Banff Tohoku is the winner of the All Japan National Championship 2004. In the final match, with the spanish Pedro Galan Nieto as referee, Banff Tohoku defeated Fire Fox 3-1.

Comments by Steve Harris

A new champion was crowned as Banff Tohoku defeated Fire Fox 3-1 in the final of the Japan national championship. In a tense match officiated by Spanish referee Pedro Galan and Guatemala 2000 alumnus Fusaya Suzuki, Banff Tohoku, a new team representing the region of Tohoku, emphatically answered Fire Fox captain Osamu Nanbata's first strike with three consecutive goals to take the honors.

This final was noteworthy first and foremost because it pitted the new team of manager Oscar Mazikina against his former team. Mazikina, a Brazilian of Japanese ancestry, made Fire Fox into a Japanese futsal institution, only to leave the club last year to form Banff Tohoku anew. The Sendai-based team was propelled to the nationals on the strength of Brazilian-born players such as Marcus Yamaguchi and
Ricardo Higa, the latter the focal point of the Japanese national team that recently beat Russia and played against Brazil in the final of the Thailand 5s.

Banff rolled over tournament favorite Cascavel to win a berth in the final.

Futuro Futsal defeated Cibrasil/Pitstop 5-1 to take third place in the tournament.


8/2/2004

h. 12:00

Komazawa Gymnasium, Tokyo

Spectators: 1.200

Final:

Banff Tohoku - Fire Fox 3-1 (2-1)

Scorers:

3' Nanbata (0-1)
16' Ricardo Higa (1-1)
18' Marcos Yamaguchi(2-1)
21' Ricardo Okimura (3-1)



Previous stages

Group A

Fire Fox - Mags 1-0
SA Fighters - Kagoshima FR 5-4
SA Fighters - Fire Fox 2-5
Kagoshima FR - Mags 0-5
Fire Fox - Kagoshima FR 6-0
Mags - SA Fighters 9-1

Group A - Standing
1. Fire Fox --------------------3-3-0-0-12--2-9
2. Mags ------------------------3-2-0-1-14--2-6
3. SA Fighters -----------------3-1-0-2--8-18-3
4. Paragosto -------------------3-0-0-3--4-16-0


Group B

Futuro - Divertido 6-0
Mistura - Paragosto 2-1
Divertido - Mistura 5-5
Paragosto - Futuro 2-3
Futuro - Mistura 5-0
Paragosto - Divertido 0-3

Group B - Standing
1. Futuro ----------------------3-3-0-0-14--2-9
2. Divertido -------------------3-1-1-1--8-11-4
3. Mistura ---------------------3-1-1-1--7-11-4
4. Paragosto -------------------3-0-0-3--3--8-0


Group C

Cibrasil - Futsal Oita 5-1
Keihan Futsal - Standard 4-3
Standard - Cibrasil 2-2
Futsal Oita - Keihan Futsal 1-1
Cibrasil - Keihan Futsal 1-1
Standard - Futsal Oita 5-2

Group C - Standing
1. Cibrasil --------------------3-1-2-0--8--4-5
2. Keihan Futsal ---------------3-1-2-0--6--5-5
3. Standard --------------------3-1-1-1-10--8-4
4. Futsal Oita -----------------3-0-1-2--4-11-1


Group D

Banff - Cascavel 2-1
Daiwa Sports - Member of the Gang 7-2
Cascavel - Member of the Gang 7-0
Banff - Daiwa Sports 4-1
Member of the Gang - Banff 1-8
Daiwa Sports - Cascavel 0-3

Group D - Standing
1. Banff -----------------------3-3-0-0-14--3-9
2. Cascavel --------------------3-2-0-1-11--2-6
3. Daiwa Sports ----------------3-1-0-2--8--9-3
4. Member Of The Gang ----------3-0-0-3--3-22-0



Semifinals:

Fire Fox - Futuro 3-1
Banff - Cibrasil 4-0

Third Place:

Futuro - Cibrasil 5-1

Final:

Banff - Fire Fox 3-1