Men and Women results from the first day of the FFA Futsal National Championships in Canberra.
MEN - DAY ONE
Victoria 2 (Maxim Avram 25-, Jason Barrientos 36-) ACT 3 (Robbie Cattanach 13-, 29-, Michael Reeve 28-)
The ACT kicked off the defence of their FFA National Futsal Championships title with a 3-2 win over Victoria in the Grand Final re-match at the AIS Arena. Robbie Cattanach was the two goal hero in an excellent ACT display but the win was marred by the loss of former Futsalroo Pat Ross-Magee to what appeared to be a nasty knee injury. As expected there was little to choose between the teams in the opening half with chances coming at both ends. Jonathan Barrientos went closest for Victoria, rounding Angelo Konstantinou only to see his shot headed off the line.
But it was the ACT that broke the deadlock in the 13th minute. Cattanach wriggled past his marker and unleashed a low drive across Ryan Timmins in the Victorian goal and into the bottom corner for a deserved half-time lead. Victoria, led by the irrepressible Fernando De Moraes, hit back after the break when Maxim Avram levelled the scores with a thunderous free-kick. That forced the hosts to up the tempo and two goals in two minutes put them in a match winning position.
Michael Reeve netted the first, reacting fastest to poke the ball home after Daniel Fulton had hit the post before Cattanach made it 3-1, dancing past a marker to score into the top corner. A brilliantly worked riposte from Victoria, Jonathan and Jason Barrientos combining for the latter to volley home, made for a nervous last few minutes but the champions held on.
NSW Thunder 4 (Lev Lewis 1-, Clayton Musumeci 5-, Jordan Guerrero 7-, Jarrod Basger 14-) South Australia 0
NSW Thunder got off to the perfect start at the 2014 FFA National Futsal Championships putting in a clinical performance to despatch South Australia 4-0 in Round 1. The Thunder was simply way too strong for an out-gunned South Australia who was further handicapped by the eleventh minute dismissal of skipper Jake La Scala for violent conduct. Thunder had earlier got off to a flyer taking the lead with virtually their first attack with Lev Lewis pouncing to put them ahead after only 25 seconds.
It didn-t take the NSW side long to increase that advantage with further goals from Clayton Musumeci and Jordan Guerrero putting them 3-0 up inside of seven minutes. Following the dismissal of La Scala, Thunder made the extra man pay scoring within the allotted two minutes through Futsalroo international Jarrod Basger to comfortably lead 4-0 at the break.
South Australia tightened up in the second stanza with the powerful Olumide Olayemi Adisa causing NSW some problems but the Thunder was rarely forced to move out of their comfort zone in recording a convincing opening day success. Moving the ball around with speed and precision, the Thunder saw out the second half without adding to their score.
LEADING SCORERS 2 Robbie CATTANACH (ACT) 1 Michael REEVE (ACT), Jarrod BASGER, Jordan GUERRERO, Lev LEWIS, Clayton MUSUMECI (NSW Thunder), Maxim AVRAM, Jason BARRIENTOS (Victoria)
WOMEN - DAY ONE
Victoria 2 (Melissa Missailidis 18-, Liesl Woods 24-) ACT 4 (Ashleigh Palombi 5-, Erin Clout 14-, Hayley Buckingham 33-, Becky Roche 38-)
Defending Women-s Open Champions the ACT got off to a flier in their first match of the 2014 FFA National Futsal Championships by defeating Victoria 4-2 at the AIS Arena. In what was a replay of last year-s epic Grand Final, the ACT held a 2-0 lead, were pegged back to 2-2 before ultimately triumphing in an end-to-end match that kept the crowd entertained throughout.
The hosts had a dream start to the competition, taking the lead after five minutes through Ashleigh Palombi who raced away from her marker before showing quick feet to slip around Elizabeth Sarcevic in the Victorian goal for a superb opener. And the lead was doubled nine minutes later as Erin Clout hit a low shot that cannoned into the net off the base of the goalkeeper-s right hand post. Victoria reduced the deficit six minutes before the interval however as Melissa Missailadis tapped in from close range.
The Victorians came out for the second half in an up-tempo mood and were soon level, Leisl Woods sweeping home to complete a fast-paced slick counter-attack. At 2-2 it was anyone-s game but it was the ACT who struck next as Hayley Buckingham found the space to blast home from mid-range. With Victoria pushing for an equaliser the Act killed off the contest, and secured the three points, when Becky Roche made it four, two minutes from the full time whistle.
NSW Lightning 3 (Dominique Caridad 17-, Ceyda Cambaz 30-, 37-) South Australia 1 (Jamilla Hull 3-)
NSW Lightning came from 0-1 down to win their opening match of the FFA National Futsal Championships thanks to a brace of goals from Ceyda Cambaz. Cambaz struck twice within seven second half minutes to turn the match on its head and give Lightning the three points. It was South Australia that started the brightest, on the offensive from the off and peppering the NSW Lightning goal with a number of early shots. From one of these, in the third minute, they took the lead.
Moving the ball swiftly across court the South Australians created a gap wide on the right hand side and Jamilla Hull did the rest, belting a drive across the reach of Sarah Easthope and high into the roof of the net for a sublime goal. Lightning should have levelled in the 16th minute after excellent approach work by Dominique Caridad but Cambaz struck the underside of the bar from her delicious square ball. It mattered little however as within sixty seconds the same combination, in reverse, allowed Caridad to restore parity.
Jessica Elliott forced South Australian custodian Leah Trebilcock into a smart save early in the second half as Lightning came out with high intensity. But the ‘keeper could do nothing to prevent a brilliantly taken goal by Ceyda Cambaz with ten minutes remaining, a dink over the advancing stopper put NSW ahead. And Cambaz put the icing on the cake with time running out, getting on the end of the counter attack to stab her second and NSW-s third past Trebilcock.
LEADING SCORERS 2 Ceyda CAMBAZ (NSW Lightning) 1 Hayley BUCKINGHAM, Erin CLOUT, Ashleigh PALOMBI, Becky ROCHE (ACT), Dominique CARIDAD (NSW Lightning), Jamilla HULL (South Australia), Melissa MISSAILIDIS, Liesl WOODS (Victoria)
Photo courtesy Football NSW