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The AFC.comNagoya Oceans 8-1 Zhejiang DragonSunday, 26 June 2011Doha: Nagoya Oceans began their AFC Futsal Club Championship 2011 campaign in style with a comfortable 8-1 win over Zhejiang Dragon in Group A at Al Rayyan Main Hall.
Nagoya, who finished third in last year's edition, were kept at bay for the majority of the first-half by their spirited Chinese opponents before Wataru Kitahara eventually opened the scoring.
Zhejiang levelled almost immediately but Nagoya took a 2-1 lead into the interval before pulling away in the second-half.
Nagoya enjoyed much the better of the first period but were unable to break the deadlock with keeper Wang Jun proving an inspired last line of resistance whenever the Zhejiang defence was breached.
Nagoya did take the lead after 14 minutes when skipper Kitahara fired Kaoru Morioka's corner low into the corner.
However, Zhejiang levelled 10 seconds later when Wang Xiang beat keeper Hisamitsu Kawahara at his near post.
Nagoya would go into the break with the lead, though, when Kenichiro Kogure fed Morioka and he buried a powerful finish.
Zhejiang then almost conjured another immediate reply but Geng Deyang's shot came back off the post.
Nagoya extended their lead three minutes into the second-half through Rafael Sakai's shot and Kitahara added a fourth with a deflected effort.
The Japanese side claimed their fifth goal with just over eight minutes to go when Rafael Henmi set up Bruno to tap home at the far post before the latter netted his second in similar fashion four minutes later.
Morioka also bagged a brace with a smart finish after dummying a couple of Zhejiang players and Shuta Mori slotted home the eighth goal with time running out.
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The AFC.comAmarante praises players after winSunday, 26 June 2011Doha: Nagoya Oceans boss Jose Amarante praised his side's second-half display after the Japanese side began their AFC Futsal Club Championship 2011 bid with an 8-1 win over Zhejiang Dragon in Group A.
Wataru Kitahara, Kaoru Morioka and Bruno all scored twice as the Japanese side eased to victory over their Chinese opponents.
However, they were kept at bay for the majority of the first-half and only led 2-1 at the break thanks to Morioka's powerful finish after Wang Xiang had cancelled out Kitahara's opener.
Nagoya stepped it up in the second-half, though, and ultimately powered to victory.
“As I said before, we don't have a lot of information about the other teams so when we started the game we had to be more careful because we don't know what the opposition can do,” said Amarante.
“We waited to see how they played so it's normal, especially in the first game, to not score too many goals in the first-half.
“We committed one or two errors in the first-half that made the players a little bit nervous, especially the first goal, and then they hit the post so that made the first-half more difficult.
“Then we began to play our game, we started to relax and as we scored more goals, we became more confident.”
Zhejiang boss Zhiping Shan admitted his team ran out of steam after the interval.
“Congratulations to Nagoya Oceans, they have strong players and also play well as a team, he said.
“First-half, my players tried very hard, maybe they tired in the second-half. We couldn't defend Nagoya's attacks, maybe our players are too young, they lack experience in such a high-level competition but we will try harder.
“In the first-half, our young players were very anxious to win the game although this is the first time they have participated in such a high-level competition
“But some of my players were nervous so in the second-half I think they lost their way. They don't know how to deal with this situation.”
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The AFC.comShahid Mansouri 4-2 ArdusSunday, 26 June 2011Doha: Shahid Mansouri FC opened their Group B account at the AFC Futsal Club Championship with a hard-fought 4-2 win over Ardus.
The Iranians established a three-goal lead at Al Rayyan Main Hall before holding off a spirited Ardus fightback to pick up three points.
An even first-half saw a number of chances at both ends but the Iranians took the lead just before the halfway point when, following a foul on the edge of the area, Majid Latif teed up Mohammadesmaeil Vatankhah to drive home.
Ardus came close to an equaliser when Konstantin Sviridov fed Jamoliddin Sharipov but he lifted his effort against the post and also saw a header clip the top of the bar.
Rustan Umarov pulled off a fine double save with just over a minute remaining in the opening period but was helpless to prevent Shahid Mansouri doubling their lead before half-time when Ahmad Esmaeilpour squared for Mohammad Keshavarz to poke home from close range at the back post.
Shahid Mansouri increased their lead eight minutes into the second-half when an incisive break ended with skipper Hamid Nasiri setting-up Morteza Azimaeidivkolaei to sidefoot into an empty net.
Ardus pulled a goal back when Sviridov rifled home and with just over four minutes to go, the Uzbeks decided to replace their keeper with an outfield player.
The move paid dividends as Sharipov steered home a cross at the far post to reduce the deficit to one goal.
Ardus' joy was relatively short-lived, though, as Masoud Daneshvar cut inside a defender and his low finish found the back of the net to seal the points for Shahid Mansouri.
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The AFC.comRelieved Reza rues lack of infoSunday, 26 June 2011Doha: Shahid Mansouri FC boss Reza Lak was relieved to see his side come through a close encounter with Ardus 4-2 and begin Group B at the AFC Futsal Club Championships 2011 with a crucial win.
The Iranians established a three-goal lead at Al Rayyan Main Hall as Mohammadesmaeil Vatankhah, Mohammad Keshavarz and Morteza Azimaeidivkolaei all found the back of the net.
Ardus, though, refused to give in and after Konstantin Sviridov reduced the deficit with just over four minutes left, boss Alexander Petrov decided to pull his keeper and the extra man paid off when Jamoliddin Sharipov steered home a cross at the far post to ignite Uzbek hopes of a comeback.
However, Masoud Daneshvar netted Shahid's fourth goal soon after to set the seal on a contest that fluctuated back and forth.
“We did not have such good information about our opponents but in the end we focused on our team, we played such a tough game against them and thank god we won,” said Lak.
“I'm not totally happy with my players performance but because we did not play many friendly games, the players need to play together more and I think game by game, the team performance will get better and better.
“The first game is always hard in such a huge tournament. Also we did not show our best performance today, we will save it for the other games. We looked at some players to make them feel part of this tournament.”
Petrov, on the other hand, was left to rue what might have been.
“Unfortunately, we lost the match due to our mistakes but I would like to emphasise that the Iranian players are individually among the best in the sport. We also missed many chances,” he said.
“I was disappointed with my team's performance but we managed to score two goals and I think the match was good.”
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The AFC.comGH Bank RBAC 0-0 Al SadakaSunday, 26 June 2011Doha: Al Sadaka and GH Bank RBAC played out a rare goalless draw in their opening Group A game of the AFC Club Futsal Championship 2011 at Al Rayyan Main Hall.
Both sides missed a number of good opportunities before the Thais were left a man down in the closing minutes after Suphawut Thueanklang was sent-off for a second bookable offence.
There was little to choose between the two in what proved an absorbing yet on occasion fractious opening period.
Both GH Bank keeper Surapong Tompa and his opposite number Rabie El Kakhi were repeatedly called into action but both proved equal to anything the opposition could throw at them.
Al Sadaka came closest to breaking the deadlock when Khaled Takaji produced a couple of step overs down the left wing before flashing a low shot across the face of Surapong's goal that struck the base of the far post.
The second-half carried on in much the same vein as the first had ended.
Al Sadaka wasted a glorious chance with almost 10 minutes gone when Hassan Chaito blazed over from close range at the far post following a swift, incisive break.
GH Bank then spurned a fantastic opportunity of their own. Suphawut did well to hold the ball up under pressure from two Al Sadaka defenders before laying it off to the onrushing Lertchai Issarasuwipakorn.
However, his team-mate could not hit the target, firing disappointingly over when it seemed easier to score.
Both sides continued to prove wasteful in front of goal. Takaji pulled a low effort beyond the far post and at the other end, Panomkorn Saidorn sidefooted horribly wide when well placed.
With just under two minutes to go, GH Bank suffered a setback when Suphawut was sent-off for a second bookable offence but the Thais almost snatched victory in the dying seconds but Ekapong Suratsawang saw his sliding effort come back off the inside of the post.
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The AFC.comCoaches content after drawMonday, 27 June 2011Doha: GH Bank RBAC boss Rakphol Sainetngam took a philosophical view of his side's opening goalless draw with Al Sadaka in Group A of the AFC Futsal Club Championship after both sides missed a host of chances to wrap up the points at Al Rayyan Main Hall.
An entertaining encounter ended with the honours even although the Thai side were forced to play out the final two minutes with one man less after Suphawut Thueanklang was sent-off for a second bookable offence
“We're quite happy, the players played with their hearts,” said Rakphol.
“It's the first game. Sometimes when you approach a competition, people have big expectations so for us, the players tried very hard but there were a few individual mistakes at both ends.
“Collectively, it's a result that's not fantastic but it's the first game, we have two more to go. I have confidence in my team, we have to focus on our team, we'll take it a step at a time. We have to analyse today's match and come back tomorrow.
“Obviously the red card, it's not great but we don't want to talk about referee's decisions even though physically, we felt the game was taken to us a bit more by Al Sadaka.
“With regards to our finishing, that's futsal. You can try but if the ball doesn't want to go in, there's not much you can do. I honestly believe the Al Sadaka keeper played a blinder.”
Opposite number Hussein Dib felt his men lacked composure in front of goal.
“It was a very tough game, usually when you play the first game in a tournament it is the most difficult game,” he said.
“Some of the players don't have experience in Asian tournaments because they are still young and they are playing futsal in such a tournament for the first time. We faced a lot of problems with organisation, we have two or three experienced players but for the rest it was a big game. It was good for us because we are building a team not just for this tournament but for the future as well.
“When we had three against four, first of all everyone wanted to score and we were rushing. This is how players gain experience, everybody wanted to win.”
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The AFC.comAl Rayyan 6-5 Al KarkhMonday, 27 June 2011Doha: Al Rayyan survived an incredible Al Karkh fightback in the second-half before eventually prevailing 6-5 in their opening Group B game at the AFC Futsal Championship 2011.
The hosts had established a 4-0 lead and appeared to be cruising to victory but Hashim Al Saraf's hat-trick spearheaded the Iraqis spirited second-half performance before Ahmad Raja's winner eventually handed Al Rayyan victory.
Hassan Zadeh gave Al Rayyan an early lead when he was allowed to dribble across the face of goal before slamming home a powerful finish and the Iranian doubled the advantage shortly afterwards when, after some considered build-up play, he fired off a snap shot that caught Al Karkh by surprise and found the bottom corner of the net.
Mustafa Saadi hit the bar for Al Karkh before Mohammad Taheri got in on the act when he converted a penalty to make it 3-0 after an Al Rayyan player had been chopped down in the box.
Taheri grabbed his second and Al Rayyan's fourth goal in the fourth minute of the second-half when he raced clear before rounding keeper Abdul Kadir Otail and slotting into the empty net.
However, Al Karkh bounced back and Al Saraf was on hand to sidefoot into an empty net at the far post to reduce the arrears.
It was 4-2 shortly afterwards thanks as Al Saraf grabbed his second in fine style, cutting through the heart of the Al Rayyan side before beating keeper Badi Johar with a clinical finish.
Al Saraf turned provider for Al Karkh's third goal when he played in Karrar Al Thabeti and the latter showed great composure to roll his foot over the ball and take it round Johar before slotting home.
Zadeh hit the post and Taheri headed the rebound wide before Taheri also hit the woodwork and Al Rayyan were made to pay with just over five minutes to go when Al Saraf completed his hat-trick from a tight angle.
Amad Raja immediately restored Al Rayyan's lead when he slipped the ball under the keeper from close range but Abdulkareem Al Sharshahi skipped past a couple of challenges to rifle home Al Karkh's equaliser.
However, Raja spun smartly and fired home the winner to give a grateful Al Rayyan three points.
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The AFC.comRhouila admits relaxed attitudeMonday, 27 June 2011Doha: Al Rayyan boss Hassan Rhouila admitted he was mightily relieved to see his side overcome Al Karkh 6-5 in their opening Group B game at the AFC Futsal Championships 2011 after they almost threw away a commanding position.
The hosts had established a 4-0 lead and appeared to be cruising to victory at Al Rayyan Main Hall but Hashim Al Saraf's hat-trick spearheaded the Iraqis spirited second-half performance before Ahmad Raja's winner eventually handed Al Rayyan victory.
“Thank God we won this game and we got our first three points,” he said.
“In the first-half we were better, we scored four goals and at half-time we spoke with our players, we told them it's not going to be easy as we still have another half but in the end I think this is our mistake because our player thought the match had ended.
“The Iraqi team played well but our team tried hard also. We are facing a problem in that we only have one fit substitute. (Mohammed) Tahiri played the full game, I don't think this is realistic but in the end we won the game. We didn't play well in the second-half because were tired.
“We faced a good team, most of them are Iraq internationals. They played a very tough game and in the end we won the game.”
Al Karkh boss Saad Hussein Hadhal praised his team's spirited fightback.
“We showed good character to come back from four goals down,” he said.
“Today our players showed good character, they played very, very well and we are satisfied with them. They did the maximum that they could, they got back into the game by scoring four goals.
“We also have two injured players after the game, we will do our best to prepare them for tomorrow's game and we hope that we can play well.”
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The AFC.comTaheri wants title for Al RayyanSunday, 26 June 2011Doha: Mohammed Taheri is an excellent player to watch. He is one of the best players in the world, and possesses exceptional skills, terrific ball control and incredible speed.
And when Al Rayyan begin their fight for honours in the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) Club Championship, one player everyone expects to make a standout performance is Taheri.
The Iranian helped Foolad Mahan Sepahan win the tournament’s inaugural edition last year. That, together with a consistent performance for his national team, helped him win the 2010 AFC Futsal Player of the Year award.
Taheri, who joined Rayyan recently for the continental tournament, sounded confident.
“By contributing in my own right to help hosts Foolad Mahan Sepahan win the inaugural AFC Futsal Club Championship last year, I could see the trophy remain in Iran. Now with Qatari side Rayyan, I want to triumph again and make it a point that the trophy doesn’t go out of Qatar,” said the 26-year-old.
He believes his country’s rich futsal history helped him and others excel on the world stage.
“In Iran, the game has been going strong for decades while it’s relatively new to Qatar. But I’m sure the Qatari clubs and national team will make use of the excellent facilities in Doha and great support from the Qatar Futsal Committee to go far forward,” he said.
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