Altyn Tash Bishkek at Pirouzi Stadium on Saturday.
The Japanese champions had opened their campaign with a 5-2 win over Uzbeks Stroitel Zarafshan and maintained their dominance over Central Asia teams with a comfortable victory over the Kyrgyzstan side.
Dilshat Kadyrov had opened scoring for AUB after three minutes but Nagoya responded two minutes later when an attempted clearance rebounded off a Japanese player and the ball fell kindly for Rafael Sakai, who hit a shot between the legs of keeper Jenish Kojonaliev.
Nagoya then took the lead as Kaoru Morioka raced clear of the AUB players and bore down on Kojanaliev before wrong-footing the goalkeeper and rolling the ball into the empty net.
Skipper Wataru Kitahara increased their extended the Ocean’s lead soon after when he fired home before Bruno Hatakeyama ran onto Sakai's pass and drove an unstoppable shot into the back of the net.
AUB reduced the deficit soon after the restart when Hisamitsu Kawahara failed to hold onto Kadyrov's low shot but it proved a brief respite as Nagoya built up a dominant lead with further goals from Kiyohiro Hirabayashi and Morioka.
Azamat Menibaev grabbed a third goal for AUB but again Nagoya hit back as goals from Hatakeyama and Morioka completed the victory.
The win means Nagoya have six points from two games and look certain to claim a top-two finish in Group A.
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The AFC.comOceans rising day-by-day says AmaranteSaturday, 06 March 2010Esfahan: Nagoya Oceans coach Adil Amarante is confident his side are improving with every game as the Japanese champions eased to a comfortable 8-3 win over AUB Altyn Tash Bishkek on Saturday and close in on a place in the last four of the AFC Futsal Club Championship.
AUB had taken an early lead through Dilshat Kadyrov at Pirouzi Stadium but the Nagoya response was swift and once Rafael Sakai levelled it became simply a matter of how many goals they would score.
With two wins from two, Amarante's side are well-placed to secure a top two finish and the Portuguese coach praised his match-weary players.
“At the start of the game the players were very nervous as it was an important game for us in getting closer to qualification for the semi-finals, but after the first goal we played as we usually do," he said.
“It is a very difficult situation for us as the players are a little tired but they are playing well and have got better and better in the two matches.”
Nagoya next play tournament hosts Foolad Mahan Sepahan in a match that will likely decide who finishes first and second in Group A.
Foolad have the advantage of a vocal home support that helped cheer the Iranians on to an 8-1 win over AUB on Saturday.
“We will play the same as we did against AUB and go for the win,” added Amarante.
“The important thing for us it to play well.”
AUB's Etienne Gomes de Oliveira believes the Kyrgyzstan side's lack of experience was exposed by Nagoya.
“It is first time we have taken part in such a tournament,” he said. “Our opponents are very strong and that is why we lost.
“Our clubs (in Kyrgyzstan) are not professional clubs and we just have amateur leagues so that is why we lost today.”
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The AFC.comPort Authority (THA) 2-6 Al Sadd (QAT)Saturday, 06 March 2010Esfahan: Al Sadd became the first side to secure their place in the semi-finals of the AFC Futsal Club Championship after defeating Port Authority of Thailand 6-2 at Pirouzi Stadium on Saturday.
The victory was the Qataris third in succession and means they have nine points that guarantees them a top-two finish in Group B.
Both sides cancelled each other out during the opening exchanges but Al Sadd opened the scoring in the eighth minute when Kamyab Zahir juggled the ball past a defender before unleashing a rasping drive into the roof of the net.
The Qataris were still congratulating themselves with the goal though when Port Authority responded immediately from the kick-off as Nattavut Madyalan struck.
Al Sadd restored their lead after 12 minutes when Zahir's shot took a deflection off a defender and nestled in the back of the net with keeper Prakit Dankhunthod having already dived the wrong way.
Mohssein Amro grabbed his first goal of the game soon after when he ran onto Xavier Rodrigo's diagonal ball before slotting home.
Fabiano Ribeiro's side continued to dominate after the break and deservedly added a fourth in the 28th minute when Zahir feigned a shot that committed the goalkeeper into attempting a save and allowed the forward to chip home.
Port Authority attempted to respond as Suchin Eamchalard swept a shot into the side netting before he stabbed an effort against the post.
But Al Sadd were dangerous on the counter and soon punished Port Authority's attacking intent with strikes from Rodrigo and Errahmouni Bilal.
Skipper Santanaprasit Tanakorn scored late for the Thais but it was not enough to prevent Al Sadd's march into the last four.
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The AFC.comOur toughest game yet, says RibeiroSaturday, 06 March 2010Esfahan: Al Sadd coach Fabiano Ribeiro felt his side overcame their most difficult test at the AFC Futsal Club Championship so far as the Qataris beat Port Authority of Thailand 6-2 on Saturday to secure their place in the last four.
The victory was Al Sadd's third in as many games which guarantees a top two finish in Group B with a game left to play.
After conceding six goals in an 8-6 victory over Lebanon's Pro's Cafe in their opening game, Al Sadd's defence has been breached on only five occasions since and Ribeiro believes this is due to an increase in self-belief in his players.
“Our team has more confidence, said the Brazilian (pictured).
“In the first game they were very nervous with the situation but now they are more relaxed and play more with ball and when you do this you decrease the other team's chances of scoring against you.
“We got a good result and we are now in the semi-finals. It was a very hard game, the hardest one so far.
“The Thai team played very strongly, that is not a bad thing it is there style but our team is fast and we got the better of this physicality.
“It was good training for the team, for the first time in the tournament we have played as a team and the players had a good behaviour and we were able to score goals.”
Port Authority coach Udom Taveesuk believes his side failure to hold onto the ball in possession cost them.
The Thais now have one point from two games and need to win their two remaining games to have a chance of a top-two finish.
“This game was a very good game but we lost chances because when we had the ball we lost control and the chance went,” said Udom.
“Al Sadd got the ball and took their chances and that was the difference. We were unlucky.”
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