Courtesy: The AFC.com


Hosts cruise into final

16 May 2008

BANGKOK - Thailand qualified for the final of the AFC Futsal Championship in emphatic fashion with a 7-3 victory over China at Nimibutr Stadium.

Thailand produced a fine performance to dominate the large majority of a semi-final from which there was only ever going to be one winner once the hosts had established a comfortable lead.

Thailand had the game's first chance when Panuwa Janta's corner found the on-rushing Lertchai Issarasuwipakorn but his close-range effort was well blocked by keeper Zheng Tao and Lertchai then stabbed the rebound wide.

But the hosts took the lead soon afterwards when Lertchai played in Panomkorn Saisorn and he slipped the ball past the onrushing Zheng as the partisan crowd erupted.

Thailand doubled their advantage when Prasert Innui crashed home a right-footed shot and it soon became 3-0 as a quick break saw Panuwa feed Panomkorn and he produced a composed side-foot finish to sweep the ball past Zheng.

The Chinese keeper stopped his side falling further behind when Natthapon Suttiroj's scuffed shot fell into the path of Anucha Munjareren but Zheng made an excellent reflex save.

Liu Xinyi gave China hope after he worked an opening and despatched a left-foot shot into the roof of the net but it was soon extinguished when Anucha found the top corner despite slipping as he shot.

Thailand then extended their lead to 5-1 before the interval when Eakapong Suratsawang's corner was backheeled by Anucha and skipper Panuwa smashed the ball home.

Prasert netted Thailand's sixth after the break with a deflected strike before Tanakorn Santanaprasit broke clear and slid the ball past Zheng.

China notched their second goal when Li Jian held off a defender before producing a low finish and Liu grabbed his second of the game when Thailand keeper Somkid Chuenta failed to stop his weak shot.

A brief scuffle by the touchline saw Zheng booked before Zhang Xiao was also shown yellow for a retaliatory tackle as Thailand cruised to victory.



Courtesy: The AFC.com


Shamsaee settles hard-fought semi

16 May 2008

BANGKOK - Vahid Shamsaee's first-half goal was enough to send Iran into the final of the AFC Futsal Championship courtesy of narrow 1-0 victory over Japan.

Shamsaee took advantage of Yusuke Komiyama's defensive slip to put Iran ahead just before the interval at Nimibutr Stadium and they never relinquished their advantage in what proved to be their toughest test of the competition to date.

Shamsaee threatened first for Iran with a snap shot that forced Hisao Sadanaga into a smart save at his near post.

Daisuke Ono then produced a strong run down the right flank that ended with a strike from the Japanese player that Mostafa Nazari did well to keep out low down to his left.

Mohammad Hashemzadeh then drilled a free-kick on the edge of the area wide of the right-hand post before Mohammad Taheri was denied by Sadanaga.

Shamsaee drew another good stop out of Sadanaga low to his right after working a shooting chance for himself before good hold-up play by the same player played in Taheri but his effort was blocked by a combination of defender and keeper.

But Iran were enjoying the upper-hand in the first-half and took the lead shortly before the break when a terrible defensive error by Komiyama allowed Shamsaee nip in and score with Sadanaga out of position.

Javad Asghari Moghaddam fired narrowly wide after a good run at the start of the second period.

Japan then had a glorious chance to equalise when excellent work from Ono down the right saw him deliver a ball across the box but Yuki Kanayama hit Nazari from point-blank range, although the keeper did not know too much about it.

With time running out, Japan began to pull their keeper and it lead to an opening for Kenta Fujii but he fired over when unmarked at the edge of the area before Nazari pulled two more good saves to deny the same player as Japan piled on the pressure but could not find a way through.




Courtesy: The AFC.com


Mendez hails first-half blitz

16 May 2008

BANGKOK - Coach Jose Maria Pazos Mendez hailed his side's first-half performance as the 'best of the tournament' after the hosts outclassed China 7-3 to reach the final of the AFC Futsal Championship.

Panomkorn Saisorn and Prasert Innui both scored twice as the hosts largely dominated their opponents at Nimibutr Stadium to move within touching distance of a first continental futsal crown.

But the foundations of victory were laid in a scintillating first period that saw Thailand go in at the break 5-1 up.

"I think our first-half was the best of the tournament for us," he said.

"I think our first 20 minutes was fantastic. The first-half we played at a very, very high level. The team played fast and we attacked better. I think in the first 20 minutes there was only one mistake but our game very complete in attack and defence.

"I was very worried beforehand because I saw the team was very tired against Australia and China is a team that is physically very strong with strong pressure"

China did briefly stage a late rally in scoring twice towards the end of the game and Mendez warned his side they cannot afford to switch off in a similar manner in Sunday's final.

"We scored five goals and maybe we relaxed too much because we must play with more intelligence than we did at the end."

China coach Farinha, meanwhile, lamented the fact his side could not reproduce the form that had seen them into the last four and felt the 4-1 win over Uzbekistan had taken a toll on his players.

"Thailand deserved to win but we did not show the same performance we showed in the previous games so I think the big margin was because of that," he said.

"Only at the end of the second half did we start to go back to our usual shape.

"I wouldn't say it was a step too far. I just think maybe the reason why we didn't play well at the beginning of the first-half, especially, was that Thursday was a very stressful game for all of us.

"Not just physically but mentally because there was lots of pressure on us, we wanted a place in the World Cup so much.

"I just think that if we'd played the same as in the other games maybe Thailand would have still won but maybe the game would have gone down to the final minutes. We showed that we lacked some of the energy we had in the other games

"I am not disappointed with the players, because this sometimes happens, but basically the first-half was so poor that that was our biggest problem."




Courtesy: The AFC.com


Shams sure Iran would prevail

16 May 2008

BANGKOK - Coach Hossein Shams insisted he fully believed his side would come out on top after Iran edged out Japan 1-0 at Nimibutr Stadium to reach the final of the AFC Futsal Championships.

Vahid Shamsaee took advantage of a defensive error by Yusuke Komiyama to settle the contest just before half-time.

Having been out-played in the first-half, Japan mounted a sterling fight-back in the second and produced a late onslaught that saw Yuki Kanayama miss his side's best chance from point-blank range

And while it may have proved a nerve-racking finale for the boisterous crowd, Shams insisted he was never worried about the outcome of the contest.

"I was more than sure we would be winners of this game and if you count the chances, we had more and we missed many," he said.

"But at the same time, of course the game was a little bit tense, it was a semi-final, it had to be a bit nervous But we were knew exactly what to do step-by-step.

"We were winning 1-0 so we just wanted to invite them onto us and hit them on the counter-attack. We don't call it pressure."

However, Shams did underline it was a much-improved Japan side from the one they defeated in the final of the 2007 edition.

"Japan were quite different from last year," he added.

"They have worked a lot, they have brought in some new players, the systems they are using are advanced.

"But there is a distance between us and I think it will take a few years for them to catch up with Iran."

Japan coach Sergio Sapo was naturally disappointed to bow out having pushed the eight-time champions so hard but the Brazilian still paid tribute to his players' efforts.

"We lost but I'm very proud of the players and I want to thank each one of them for fighting until the very end of the game," he said.

"I knew beforehand that little things, little mistakes would affect the outcome of the game and so it proved.

"But I'm very proud of the players and I want to thank them for fighting until the end."

Sapo also had words of encouragement for Komiyama.

"The blame for the mistake does not fall on one player but the whole team so it's not one player who has to accept responsibility but the whole team," he added.




Courtesy: The AFC.com


Farinha calls for fitting finish

17 May 2008

BANGKOK - China coach Farinha is eager for his side to do themselves justice when they face Japan in the third-place play-off at the AFC Futsal Championship on Sunday.

China were comprehensively outclassed by Thailand in Friday's semi-final as they went down 7-3 to the hosts.

It was a particularly disappointing display given they had upset Uzbekistan just 24 hours earlier to make the last four and book a place in the FIFA Futsal World Cup in Brazil later in the year.

Farinha afterwards lamented the fact his side had not given a proper account of themselves and is eager to set the record straight against Japan.

Overcoming their seasoned opponents will be no easy feat and the China coach stressed he was less interested in the result and more concerned that his side put up more of a fight than they did against Thailand at Nimibutr Stadium.

"I hope that whatever the result, in the last game we demonstrate our best play again," said Farinha.

"Japan are very strong, but that's what I am hoping for in the last game. I'll tell the players they don't have to worry about the result.

"We have reached our objective and we have a long time to prepare for the World Cup, so I consider the third place game the beginning of our preparation for the World Cup

"What I expect is that we play as well as we can, like we did in the previous four games, and whatever the score, I will be happy if we produce our best possible performance."

Japan go into the encounter on the back of heart-breaking semi-final loss to heavyweights Iran.

Yusuke Komiyama's defensive slip allowed Vahid Shamsaee to nip in and score wha t proved to be the winning goal just before half-time.

After being on the back-foot for the majority of the first period, Japan came out fighting after the break and Yuki Kanayama wasted a glorious late opportunity to level the game.

Falling at the penultimate hurdle in such a fashion would leave many teams finding it difficult to pick themselves up off the floor.

But coach Sergio Sapo insisted there will be no lack of fight from his side when Japan face China.

"We will continue to be motivated and to go and fight against China," said the Brazilian.

"We should win the game and we'll continue playing to win."




Courtesy: The AFC.com


Thais eye final surprise

17 May 2008

BANGKOK - Thailand coach Jose Maria Pazos Mendez is hopeful his side can create a major shock and claim the country's first AFC Futsal Championship when they face Iran in the final on Sunday.

Thailand have proved the surprise package of the tournament in reaching the showpiece encounter for the first time in the country's history, recording notable wins against teams such as Kyrzygstan and Australia along the way.

The hosts demolished China 7-3 in the semi-final to set up the clash with Iran and while Mendez recognises defeating the eight-time champions is a formidable task, the Spaniard is keen for his side to dig deep one last time at Nimibutr Stadium.

"It will be difficult. Iran are the best team in the tournament," he said.

"But in one game, anything can happen. We want to dream to get this win but we know it will not be easy.

"We've gone further in this championship than maybe we thought we would, we will go to World Cup and it's the first time Thailand have got to the final so why not?

"We will try to win. We know it is very difficult but the pressure is maybe on Iran because they are the favourites.

"We will try to create a shock but any team that plays against us must be worried because if they play us, they know we don't give anything.

"We're not the favourites but we want to fight for this title."

Confidence is oozing from the Iran camp as they bid for a ninth title in ten years with the narrow 1-0 semi-final win over Japan their first real test in a tournament in which they have comfortable outclassed all their opponents.

And coach Hossein Shams is fully confident the defending champions will retain their title on Sunday.

"Definitely, we have no doubt about this," he said.

"There's no doubt Thailand are the second-best team in Asia right now. They have good management, they are working very well and they have some new good players.

"At the same time we should not forget about Iran. We have not shown all our tactics and you will definitely be witnessing something new against Thailand."

The two teams recently met in the quarter-final of the Kuala Lumpur World 5s with Thailand coming out but Shams insisted that result will have no bearing on Sunday's encounter.

"Of course it will be different as Kuala Lumpur was only training," he added.

"If you remember, we played two games in a day so the game will be quite different from what you saw in Kuala Lumpur."

Skipper Mohammad Reza Heidarian played somewhat of a peripheral part in the last four victory over Japan but Shams stressed he will have a more crucial role in Sunday's final.

"He is the oldest player we have," Shams said.

"In a fast game where the tactics are very fast and both teams are very tough, we use him a little bit less than others.

But when the time comes, his experience will prove very valuable."







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