Courtesy: The AFC.com


Amarante aims title defence

Wednesday, 20 June 2012

Tokyo: Nagoya Oceans’ Portuguese coach (Futsalplanet note: brazilian) Jose Adil Amarante believes that his star-studded side will have a good run in their title defence of the upcoming AFC Futsal Club Championship to be held in Kuwait from July 1-6.

The defending champions are currently preparing for the championship that features the domestic league champions of eight futsal playing nations across Asia.

“This is a huge opportunity for the club to enhance its international exposure and at the same time an opportunity to raise the standard of the game,” the Portuguese, who helped Oceans to win the 2011 title by beating Iran’s side Shahid Mansouri in a thrilling extra time 3-2 final, told www.the-afc.com.

The spine of the championship winning side is still there and added by the success of Japan in recently held AFC Futsal Championship in Dubai, Nagoya Oceans are considered a team to beat in the tournament.

The Japanese futsal giant recorded 61 points from 27 matches with star player Morioka Kaoru being top scorer with 34 goals in the F.league (Japan’s domestic league championship). Kaoru had score four goals in the title winning 2011 campaign and flanked by Japanese internationals in the likes of Hisamitsu Kawahara, Wataru Kitahara, Rafael Henmi Katsutoshi and Kenichiro Kogura this time around, Amarante believes that this team can go all the way in the competition.

“All the opponents in our group are strong and you can never rule out Iran’s champions Sanaye Giti Pasand,” he said on the strength of the opponents.

“AFC Club Futsal Championship is a tough competition with creams of Asia participating but our focus is to win every single match and claim the second title.”

Nagoya Oceans is in Group B alongside with Lebanon’s All Sports SC, Thailand’s GH Bank and West Zone qualifiers winner Ardus of Uzbekistan whom they play in the first match on July 1 followed by subsequent matches against GH Bank and All Sports SC.

Nagoya Oceans was established in 2006 and went on to win all the available futsal league titles with their 2011 league win being 6th overall. They also won two cup titles in 2010 and 2011.




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