Courtesy: Oceania Football Web Site


New Zealand deny hosts semi-final berth

The Futsal Whites have crushed Fiji's dreams of making the semi-finals and secured top spot in Group A for themselves with a 6-4 win over Vanuatu in one of the most entertaining games so far at the OFC Futsal Championship.

Earlier this afternoon, Tahiti qualified for the semi-finals after a thrilling 2-2 draw with traditional rivals New Caledonia, while Solomon Islands earned first place in Group B with a 16-0 win against Tuvalu. Fiji kept alive their hopes of progressing with a 22-3 victory over Kiribati but the result did not prove significant in the end as New Zealand confirmed their passage with the exciting Vanuatu win.

New Zealand will now go on to face Tahiti in the first semi-final tomorrow evening before Solomon Islands and Vanuatu meet each other to find the other finalist.

"I think Vanuatu are one of the most improved sides in the tournament and they were outstanding tonight," New Zealand coach Matt Chandler says. "It was pleasing that we reacted well when they got some momentum because I don't think we did that against Fiji in the first game. But it was about character today rather than technique or tactics and I think we showed a lot of it. Tahiti are a totally different prospect to Vanuatu but they are a good side and I have a lot of respect for them."

A point would have been enough for the Futsal Whites to go through but they clearly had their eye on first place and were ahead by the sixth minute thanks to a fine solo effort from Jakub Sinkora. It was 2-0 a minute later when Nathan Robertson finished off a breakaway and Vanuatu’s hopes of getting back into the game weren’t helped when Jack Vira Ala was dismissed in the 11th minute.

But New Zealand failed to go further ahead while their opponents were a man down and it was Vanuatu who scored next, Don Mansale smashing an unstoppable shot past goalkeeper Elias Billeh just before halftime. Mansale then scored again shortly after their interval to bring his side level before Robertson and Mansale traded blows to make it 3-3 five minutes into the second spell.

Not long after, the Futsal Whites put themselves on course to top the group with goals to Dylan Manickum and Micky Malivuk but again Vanuatu hit back when Fredy Vava closed the gap to 5-4 with just under ten minutes remaining. Any hopes Jean-Yves Galine’s side had of drawing level suffered a blow that proved fatal with five minutes to go though as Greg O’Connor restored New Zealand’s two-goal advantage.

"We are disappointed to lose but I thought both teams played well and it must have been an exciting game to watch," coach Galine says. "We will now play the Solomon Islands in the semi-finals and we must find a way to beat them because our goal has always been to win the tournament. The Solomons are a very good team and have a lot of skilful players but I think our boys can do it."

The Solomons had already qualified for the semi-finals but confirmed they would finish top with an impressive 16-0 dismantling of Tuvalu. Inspirational captain Elliot Ragomo led the way with a remarkable seven goals while James Egeta, Samuel Osifelo and Coleman Makau all notched braces, and Micah Lea'alafa, Moffat Sikwa'ae and Jack Wetney also got on the scoresheet.

Tahiti needed only a draw to join the Kurukuru in going through from Group B and got exactly that against francophone rivals New Caledonia. Chocolat Maperi and Capo Turihono found the net for Heitapu Hunter's side while New Caledonia responded through Caryl Thepinier and Julien Drudri in a thrilling encounter that went down to the wire.

With the scores locked at 2-2 and only two minutes left on the clock, Tahiti almost threw their semi-final spot away when Vateae Barff was dismissed. But the four remaining men defended as if their lives depended on it in the dying moments and they were able to cling onto the vital point.

"We are very pleased with the result but not so much with the game because I don’t think we played very well," Hunter says. "I think the players didn’t perform like they usually do because of the pressure of this match. When we had the man sent off I really thought we would lose. To defend for two minutes with only three outfield players is very difficult."

Fiji still had faint hopes of progressing going into their final group match against Kiribati and were on track for the massive victory needed when they led 17-2 at halftime. But the scoring slowed in the second spell and they could only manage five more goals, leaving Intiaz Khan and his players to sweat on the result of the New Zealand-Vanuatu clash.

Sandeep Nair joined Solomon skipper Ragomo in scoring seven times while Kamal Hassan hit five, Hussein Sahib struck four and Shivam Nathan grabbed a double. Uraia Loki, Ratu Dugucagi, Aisea Codro and Ajesh Narayan were also on target for Fiji but Kiribati did manage to respond with a Bita Keakea hat-trick.

The tournament is not over for Kiribati and the other sides who have missed out on the semi-finals as 7th/8th and 5th/6th play-offs are pencilled in for tomorrow.

New Caledonia - Tahiti Match Summary: click here

Tuvalu - Solomon Islands Match Summary: click here

New Zealand - Vanuatu Match Summary: click here

Competition Summary: click here

Upcoming matches

Tuvalu vs Kiribati
7th/8th play-off
Thursday 19 May, 1pm local time
Vodafone Arena, Suva

New Caledonia vs Fiji
5th/6th play-off
Thursday 19 May, 3pm local time
Vodafone Arena, Suva

New Zealand vs Tahiti
Semi-final
Thursday 19 May, 5pm local time
Vodafone Arena, Suva

Solomon Islands vs Vanuatu
Semi-final
Thursday 19 May, 7.30pm local time
Vodafone Arena, Suva




Courtesy: Oceania Football Web Site

New Caledonia 2 - 2 Tahiti


New Caledonia - Tahiti Match Summary: click here


Tahiti have qualified for the semi-finals of the OFC Futsal Championship after a thrilling 2-2 draw with traditional rivals New Caledonia.

Both sides' hopes of progressing were on the line in this match, although New Caledonia were more under pressure as they needed to win. A draw would be enough for Tahiti to go through on superior goal difference so one might have expected their opponents to adopt the more attacking approach.

But it was Tahiti who went ahead first, putting themselves in a great position to book a semi-final spot when Chocolat Maperi struck in the sixth minute.

Caryl Thepinier got New Caledonia back into the game in the 14th minute and the score stayed that way until the break, setting up a grandstand second spell.

That period was just as evenly contested as the first as both sides battled to keep their hopes alive and it looked like Tahiti had one foot in the semi-finals when Capo Turihono found the target in the 35th minute.

But New Caledonia refused to lie down and levelled through Julien Drudri with just three minutes to go.

The next minute brought with it the turning point of the game when Tahiti’s Vateae Barff was dismissed. New Caledonia had an outstanding opportunity to go in front from the resulting spot kick but Cedrick Humuni could not beat goalkeeper Atanui Tetihia with his effort.

The New Caledonians then piled the pressure on four-man Tahiti but they could not find a way through as the Tahitians confirmed they would join the Solomon Islands in progressing from Group B.

Quotes

New Caledonia coach Heitapu Hunter:
We are very pleased with the result but not so much with the game because I don’t think we played very well. I think the players didn’t perform like they usually do because of the pressure of this game – they knew we would make the semi-finals if we got a good result. But it was a fantastic game – days like this are why we watch sport. When we had the man sent off I really thought we would lose the game. To defend for two minutes with only three outfield players is very difficult.

Tahiti coach Eric Michalak:
I don’t know what happened. We were playing five against four for two minutes but somehow we couldn’t win. It’s very hard for us to take. We played against a good team and had plenty of opportunities to win but couldn’t take them. If you don’t then you will not win – that is the reality of this sport. It’s a shame because I know we can do better.




Courtesy: Oceania Football Web Site


Tuvalu 0 - 16 Solomon Islands


Tuvalu - Solomon Islands Match Summary: click here


The Kurukuru have sent a warning to their semi-final rivals with a clinical dismantling of underdogs Tuvalu in the final match of Group B at the OFC Futsal Championship.

There was little riding on this game as the Solomons had already qualified for the next stage of the competition and Tuvalu had seen their hopes of doing likewise ended yesterday with an 11-1 loss to New Caledonia.

But the Kurukuru were still keen to give their fanatical fans another win as they had yet to make sure of top spot and the unfortunate Tuvalu defence bore the brunt of that desire.

As is often the case, inspirational captain Elliot Ragomo led the way but even he would not have expected to get on the scoresheet seven times, a feat he managed thanks largely to a remarkable finish to the game.

Ragomo added five goals in the final four minutes to add to the two he scored earlier to complete a performance that underlined his reputation as the finest futsal player in Oceania.

James Egeta, Samuel Osifelo and Coleman Makau all notched braces while Micah Lea'alafa, Moffat Sikwa'ae and Jack Wetney also got on the scoresheet.

Although they failed to score, Tuvalu can take some heart from the fact that they restricted the Kurukuru to fewer goals than they put past them the last time the sides met - at the 2010 OFC Futsal Championship when the Solomons posted a 21-2 victory.

The Kurukuru will now go on to meet the second-placed Group A team, whose identity will be known by the end of today's play, while Tuvalu will have a good opportunity to record their first ever win at this tournament when they face Kiribati in the 7th/8th play-off.


Quotes

Solomon Islands coach Dickson Kadau:
It was important to win because we have topped the pool now. We have had our ups and downs over the tournament so far but I have been happy with the results. It is a cliché but we are just going to take one team at a time. If we play our usual game I am confident we will get through the semi-finals. Tahiti gave us a very good game yesterday and if they can maintain that standard of defending I think they could also make the final.


Tuvalu coach Takiao Vave:
I’m very proud of my boys because we have made an improvement on last year. Considering we were playing the champions, I thought we did well. We are trying to get better and I think we are getting there slowly but we still need to do better. We are looking to get a win against Kiribati but we will have to see what happens.




Courtesy: Oceania Football Web Site

click here


Fiji 22 - 3 Kiribati

Fiji's hopes of progressing through to the OFC Futsal Championship semi-finals were left hanging by a thread after their 22-3 win over Kiribati.

Coach Intiaz Khan and his players then had to hope New Zealand lost to Vanuatu by four goals or more to progress - a result that didn't come close to eventuating in the end as New Zealand edged out their opponents 6-4.

Fiji knew they would have to post a massive win to have any chance of overhauling New Zealand’s goal difference and such a margin looked a distinct possibility after a first half in which they played their best futsal of the tournament.

Six goals to Sandeep Nair, four to skipper Kamal Hassan and three to Hussein Sahib were supplemented by loan strikes from Shivam Nathan, Uraia Loki, Ratu Dugucagi and Aisea Codro to put them 17-2 up by the break, Kiribati’s goals both going to the same player, Bita Keakea.

But the scoring slowed somewhat in the second period as Fiji’s hopes of making ground on New Zealand faded.

Further strikes to Nair, Hassan, Sahib, Nathan and Ajesh Narayan got Fiji up to the 22-goal mark but Kiribati also managed another response, Keakea completing his hat-trick to send Kiribati’s rowdy supporters delirious.

Fiji then had to sweat it out and wait for the result of the New Zealand-Vanuatu game to learn their fate but it was not good news as the Futsal Whites secured top spot in the group with their thrilling win.


Quotes

Fiji coach Intiaz Khan:
It's too late for us to change anything now. We have another match tomorrow so we need to regroup and get ready for that. This is a team we put together in five weeks - we have not had as long together as some of the other sides. I think we have done a lot in that time and I don't think we could have expected much more than this.

Kiribati coach Pine Iosefa:
We tried our best but it is hard for us to beat a team like Fiji. They have very good players and it is difficult for our boys to match them. But we managed to score three goals which is an achievement in itself.




Courtesy: Oceania Football Web Site


New Zealand 6 - 4 Vanuatu


New Zealand - Vanuatu Match Summary: click here


The Futsal Whites have earned top spot in Group A with a 6-4 win over Vanuatu in one of the most entertaining games so far at the OFC Futsal Championship.

Earlier this afternoon, Tahiti qualified for the semi-finals after a thrilling 2-2 draw with traditional rivals New Caledonia, while Solomon Islands earned first place in Group B with a 16-0 win over Tuvalu.

Fiji kept alive their hopes of progressing with a 22-3 victory over Kiribati but the result did not prove significant in the end as New Zealand confirmed their passage with the exciting Vanuatu win.

A point would have been enough for the Futsal Whites to go through but they clearly had their eye on first place and were ahead by the sixth minute thanks to a fine solo effort from Jakub Sinkora.

It was 2-0 a minute later when Nathan Robertson finished off a breakaway and Vanuatu’s hopes of getting back into the game weren’t helped when Jack Vira Ala was dismissed in the 11th minute.

But the Futsal Whites failed to go further ahead while their opponents were a man down and it was Vanuatu who scored next, Don Mansale smashing an unstoppable shot past goalkeeper Elias Billeh just before halftime.

Mansale then scored again shortly after their interval to bring his side level before Robertson and Mansale traded blows to make it 3-3 five minutes into the second spell.

Not long after, the Futsal Whites put themselves on course to top the group with goals to Dylan Manickum and Micky Malivuk but again Vanuatu hit back when Fredy Vava closed the gap to 5-4 with just under ten minutes remaining.

Any hopes Jean-Yves Galine’s side had of drawing level suffered a blow that proved fatal with five minutes to go though as Greg O’Connor restored New Zealand’s two-goal advantage.

The Futsal Whites will now go on to face Tahiti in the first semi-final tomorrow afternoon before Solomon Islands and Vanuatu meet each other to find the other finalist.


Quotes

New Zealand coach Matt Chandler:
We played a very good team tonight – I think Vanuatu are one of the most improved sides in the tournament and they were outstanding. It was pleasing that when they did get the momentum I thought we reacted really well which we didn’t do against Fiji in the first game. But I thought it was about character today rather than technique or tactics and I think we showed a lot of it. Tahiti are a totally different prospect to Vanuatu but they are a good side and I have a lot of respect for them.

Vanuatu coach Jean-Yves Galine:
We are disappointed to lose but I thought both teams played well and it must have been an exciting game to watch. We will now play the Solomon Islands in the semi-finals and we must find a way to beat them because our goal has always been to make the final and then win the tournament. The Solomons are a very good team and have a lot of skilful players but I think our boys can do it.


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