Courtesy:
The AFC.comAFC Futsal Club Championship - MD4 (day 4 introduction) Monday, 08 March 2010Esfahan: After a well earned day off the inaugural AFC Futsal Club Championship resumes with Al Sadd secure in the knowledge that they have already booked their place in the last four after defeating Port Authority of Thailand in Match Day 3.
But the Qatari side will not rest on their laurels as they look to maintain their winning streak against Wuhan Dilong while New South Wales Thunder and Port Authority battle it out to keep alive their hopes of advancing from Group B alongside Al Sadd.
Meanwhile, local favourites Foolad Mahan Sepahan will look to keep pace with Group A leaders Nagoya Oceans when they take on Stroitel Zarafshan, with the Uzbeks keen to bounce back from their 5-2 defeat at the hands of the Japanese champions.
Courtesy:
The AFC.comWuhan Dilong (CHN) 11-6 Al Sadd (QAT)Monday, 08 March 2010Esfahan – Wuhan strengthened their bid for a place in the semi-finals of the AFC Futsal Club Championship with an 11-6 win over already-qualified Al Sadd at Pirouzi Stadium on Monday.
Wuhan took the lead after three minutes when skipper Liang Shuang fired home following a corner but Kamyab Zahir equalised two minutes later when he cut inside before driving a shot into the back of the net.
The Chinese regained their lead soon after when Li Xin drilled home from the left before adding another through Hu Jie's opportunist strike.
Al Sadd went further behind with seven minutes of the half remaining as Li Xin grabbed his second of the game but the Qataris pulled a goal back with seven seconds left on the clock when Mohammed Al Kubaisi's tame effort crept inside the near post.
Wuhan increased their lead further almost immediately into the second half when Zhang Xi turned the ball home before Errahmouni Bilal then poked the ball into his own net when trying to cut out a pass to leave Al Sadd with a mountain climb.
The goals continued to come for Wuhan as Yan Fei shrugged off the attention of an Al Sadd player before side-footing beyond a helpless Faraj Rashid and though Zahir reduced the deficit for Al Sadd, Wuhan again struck when Wang Wei slid a shot under Rashid.
Xavier Rodrigo rifled home after 29 minutes only for Zhang to restore Wuhan's five-goal advantage when he swept home soon after and Li Xin then added another.
Zahir struck twice in quick succession but the result was put beyond a doubt though when Zhang drove home late on to secure Wuhan’s second win of the campaign.
Courtesy:
The AFC.comRibeiro sad at sloppy Sadd showMonday, 08 March 2010Esfahan – Al Sadd coach Fabiano Ribeiro bemoaned his side's lack of focus as they slumped to their first defeat at the AFC Futsal Club Championship with an 11-6 loss to Chinese side Wuhan Dilong at Pirouzi Stadium on Monday.
Star player Xavier Rodrigo did not start the game as Ribeiro was eager for him not to pick up a second yellow card and be suspended for the semi-finals, but without his influence they lacked the flair and skill they had exemplified in their three previous matches.
Rodrigo did make fleeting appearances from off the bench but by then the damage was already done and Al Sadd's first defeat at the tournament means that first place in Group B is no longer in the Qataris' own hands.
“We did not have a good match,” said Ribeiro. “Our team underestimated the Chinese team. We went onto the court playing very slow and without attention and making many bad passes.
“Everything we told the players about the Chinese players they did not listen to so it was no surprise that they would score.
“We had some problems before the game because some of our players were on yellow cards and we preferred not to start with them, because if they got another card they would not play in semi-final and we cannot take this risk.
“But the behaviour of our players was not good, there was no focus and every second in futsal counts and they scored too many against us. The Chinese team worked 100% but our team did not work 100%.”
The win was Wuhan's second at the AFC Futsal Club Championship and means they can usurp Al Sadd at the top of the standings with a win over Port Authority of Thailand on Tuesday.
“This was a hard match as the Al Sadd team are a great side and it was a good result,” said player-coach Li Xin.
“We knew they were going to be a strong team but we came into the game well prepared.”
Courtesy:
The AFC.comNSW Thunder (AUS) 5-6 Port Authority (THA) Monday, 08 March 2010Esfahan – Port Authority of Thailand kept alive their AFC Futsal Club Championship semi-finals hopes while ending NSW Thunder's after claiming a hard-fought 6-5 win over the Australians at Pirouzi Stadium on Monday.
Ukrit Taengtung's late strike settled an encounter that could easily have gone either way and gives the Thais all to play for ahead of their final group game against Wuhan Dilong of China on Tuesday.
The Australians got off to a bad start as Port Authority climbed into a two-goal lead as first Ukrit bundled home before Mustafa Alpkaya put the ball into his own net.
Alpkaya quickly made amends though when he reduced the deficit soon after before Dean Lockhart brought NSW Thunder back on level terms.
Things got even better for Jamie Amendolia's side when they took the lead through Solomon Islands forward Jack Wetney and though Suchin Eamchalard rattled the bar midway through the half for the Thais, the Thunder held onto their slender advantage at the break.
They could not stop Port Authority levelling a minute into the second half when Nattavut Madyalan struck and though Alpkaya regained the lead for his side soon after, Ukrit pushed Wuttichai Tintawee's goal bound shot over the line to restore parity.
There followed a spell of attrition with both sides unable to find a way through either defence but Thai skipper Santanaprasit Tanakorn stabbed home to put Port Authority ahead.
NSW Thunder goalkeeper Peter Spathis equalised when he punished opposite number Sakchai Hamaitree for venturing to the halfway line but Ukrit ended the Australians' AFC Futsal Club Championship campaign when he fired home late on to secure the three points.
Courtesy:
The AFC.comAmendolia not downbeat about defeatMonday, 08 March 2010Esfahan – NSW Thunder coach Jamie Amendolia was in good spirits despite seeing his side fail to register a win for the third successive game and end their slim hopes of reaching the last four of the AFC Futsal Club Championship.
The Australians needed three points against Port Authority of Thailand to stay in the tournament but were downed 6-5 in a close-fought match at Pirouzi Stadium on Monday.
The defeat means NSW Thunder remain rooted to the foot of Group B and with only pride to play for in their final game against Pro's Cafe on Tuesday.
“Today's match was very frustrating for us,” said Amendolia (pictured).
“We dominated the game and dominated possession.
“It is respect to our team when you see another side come and play against you with a power play for the whole second half. They had no way to break us down and so had to use that method of attack.”
Amendolia had hoped prior to the match that influential forward Elliot Ragomo would be able to take his place in the starting line-up for first time since suffering an injury in their opening game against Chinese side Wuhan Dilong.
However, the Solomon Islands star was still not deemed fit enough and Amendolia admitted his absence in the last two games proved telling.
“He was still injured unfortunately,” he added. “It was a very bad injury he suffered in the first game and unfortunately he hasn't been able to play since.
“In today's game and against Wuhan Dilong the difference was only the odd goal and I think in some respects we lost a very important player who could have changed these games for us.”
For Port Authority the three points mean they still have a chance to claim a top-two finish in the group when they tackle Wuhan Dilong on Tuesday.
After surrendering a two-goal lead against NSW Thunder, the Thais often found themselves on the back foot before a switch to a more direct style of play in the second half paid dividends.
“This game was a very, very good game,” said coach Udom Taveesuk. “Their players were very good and it was more difficult than previous matches.
“It was hard for us to counter attack. We had to use power play in the second half and that is how we got chances to get goals.”
Courtesy:
The AFC.comStroitel Zarafshan (UZB) 1-12 Foolad Mahan Sepahan (IRN)Monday, 08 March 2010Esfahan: The Foolad Mahan Sepahan juggernaut rolled on at the AFC Futsal Club Championship as the Iranians claimed a comfortable 12-1 victory over Uzbeks Stroitel Zarafshan at Pirouzi Stadium on Monday to book their place in the semi-finals.
With eight Iran internationals in their squad the difference in class between the two sides was evident as Foolad secured their second successive win that sets up a battle for first place in Group A with Nagoya Oceans on Tuesday.
Vahid Shamsaee was again a key contributor to the victory with the Iran legend scoring six goals to take his tally to 10 for the tournament.
Shamsaee made it look easy when he opened the scoring after two minutes as the 36-year-old drove a low shot between two defenders and into the net before Foolad added a second with a well worked move as one-touch passing between Ali Hassen Zadeh and Mohammad Keshavarz allowed Javad Asghari to scoop a shot into the goal.
Mohamad Taheri added a third when he shot on the turn after seven minutes before Shamsaee stroked an effort home seconds later.
The one-way traffic continued as Hassen Zadeh registered his first goal of the game before further strikes from Shamsaee and Majid Raeisi ended the game as a contest before it was even half time.
Shamsaee fired high into the roof of the net in the 23rd minute before Stroitel finally got off the mark when Anvar Mamedov lofted a shot beyond Mostafa Nazari.
But Foolad were quick to respond and extended their lead with goals from Mohamed Ghasemi, Ahmad Baghbanbashi before a late Shamsaee double rounded off the emphatic win.
Courtesy:
The AFC.comAfzali revels in fine Foolad formMonday, 08 March 2010Esfahan: Foolad Mahan Sepahan coach Hossein Afzali was pleased his side produced the level of performance he is expecting from them as the Iranians eased to a 12-1 win over Uzbeks Stroitel Zarafshan at Pirouzi Stadium on Monday to cement their place in the last four of the AFC Futsal Club Championship.
Vahid Shamsaee again displayed why he is the world's most lethal futsal player with six goals to takes his tally up to 10 for the tournament.
Having conceded an early goal against AUB Altyn Tash Bishkek in their opening group game before battling back for victory, Foolad were always in command against Stroitel - much to the delight of Afzali.
“The opening game of any tournament is always very difficult,” he said. “We did not know anything about AUB and I confess the players were very bad in the first half.
“But this was a good game. We had already analysed the playing style of Stroitel so we had a good knowledge of how they played.
“We were a little worried that the players would underestimate them but fortunately they didn't and if we took our chances we could have scored more.”
The victory outlined Foolad's credentials as one of the favourites to become the historic first winner of the tournament but Afzali refused to build up his side's chances of claiming the silverware.
“I don't believe we are the winners of the tournament, we have to wait until the very end,” he added.
“The level of all the teams in this tournament is very high and we should wait until the final before saying who should be winners.
Stroitel coach Anvar Mamedov conceded it w as men against boys as his side's hopes of keeping themselves in the hunt for a top-two finish were ended in emphatic fashion.
“Congratulations to Foolad Mahan for their win,” he said.
“For our young players it was very difficult to play against players such as Shamsaee, who has a lot of experience with the Iran national team.
“The spectators also influenced our players as for some of our young players it is the first time they have played in front of such a crowd.”
Posted by
Luca Ranocchiari -->
luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com
