Courtesy: The Age


Australia qualify for Futsal World Cup

May 30, 2012

Australia's indoor football team have qualified for the 2012 FIFA Futsal World Cup following their dramatic 3-2 extra time win over Kuwait in the quarter-finals of the AFC Futsal Championship in Dubai.

The Futsalroos took the lead in the third minute when a Greg Giovenali ball found striker Daniel Fogarty who opened the scoring at Dubai's Al Shabab Club Stadium.

Kuwait equalised in the 14th minute after some poor defending by the Australians allowed Shaker Almutairi to tap one in at the back post.
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The Futsalroos' lead was restored five minutes from half time when Danny Ngaluafe scored after being set up brilliantly by Fernando De Moraes' cross pitch pass.

The see-saw battle continued in the second half but Kuwait's persistence was rewarded when they equalised in the 28th minute through Hamad Alawadhi to force the match into extra time.

With two five-minute periods to be played, it was the Futsalroos who took the advantage when Fogarty found himself unmarked to slot home the winning goal.

Despite the loss Kuwait also qualified for November's Futsal World Cup joining fellow Asian nations Japan, defending champions Iran, and Thailand, who will host the event.

"Our first goal was to get past the first round. Our second goal was to qualify for the World Cup and our third goal is to get a medal," head coach Steven Knight said.

"They (Kuwait) played a high pressure game which is typical of quality teams."

The Futsalroos will now face Japan in the semi-finals at 12:30am Thursday AEST.




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