Courtesy: Futsal Planet

Futsal helps Budd blossom

By Jamie Bradbury

Thursday, 18 January 2007

England v Bulgaria, Romania and Latvia
UEFA Futsal Championship Preliminary Round, Group B
Thursday 18 - Sunday 21 January 2007
Deva, Romania

Bognor Regis Town midfielder Darren Budd is loving being a part of the England Futsal squad and says that the game has helped him become a better all round player.

The 22-year-old only made his debut in October, but has continually impressed Head Coach Graeme Dell in his six caps so far and looks set for even more experience in the five-a-side game.

“It’s definitely helped my eleven-a-side game,” said Budd, a former youth at Brighton & Hove Albion. “At the start of the season I had a discussion with my manager at Bognor and he said I should score more goals. I’ve got three so far, and now I’m getting forward more, my touch is getting better, my fitness, so Futsal does help your overall game.

“You have to be very patient, too, even with the ball, and that’s where the intelligence comes in, you’ve got to try and break the other team down.”

He added: “When I go back to Bognor after being with England, I do notice a change, I feel sharper and think about the game more, you have to see things so quickly in Futsal that it helps your understanding of the game and gives you more time.

“You have to be tuned in and concentrate the whole time. If you have one lapse the balls in the back of your net before you know it. In eleven-a-side if you make a mistake, most of the time you have other players to back you up, but if you lose the ball here, you could leave the keeper completely exposed.”

England are in Romania this week for three games in a UEFA Futsal Championship Preliminary Round mini-tournament and Budd believes England have a great chance to finally break their duck and win their first game.

A fine performance against France just before Christmas ended in an agonising 2-1 defeat, but left the whole squad anxious for the next game to come.

Though he didn’t score the goal himself, Budd played a major part setting up a close range effort for Hampton & Richmond Borough’s Glen Harris.

“When I hit it, I looked up and thought it was going wide, but it happened so fast it was hard to tell, but I’ve seen the DVD since and it looked like it could have been sneaking in,” he revealed.

“But it was a textbook Futsal goal. That’s where you’ve got to be, just off the back post, and Glen got himself into a great position, ghosting in unmarked, and applied the vital touch.”

He added: “We’re all getting used to how each other plays, we’re a good group and get on really well on and off the pitch and are willing to do anything for each other.

“It helps the confidence and we think we’ve got a very good chance of achieving something soon.”



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