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The AFC.comJapan 6-1 Chinese TaipeiSunday, 27 May 2012Dubai: Japan concluded their group stage campaign at the AFC Futsal Championship UAE 2012 with a 100% record following a 6-1 victory over Chinese Taipei at the Al Wasl Indoor Stadium on Sunday.
Having already booked their place in the last eight following earlier victories over Lebanon (3-2) and Tajikistan (6-1) Japan were looking for the win that would see them top the table and face the runners-up in Group A while Chinese Taipei were looking to bow out of the tournament on a high having lost 3-2 and 6-4 respectively to the same opponents.
Chinese Taipei took a sixth-minute lead when Lo Chih-an capitalised on a slip from Tetsuya Murakami just outside the goal area and charged up the court before adroitly slipping the ball past Toru Fukimbara, who was starting in place of Hisamitsu Kawahara who had guarded the nets in the previous two Group B fixtures.
Japan equalised five minutes later when Wataru Kitahara laid the ball into the path of Rafael Henmi who fired home his third of the campaign following his dramatic winner against Lebanon and his 34th minute strike in Saturday's triumph over the Tajiks.
Henmi got his second of the match and his fourth of the campaign just seconds after Japan kicked-off the second period in a goal reminiscent of the way the way they started the match against Tajikistan that led to Yusuke Komiyama scoring the fastest goal in AFC Futsal Championship history.
Komiyama made it 3-1 in the 28th minute before skipper Kenchiro Kogure drove the ball home from an acute angle three minutes as the gulf in quality and experience between the two East Asian nations began to become much more evident.
In the 33rd minute Kogure netted Japan's fifth before the Japan skipper's cutback allowed Tetsuya Murakami to curl the ball through a crowded area and just inside keeper Pan Wen-chieh's left-hand post as Japan completed the 6-1 up with five minutes remaining.
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The AFC.comTajikistan 1-2 LebanonSunday, 27 May 2012Dubai: Lebanon are one match away from playing the FIFA Futsal World Cup after booking a place in the quarterfinals of the ongoing AFC Futsal Championship with a 2-1 win over Tajikistan who are returning home with a single victory over Chinese Taipei.
In the Sunday’s last encounter of Group B, Lebanon scored a goal apiece in each half to seal the victory, which takes them to the quarterfinal of the championship which will be played on Tuesday against Group A winner – most probably Thailand. Japan won Group B and will be facing Group A runners-up.
Lebanon’s Hassan Zeitoun was just two seconds off the tournament’s fastest goalscoring record as he gave an ideal start to the Lebanon team scoring from the angle inside first eight seconds.
Yusuke Komiyama had broken the championship’s fastest goalscoring record yesterday by scoring inside the six seconds and coincidentally against Tajikistan.
Despite going down early, Tajikistan were good in all departments with their brilliant goalie Mirali Sharipov making some classy saves of the championship.
“We must fix it before the quarterfinal as I don’t remember how many chances we squandered,” Lebanon’s Spanish coach Francisco Araujo told www.the-afc.com .
“Scoring early goals is not always good as we faced some tough time against Tajikistan but overall our players disappointed me in front of the goal. But if you talk about the win and its significance, it’s huge,” Araujo said.
Tajikistan pegged one back in the 9th minute when Orzu Dodkhudoev ran down the channel dribbling past two Lebanon defenders and releasing an acute ball to Mansur Mamedbabaev.
Having a brilliant first half and part of second half, Tajikistan goalie Sharipov finally made a mistake to allow Lebanon back into the match. After getting a ball on the right flank, Hayssam Atwi guided the ball past Sharipov as the goalie could have done better to stop Atwi’s strike that decided the match.
And a late red card to Orzu Dodkhudoev also did not help Tajikistan.
“Sometime in football or futsal luck becomes a key factor and today was the same, we did not have it,” Tajik coach Damir Kamaletdinov told www.the-afc.com.
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The AFC.comUzbekistan 9-1 IndonesiaSunday, 27 May 2012Dubai: Uzbekistan eased into the quarter-finals with an emphatic 9-1 triumph over Indonesia in their final Group D fixture but it was not enough for the Central Asians top the table following Kuwait's 5-0 win over China.
Uzbekistan went one-up inside four minutes when Dilshod Israliev's shot went through the legs of Syahidansyah and past the unsighted Ade Lesmana.
The Indonesia keeper was beaten for the second time when Nodir Elibaev fired home Shuhrat Tojiboev's corner-kick four minutes later but Indonesia pulled reduced the deficit in the 13th minute when Gustian Wardhana slid in at Rustam Umarov's left-hand post to knock in Syahidansyah's cross.
However, the Uzbeks restored their two-goal cushion less than a minute later when Fuji's attempted clearance spun into the air allowing Israliev to head in his second and Uzbekistan's third before Hurshid Tajibaev made it 4-1 when he swept in Konstantin Sviridov's cutback from the byline with three minutes left on the clock.
One minute after the restart Farkhod Abdumavlyanov got the better of Fuji and saw off the attention of two Indonesian defenders to make it 5-1 with a fine solo effort and four minutes later it was six, with Oleg Khalmukmamedov playing a one-two with Tajibaev before firing the ball into the roof of the net.
Tajibaev went from provider to scorer in the 31st minute with his second of the game taking the dominant Uzbeks' tally to seven and with three minutes left to play Abdumavlyanov netted his brace before Dilshod Rakhmatov sealed the one-sided contest when he converted the rebound after Lesmana had saved Sviridov's direct kick.
"We did our job and that was to get goals but it wasn't enough for us to top the group after Kuwait got a result that few people expected," Uzbekistan coach said at the post-match press conference.
"Now it is likely that we will have to face Iran and although I would have preferred to face any other team I am not going to cry about it."
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The AFC.comChina 0–5 KuwaitSunday, 27 May 2012Dubai: Kuwait romped into the quarterfinals as the Group D winner after thumping China 5-0 in the last group match of the AFC Futsal Championship 2012 here at Al Shabab Club Stadium.
The ‘dark horse’ of the tournament as termed by the local journalists, emerged as the group leaders by virtue of goal difference with three-time AFC Futsal Champions Uzbekistan ending the group campaign with equal seven points but less superior goal difference. Uzbekistan and Kuwait had played 1-1 draw in the opening match two days ago.
Kazma SC forward Ahmad Alfarsi scored a hattrick coupled with a goal each from Shaker Almutairi and Abdulrahman Almosabehi to seal the emphatic win over China who came in the tournament as one of the favourites to at least reach in the knockout stages.
“This is football / futsal, one day off and its gone,” China’s Brazilian coach Guilherme Carvalho (Franco Da SIl Veira) said. Guilherme termed today’s defeat as the worst defeat he has suffered while coach for China.
“Losing is not a big deal but you have to analyze the way you have lost and on that one there were mental block for my players, they could not emerge unscathed from it,” the Brazilian, whose contract with the China national futsal team is finishing this December, said.
Ahmad put Kuwait 2-0 up in the 10th and 16th minute, forcing China to grow more adventurous in the second half. China had a couple of moments in the early part of the second half but once Ahmad completed his hattrick in the 28th minute, they lost the plot.
“We resorted on power play but our Power-player Hu Jie was suspended for this match but its not only about only player, Kuwait played their match of life and we probably played the worst game,” Guilherme concluded.
Shaker continued his fine goalscoring run in the tournament as he notched Kuwait’s 4th in the 30th minute while Almosabehi wrapped up the thumping act by scoring the fifth goal and ensuring top spot for the Kuwaitis.
“It’s not confirmed but I, in fact everyone, would prefer Australia as your opponent than Iran in the quarterfinal,” jubilant Kuwait coach Fonseca Cilleros told anticipating media at the Al Shabab Club Stadium.
“I am very proud of my boys who put their hearts to win this match and it’s not only we are in the quarterfinals but we are group winners which is very important so we will try keeping on the pace we have set in the tournament.
Cilleros’ contract finishes after this championship with Kuwait national futsal team but he is ready to lead Kuwait in the FIFA Futsal World Cup, if they manage to be there.
“Of course, I will like but it’s not in my hand, my job finishes after three days,” said the veteran Spanish futsal coach, who have coached seven clubs across Spain in the Super League.
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Luca Ranocchiari -->
luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com
