Maccabi sets trend for Futsal in Asia

Maccabi is the first club team in the history of Futsal in Australia to venture into Asia, for the Zone 2 Qualifiers for the AFC Futsal Club Championships to be held in Kuwait in July 2012.

Maccabi is the first club team in the history of Futsal in Australia to venture into Asia, for the Zone 2 Qualifiers for the AFC Futsal Club Championships to be held in Kuwait in July 2012.

Maccabi played their first game agianst the home team oppostion in Thai Son Nam. In the lead up to the official opening cermony the Maccabi team looked ready for the challenge.

In the first 10 minutes of the match it was very close. Thai Som Nam managed a few shots with only one being on target made by their Spainard no.17 Riquer without score.

Maccabi defended very well as a team and held their own; to ensure the hometown crowd of 900-plus those at home watching where kept on the edge of their seats. The Maccabi goalkeeper Chiarella also made a couple of great saves during the first period.

Towards the end of the first half Thai Son Nam ended up on five fouls due to Maccabi team taking the game to their more favoured opponents. Just prior to this after great team work passing the ball around Maccabi No.7 Mundell made a fantastic shot on target only to be saved by the Thai Son Nam goalkeeper TB Phuoc to keep the Australian club out.

Maccabi continued in the effort of defence with individual and team concentration being very high. The half-time whistle was blown with the Maccabi team holding the opposition to a score of 0 - 0.

The second-half started and it was more of the same; defence being the order of the day for both teams. In the 37th minute a kick in by Thai Son Nam deflected from a Maccabi player no.5 De Melo onto Thai Son Nam player no.15 LQ Toan whom tapped the ball into the Maccabi goal from 1m.

A little bit of frustration then came into some Maccabi players causing Maccabi no.10 Pozniak to be cautioned in the 37th Minute by the Uzbekistan Referee. Despite the goal the game was still very close with three minutes to go under stop-clock conditions. This meant that Maccabi was still in with a chance to steal at least a draw.

Due to Maccabi pressing their oppostion and using the fifth man power play, some fouls eventuated causing further cautions to Maccabi no.2 Lewis on the 38th minute and De Melo in the 39th minute.

As a result Maccabi made inroads on the Thai Son Nam team with a number of shots towards the opposition goal and more than one of them being on target made by Maccabi no. 7 Mundell and again saved by the superman goalkeeper from Thai Son Nam no.9 TB Phuoc.

In the last few mintues of the match the Maccabi teams tried hard to find the goal but unfortunatley the match ended 1 - 0 to Thai Son Nam of Vietnam.

Maccabi Coach Gareth Naar praised his players at the end of the match and said, "To hold the opposition to no goals up to the 37th minute on their home soil I'm very proud.

"We earnt the respect of the locals and that's great for Futsal in Asia”.

Thai Son Nam Coach Sergio Gargelli said, “This competition is anyone's game; we have just played our friends from Australia it was a very hard and close game”.

Maccabi will now play their second game at Pho Tho Stadium, 7pm (11pm AEST) on Tuesday 20th March 2012 vs the Futsal Champion of China; GuangZhou BaiYunShan.