Futsal Stars Battle For Right To Appear On World S

Names like Martin Calvert, Simon Keith and Brett Hewit may not draw as much attention as Harry Kewell, Mark Viduka and Craig Moore amongst Australia’s sports soaked public, but for the time being at least, Australia’s soccer community will turn to the nations capital to allow Futsal its time in the sun.

By Ben Coonan

Names like Martin Calvert, Simon Keith and Brett Hewit may not draw as much attention as Harry Kewell, Mark Viduka and Craig Moore amongst Australia-s sports soaked public, but for the time being at least, Australia-s soccer community will turn to the nations capital to allow Futsal its time in the sun.

Here, at Canberra-s AIS Arena Complex, the above trio are to be joined by nine others in Australia-s Futsal squad, the Qantas Futsalroos, who are facing off against the best from across the Tasman and the Pacific for the right to represent Oceania at the fifth FIFA Futsal World Championships in Chinese Taipei this November and December.

Around 140,000 people actively participate in Futsal in Australia, some playing competitively, others simply for recreation.

Futsal was introduced to Australian shores in 1972 and for the 2003 season, there were 20,000 registered players across the country.

Since Futsal-s emergence on the world stage in 1989, Australia have been regular participants at the sports four-yearly World Cup.

Starting in the Netherlands in 89-, the Qantas Futsalroos have made appearances at Hong Kong 92-, Spain 96- and, most recently, Guatemala 2000.

Whilst Australia-s success has been limited at Futsal-s showpiece event, the Qantas Futsalroos have proven to be competitive in each of their four World Cup campaigns, with the most memorable being in the inaugural competition in 1989, where the Australians forged a win and a draw from their three group matches, only to miss qualification for the next stage by a whisper.

Having drawn with the United States in their opening match, the Qantas Futsalroos fell 6-1 to Italy before salvaging some pride in thrashing Zimbabwe 4-1 in their final match - their biggest ever World Cup win.

Three years later in Hong Kong is where the Qantas Futsalroos experienced their most recent win in Futsal World Cup competition, that being an 8-6 victory over Central Americans Costa Rica in their final group match.

Following the 1992 tournament, Australia has failed to win a match at the finals, having encountered some of the giants of the sport in recent meets.

Much like the outdoor equivalent, Latin giants Brazil dominate the Futsal scene and have captured Futsal-s world crown three times, only to surrender their title to Spain in Guatemala.

Spain and Brazil-s primary competition hails mainly from Europe and South America, with the Czech Republic, Argentina and the United States providing stiff opposition throughout the years.

Already qualified for the 2004 tournament are Iran, Japan, Thailand and hosts Chinese Taipei from Asia, Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay from South America and the Czech Republic, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Ukraine from Europe.

Running parallel with Oceania, Africa is still to fulfil one position in Chinese Taipei, with Central America rounding out the sixteen-team tournament with two qualification spots.

With direct qualification dangling in front of Oceania-s six participants in Canberra, the intensity emanating from the AIS Arena Complex is sure to enthral the regions Futsal starved public.

The last regional Futsal meet was in 1999, where Australia, the Cook Islands, Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Vanuatu met in Port Vila to decide the OFC-s representative in Guatemala.

In the end, it was the Australians who prevailed, finishing atop the group ahead of second placed Fiji and third placed Vanuatu having won all of their six group matches.

Traditional Oceania heavyweights New Zealand finished an unlikely fifth, ahead of only Samoa and the Cook Islands.

Five years further on, the onus remains on the Australians who enter the Canberra tournament as hot favourites.

In the way of the Australians are ever-present rivals New Zealand and island opposition Fiji, Samoa, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

Of particular interest is the involvement of the Solomons, who following their remarkable success in June-s World Cup qualifiers in Adelaide will appear in their first ever, Futsal tournament with a sound reputation for the raw talent that exemplifies Futsal.

Fronting for the Qantas Futsalroos are a few names that fans of the old National Soccer League should recall.

In goals will be former Canberra Cosmos custodian Angelo Konstantinou, who became notorious with the now defunct club over several years at the Australian capital.

Missing from the Canberra tournament, but an otherwise regular fixture in Australia-s Futsal plans is another former Cosmos star in Elliot Zwangobani.

Zwangobani made only fleeting appearances for the Cosmos in their final season in 2000/2001 after turning more than a few heads with some electrifying performances at the Qantas Futsalroos last World Cup campaign.

With a berth on the world stage just hours of game time away, the stakes are high in the nations capital and all who attend the AIS Arena Complex are sure to walk away impressed with the frenetic, fast paced fervour that is Futsal.