Courtesy: Oceania Football Web Site


Vanuatu and Solomon Islands book semi-final spots

Second straight wins for Vanuatu and Solomon Islands have seen them qualify for the semi-final stage of the OFC Futsal Championship but both sides were made to work hard in doing so during an intriguing second day of action.

Vanuatu overcame Fiji 5-2 to ensure they would go through from Group A while Solomon Islands booked their path out of Group B with a far-from-straightforward 1-0 victory over a determined Tahiti outfit. In today's other games, New Zealand and New Caledonia both kept their hopes very much alive with high-scoring triumphs, 21-1 over Kiribati and 11-1 against Tuvalu respectively, ending the semi-final dreams of the sides they beat in the process.

The results mean New Zealand are now heavy favourites to join Vanuatu in progressing from Group A - Fiji need Vanuatu to beat New Zealand and must also earn the massive victory over Kiribati it would take to overhaul the Futsal Whites' vastly superior goal difference - while tomorrow's meeting between francophone rivals New Caledonia and Tahiti will decide the second Group B qualifier.

Tahiti will take plenty of confidence into that crucial clash after putting on arguably the best defensive performance of the tournament to frustrate the Kurukuru for very nearly the entirety of the match.

Although they still finished up on the wrong end of the scoreline, the magnitude of the Tahitians’ effort in restricting such an accomplished side to just one goal was evident at the final whistle when those in red celebrated the result as if it was a win.

With goalkeeper Teva Durot and his defenders in inspired form, Tahiti could well have taken a point but Micah Lea'alafa ensured they wouldn't do so when he finally broke the resistance from an Elliot Ragomo pass just before halftime.

"The result may not have been good but it is another win and we will build on this," Kurukuru coach Dickson Kadau says. "Tahiti are a very good defensive side, they have size and were very committed today. I will be resting some of the players in our next match against Tuvalu as we focus on the knockout stage."

Tahiti opposite Heitapu Hunter was pleased to witness such an effective defensive display but is already looking ahead to tomorrow's decider.

"We have not qualified yet and need to concentrate on our next match, which will effectively be a quarter-final," he says. "We have a lot of pressure on us to win after our beach soccer side qualified for the World Cup earlier this year. Second or third will not be acceptable. The Solomon Islands are a very good side but our beach soccer team has reminded us that anything is possible."

Making the semi-finals may very well not be possible for Fiji after a sluggish start against Vanuatu saw their hopes of progressing suffer a near-fatal blow. Vanuatu knew a win would be enough to send them through and began as if that fact was at the forefront of their minds.

Jean-Yves Galine’s men went ahead in only the second minute when Louis Dominique rifled home a long-range effort and were 4-0 up by the fourth minute after further strikes to Fenedy Masauvakalo and Don Mansale bookended a Shivam Nathan own goal.

Fiji managed a response to the early onslaught when Ajesh Narayan struck in the ninth minute but their task was made even tougher when Ben Hungai put Vanuatu 5-1 up and well on track for the semi-finals just before half-time.

Despite pressing hard in the second period, Fiji struggled to create many clear-cut chances and could only score once more, through Sandeep Nair in the 37th minute, as they failed to repeat the late come-from-behind heroics they managed against New Zealand.

"We gave the game away in the first five minutes and that was our downfall," Fiji coach Intiaz Khan says. "We had some luck yesterday and got the goals but that was not the case today. We still have a slim chance of qualifying but that will depend on another result. We will give our best in our last pool game and wait for the outcome."

New Zealand had little trouble in sweeping aside Kiribati, Nathan Robertson and Dylan Manickum leading the way with five and four-goal hauls respectively, while captain Marvin Eakins scored a hat-trick and Miro Major, Micky Malivuk and Jakub Sinkora all got two each. Daniel Koprivcic, Lucas Silva and Tariq Assad also got their names on the scoresheet as the Futsal Whites went on the rampage. Kiribati's loan response, their third ever goal at an OFC Futsal Championship, came from Teemai Riinga.

New Caledonia did not manage to hit quite such heights against Tuvalu but their 11 goals will put them in an ideal frame of mind to meet Tahiti tomorrow. Romain Guitton notched a second-half hat-trick while Anderson Paulin hit a brace and Loic Caunes, Caryl Thepinier, Ivann Pourouoro, Julien Drudru, Cedrick Humuni and Ismael Tchovanili also scored. Tuvalu responded through Andrew Taufaiua.

Kiribati - New Zealand Match Summary: click here

Tuvalu - New Caledonia Match Summary: click here

Fiji - Vanuatu Match Summary: click here

Solomon Islands - Tahiti Match Summary: click here

Competition Summary click here

Upcoming matches

New Caledonia vs Tahiti
Wednesday 18 May, 1pm local time
Vodafone Arena, Suva

Tuvalu vs Solomon Islands
Wednesday 18 May, 3pm local time
Vodafone Arena, Suva

Fiji vs Kiribati
Wednesday 18 May, 5.30pm local time
Vodafone Arena, Suva

New Zealand vs Vanuatu
Wednesday 18 May, 7.30pm local time
Vodafone Arena, Suva




Courtesy: Oceania Football Web Site


Kiribati 1 - 21 New Zealand

The Futsal Whites have shown no mercy to tournament rookies Kiribati with a ruthless display in the opening match of day two at the OFC Futsal Championship.

Kiribati - New Zealand Match Summary: click here


With last night’s disappointing draw against Fiji still fresh in their memory, and knowing goal difference could be crucial in the latter stages of group play, New Zealand were in no mood to take it easy on tournament newcomers Kiribati.

Dylan Manickum, Nathan Robertson, Jakub Sinkora and Miro Major all scored first-half braces while Micky Malivuk, Daniel Koprivcic, Lucas Silva and Marvin Eakins also got their names on the scoresheet as New Zealand led 12-0 by the halftime whistle.

It was already turning into a very long afternoon for Kiribati coach Pine Iosefa and, very much aware of how crucial goal difference could prove to be, New Zealand continued to bomb forward in the second half.

The Futsal Whites scored a further nine goals, many of them impressively well-worked, as Manickum went on to score four, Robertson notched five and Eakins struck twice more to finish with a hat-trick.

Malivuk added another strike to his tally while Tariq Assad also joined in on his team mates’ goalscoring fun in a rampant performance that threatened to break the Oceania record for highest score in a futsal match – 23-1 by Australia over Samoa in 1996.

But there was at least one moment for the Kiribati supporters to cheer when Teemai Riinga found the net a few minutes after the break for his side’s third ever OFC Futsal Championship goal.

Quotes

Kiribati coach Pine Iosefa:
We learned a lot and it was good for them to experience the passing and movement of New Zealand. It is the first time our players have come up against opponents like that. We just want to improve as much as we can and learn from some of the teams that we are playing.

New Zealand coach Matt Chandler:
We were 4-1 up yesterday against a team who have come runners-up for the last two years and to let it slip was disappointing. I think we put a few things right today. I think the danger in these sorts of games is that you can get injuries and we did pick up one or two knocks. But we scored some nice goals and the movement was good. It also enabled me to give a few people some game time and the chance to rotate things around. And if it has to go down to goal difference then we've done ourselves some good in that regard.



Courtesy: Oceania Football Web Site


Tuvalu 1 - 11 New Caledonia

New Caledonia have bounced back from yesterday's defeat to the Solomon Islands with a morale-boosting 11-1 victory over Tuvalu in the second match on day two of the OFC Futsal Championship.


Tuvalu - New Caledonia Match Summary: click here


Needing a win to keep their hopes of progressing through to the semi-finals alive, the New Caledonians wasted little time in making their intentions clear, going two goals up within the first five minutes through Ivann Pourouoro and Julien Drudri.

Further efforts from Anderson Paulin, Cedrick Humuni and Loic Caunes had them 5-1 up at the halfway point, Tuvalu’s sole goal coming from Andrew Taufaiua in the 14th minute.

Tuvalu’s small band of supporters greeted that strike with plenty of gusto but they had little else to celebrate during a second spell that saw New Caledonia score a further six times.

Romain Guitton stole the show with a hat-trick while Paulin added his second of the afternoon in the final minute after Caryl Thepinier and Ismael Tchovanili had also found the net.

New Caledonia now face a vital clash with francophone rivals Tahiti tomorrow, the outcome of which is likely to decide which of the two teams will progress through to the semi-finals from Group B.


Quotes

Tuvalu coach Takiao Vave:
I think we did pretty well in the first half but we just couldn't kept it up in the second half, it was tough for the boys. But it's a highlight for us to have scored a goal, we had some other chances but we just couldn't put it in. We didn't have much of a build-up before we came to this tournament so I am happy with what the players have been able to do. All we can ask of them is to do the best they can.

New Caledonia coach Eric Michalak:
It is a much better feeling than yesterday because we have won. But you could see that it is not perfect and there are still a lot of things we are not doing right. I respect the performance of Tuvalu, they have a lot of speed, and I'm happy but I know that we can progress from this. We need to work on the simple things, like passing and movement. It will not be very easy to win against Tahiti because they want the same thing we do. We need to get some revenge because we lost to them 3-2 last year.




Courtesy: Oceania Football Web Site


Fiji 2 - 5 Vanuatu

Vanuatu have become the first side to qualify for the semi-finals of the OFC Futsal Championship with a 5-2 win over Fiji.


Fiji - Vanuatu Match Summary: click here


The hopes of the hosts are still faintly alive but they will have to rely on the Group A action going their way tomorrow.

Fiji need Vanuatu to beat New Zealand and must also earn the massive victory over Kiribati it would take to overhaul the Futsal Whites' vastly superior goal difference.

Vanuatu knew a win today would be enough to send them through, although they have not yet secured top spot in Group A, and began as if that fact was at the forefront of their minds.

Jean-Yves Galine’s men went ahead in only the second minute when Louis Dominique rifled home a long-range effort and were 4-0 up by the fourth minute after further strikes to Fenedy Masauvakalo and Don Mansale bookended a Shivam Nathan own goal.

Now in serious danger of seeing their semi-final dreams suffer a major blow, Fiji tightened their defence and managed a response to the early Vanuatu onslaught when Ajesh Narayan struck in the ninth minute.

Their task was made even tougher with three minutes remaining in the first half, however, when Ben Hungai put Vanuatu 5-1 up and well on track for the semi-finals.

Despite pressing hard in the second period, Fiji struggled to create many clear-cut chances and could only score once more, through Sandeep Nair in the 37th minute, as they failed to repeat the late come-from-behind heroics they managed against New Zealand yesterday.

Quotes

Vanuatu coach Jean-Yves Galine:
We are very happy with the victory, we came here well prepared and determined to win. We were confident of winning our first two matches and qualifying for the semi final. We are here for one reason - to win the championship and take back home the gold. We are out for a win against New Zealand tomorrow to top the group. We are not really concerned about who we might play in the semi-finals.

Fiji coach Intiaz Khan:
We gave the game away in the first five minutes and that was our downfall. But hats off to my boys, we had just five weeks of preparation and played really well. One of the major problems with our side is that we take time to settle and it is sometimes too late to fight back. We had some luck yesterday and got the goals but that was not the case today. Vanuatu had good structure and they were determined to get a win. They made use of the opportunities they had and we could not do the same. We still have a slim chance of qualifying but that will depend on another result. We will give our best in our last pool game and wait for the outcome.




Courtesy: Oceania Football Web Site


Solomon Islands 1 - 0 Tahiti

The Kurukuru have joined Vanuatu in making it through to the semi-finals of the OFC Futsal Championship after eventually edging out a determined Tahiti outfit 1-0.


Solomon Islands - Tahiti Match Summary: click here


In the earlier games today, New Zealand beat Kiribati 21-1 and New Caledonia defeated Tuvalu 11-1, while Vanuatu became the first team to qualify for the semi-finals by overcoming Fiji 5-2 in a thrilling encounter.

The Solomon Islands will join them after posting their second win but were made to work far harder than most expected against a well-organised Tahiti, who put on arguably the finest defensive showing at the tournament so far to frustrate the Kurukuru for very nearly the entirety of the match.

Although they still finished up on the wrong end of the scoreline, the magnitude of the Tahitians’ effort in keeping such an accomplished side to just one goal was evident at the final whistle when those in red celebrated the result as if it was a win.

The Kurukuru had dismantled Tahiti’s francophone rivals New Caledonia 13-5 yesterday but it was clear from the outset that the run of play would not go as much in their favour today.

Tahiti sat deep for the most part and invited the Solomons to take the game to them but the underdogs did not play without attacking ambition and had several good chances to score themselves in the first half.

With goalkeeper Teva Durot in inspired form, it looked like Tahiti had done enough to go into the sheds on level terms but Micah Lea’alafa ensured that wouldn’t be the case when, to the delight of the fanatical Kurukuru fans crammed inside Vodafone Arena, he swept home a pass from captain Elliot Ragomo in the 19th minute.

The second half followed a similar pattern to the first, the Kurukuru enjoying most of the ball and putting pressure on the Tahiti defence but they could not find a way through as Durot pulled off a string of fine saves.

The result means the Solomon Islands have now qualified for the next stage while the outcome of the Tahiti-New Caledonia match tomorrow will decide who joins the Kurukuru in going through from Group B.


Quotes

Solomon Islands coach Dickson Kadau:
The result may not have been good but it is another win and we will build on this. Tahiti are a very good defensive side, they have some size and were very commited in their defence today. I will be resting some of the players against Tuvalu as we focus on the knockout stage.

Tahiti coach Heitapu Hunter:
We played very well in defence but the final result is not good for us. We have not qualified yet and need to concentrate on our next match, which will effectively be a quarter-final. We have a lot of pressure on us to win after our beach soccer side qualified for the World Cup earlier this year. Second or third will not be acceptable. The Solomon Islands are a very good side but our beach soccer team has reminded us that anything is possible.


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