Courtesy: www.stuff.co.nz


Futsal struggling to foot it in NZ

23 July 2004

By SIMON KAY

Brace yourself for another pasting by an island side – but this time it won't be unexpected.


Sunday sees the start of the Oceania qualifiers for the Futsal World Cup.

Staged at Canberra's Australian Institute of Sport, New Zealand plays Vanuatu on the opening day, followed by Australia on Monday, the Solomon Islands on Tuesday, Fiji on Wednesday and Samoa on Thursday.

Futsal is the official Fifa version of indoor soccer. The Oceania winner will contest the Futsal World Cup finals in Taiwan in November. Held every four years, the 2000 finals were hosted by Guatemala and won by Spain, with Brazil claiming the three previous world titles.

Originally from South America, futsal is also huge in Europe (where there are professional leagues) and Asia, but is barely played here.

A five-a-side game played indoors on a court roughly 40m long and 20m wide, the ball is smaller and heavier than those used outdoors, encouraging fast and skilful footwork, and one-touch passing along the ground.

Unlike indoor soccer, where the ball can be rebounded off walls, futsal has sidelines and kick-ins from where the ball goes out of play. All futsal players are allowed in the goalkeeper's area and there are also corners.

At international level games last 80 minutes, with teams permitted one timeout during each half. Once a side has conceded a certain number of fouls, it cannot put up a wall to defend against free kicks.

New Zealand first played in the Oceania qualifying tournament in 1999, finishing a dismal fifth out of seven. The goal this time is to gain a higher placing, with the team having no real chance of topping the competition.

That's not surprising given how small the game is here. Futsal New Zealand secretary Gaye Powell says it's played in Wellington, Christchurch and Nelson but "how true they are to the game, I don't know."

While futsal is strongest in Auckland, it's played in only three sports centres, with the ASB Stadium leagues by far the largest. Of New Zealand's 12-strong squad, two are based in Sydney and the other 10 all play at the ASB Stadium. Most also play outdoor soccer for Eastern Suburbs.

So don't be surprised if we lose to the likes of Fiji and Vanuatu.

Fiji finished as Oceania runners-up in 1999 and selected this year's team after an inter-districts championship. Their players are all Indians renowned for a fast-paced style of play.

Vanuatu hosted the 1999 tournament and placed third. Coached by Uruguayan Carlos Buzetti, Vanuatu also has a strong domestic futsal competition, with the squad possibly bolstered by a couple of players who humbled the All Whites 4-2 in the recent World Cup qualifiers.

This is the first major futsal tournament the Solomons have contested but they are still expected to be a tidy side, also boosted by some from the 11-a-side squad which advanced to the next stage of the World Cup at New Zealand's expense.

Australia have always been Oceania's top futsal team but have dropped off the pace at world level. After gaining a 1-1 draw against a US side that went on to make the semifinals at the inaugural Futsal World Cup in 1989, Australia lost all three games in 1996 and again in 2000, scoring a total of seven goals and conceding 48.

It may be a long week for the New Zealand players who have had to pay their own way. While affiliated to New Zealand Soccer, Futsal New Zealand receives no funding from the national body.

Powell acknowledges NZS has plenty of other football projects on the go but says the fact that futsal is not considered a priority is "very frustrating".