Courtesy: ic Liverpool

Samba masters pass on tips in Algarve mission

Jun 22 2007

by Peter Guy, Liverpool Daily Post

LOSING 28-0 is hardly fun in anyone’s books. But for Tranmere Victoria women’s Futsal team the result was a mere statistic during a long weekend of sun, fun and footballing skills unparalleled in the international Futsal scene.

Almost inevitably the drubbing came by way of the game’s masters Brazil, during the recent 2007 Futsal Nations Cup – the biggest international event of its kind, and Futsal’s World Cup equivalent.

Organised by the Portuguese FA, the event saw Futsal’s best gather for a six nations event, played out in Portugal’s picturesque beach resort of Lagoa in the western Algarve.

Joining England’s representatives were Germany, Brazil, Asian champions Japan, Portuguese giants and national champions Benfica and Spanish champs Mostoless.

The format saw each team place each other with the top four qualifying for the semi-finals and final stage, and despite Tranmere’s lack of success, the weekend proved a footballing lesson and one which will live long, and fondly, in the memory.

Neil Thompson, secretary of the Cheshire Futsal League and coach at the club, said: “We lost 28-0 against the Brazilians, which was a bit deflating seen as though we had trained so hard and thought we were prepared well. But the girls took it on the chin, didn’t let their heads drop and came back stronger and better.

“At the end of the day, the Brazilian women are full-time professionals. It is a big game over there (in Brazil) and to be honest they are probably better than the men that play Futsal over here in the UK. I know they’d probably think otherwise but it is true!”

Proving that the Brazil game was a learning experience, the girls came back giving progressively better performances against Japan and rivals Germany.

Thompson said: “The second match we lost 11-0 to Japan – again a score we didn’t quite expect – but the girls gave their all and in fact our goalkeeper Jenny Burgess claimed the Most Valuable Player award – which maybe tells you how the game went, but nevertheless it was quite a performance.

“It’s worth bearing in mind that the game’s so fast and played over a smaller pitch that higher scores are inevitable. Our last game was much closer, and though we lost to Germany, it was a tighter, very competitive affair.”

Representing England was a huge coup for the club for despite the game’s limited infrastructure in this country, the game is huge overseas and regularly shown on international television, so to fly the flag for England shows the great strides the club is making.

The Vics were founded more than 20 years ago – primarily as an 11-a-side team competing in local leagues. But the structure at the club changed when they started to go overseas as a 5-a-side squad and compete in European summer competitions.

“The Vics used to go and play abroad and we thought it was 5-a-side,” said Thompson. “But in actual fact we were playing Futsal. The game is very similar to 5-a-side, but with key changes like the ball can go over head height, there are touchlines (no rebound boards) and unlimited subs.

“Having gained interest from these trips, it quickly led to the formation of a permanent Futsal side and things have gone from there playing in the league since 2003.”

Despite there being no national league for either the men or the women’s game, both sides compete in national FA Futsal Cups, with this year’s men games just underway and the women’s taking place in Sheffield from July 5-7.

The ladies side play in the FA Futsal Cup every year and have reached every stage of the knockout competition including the final, but that key victory has ultimately remained elusive. Thompson said: “We’ve done really well, but have not quite managed to win it yet. Considering the FA have been slow to promote the game there’s so many people interested and now the Football Association are starting to develop some momentum.

“They will be starting a schools programme for Futsal in 2008 along with a National League for men. This latest trip to Portugal was fantastic and a great learning experience for everyone involved.

“I think we were all quite shocked just how good the Brazilians were and it was no surprise when they beat the Spanish team in the final. I think women’s soccer in general gets a bad press over here, but the levels of skill on offer during the tournament were very high, and the games were very entertaining.”

Women’s team manager Becky Rooke added: “This was undoubtedly the biggest challenge we have faced. The teams from Spain, Brazil and Portugal play at a semi-pro level in a full-time league and having watched videos of their matches we knew they were awesome. We’re just glad we tried our best and put in a good performance.”

Away from Tranmere, Thompson runs the Cheshire League with the Cheshire County FA which is taking place in the Northgate arena in Chester this month while he is also keen to introduce the game to youngsters and encourage them to build up soccer skills and creative flair which are part and parcel of Futsal.

Thompson added: “This is ultimately a game the kids need to be playing to develop their skill levels – it’s the game that all the Brazilians, Spanish and Portuguese grow up playing before they play 11-a-side.”

Tranmere Futsal and the Cheshire FA are hoping to develop some taster days and competitions for younger players to take part in and learn about Futsal through the summer of 2007 and are looking for schools, colleges and those who run youth teams to register an interest.

Anyone interested in the game can contact Neil.Thompson@-tranmerefutsal.com




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