Courtesy: Star News Group


Barbieri helps Victoria to futsal finals

By Charlene Gatt

22nd January 2008

MATILDAS goalkeeper Melissa Barbieri helped an all-star Victorian team to its best performance ever at the recent Football Federation Australia National Futsal Championships.

The Point Cook resident had to juggle the five-day indoor soccer tournament with a Matildas training camp, but still managed to be named joint Player of the Tournament alongside Queenslander April Mann.

In rare form, Barbieri topped the goalscorers’ list after round two thanks to a two-goal contribution, and the team conceded only six goals from nine matches.

“It was a great competition, it was definitely full of excitement and a fast paced game, I loved it,” she said.

“There were some really good skills that I had to pick up with being able to shoot, but it wasn’t too difficult and I enjoyed every moment of it.”

Victoria blitzed the eight-game round robin competition to enter the semi-finals with seven consecutive wins and one draw.

It was the first time in the tournament’s 29-year history the Victorian women’s team had gone undefeated through the rounds.

But a deflected goal in the semi-final against Queensland City forced the favourites out of the grand final with a shattering 1-0 loss.

New South Wales Thunder won the title in a 6-5 penalty shoot-out.

Victorian coach Geoffery Hawkins was thrilled with the team’s performance, and said it was natural for fatigue to set in with such a gruelling schedule.

“You can look for excuses but it’s a big ask,” he said.

“When it’s 36 degrees and you’ve got to play four times in a day … they did extremely well, I was very, very pleased with them.

“Last year they played six, won one and let 15 goals in, and this time they played nine, they won seven, drew one, lost one and they only let six goals.

“The attacking part of it is really where we were let down a little bit, because we just relied on a little bit of outdoor flair and a small amount of experience in futsal.

“Other states have got girls who’ve played this game for years – New South Wales has entered two or three teams that play each other competitively once a fortnight, so their always getting good competitive games throughout the year.

“I’ve got to get a group of girls who’ve just finished outdoor and teach them all the game, teach them the rules and get them ready to play against people who have been playing year in, year out.

“It’s a big ask and I don’t think they realise how well they did do.”

All 10 Victorian teams to contest the titles made it into the finals, with the under 13 boys’ squad winning the grand final 7-4 win over NSW Lightening.

Football Federation Victoria futsal co-ordinator Chris Ryan hopes to soon provide Victoria with a year-round futsal competition.

In 2007 a men’s only competition was established in the form of the Ashburton Futsal League.

“To have all 10 squads make finals is a massive achievement,” Ryan said.

“We’re within touching distance of futsal’s strongest states and I’m confident that next year we’ll be even stronger to challenge further.”





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