Courtesy: OFC Web Site


Ragomo ready for on-court action

The Kurukuru are settling into their official accommodation in Bangkok buoyed by the news that captain Elliot Ragomo has overcome injury and will take to the court alongside his teammates at the FIFA Futsal World Cup.

Ragomo was put under close supervision following the injury he sustained against Spain, but was allowed to continue training and played in both friendly matches against Thailand and Australia.

However there was some doubt as to whether he would make a full recovery when he limped from the court in the match against Australia.

Ragomo has had a tough run since departing on the Kurukuru’s pre-World Cup tour as prior to the injury he sustained against Spain he also had to deal with malaria, which struck him soon after leaving home.

A treatment regime was started in Australia, the team’s first stop in the tour, but it took Ragomo some time to recover and regain the weight he had lost.

Head of delegation Joseph Boso says the Kurukuru skipper deserves a lot of credit for his fighting spirit.

“The week after his knock he was slow to get back into training but now he is well and picking up his fitness,” Boso says.

“It was a big ask of him but given his commitment to the team it was sort of expected that he would make a full recovery.

"The amount of courage that Elliot has is remarkable and he is greatly admired for this. On the way to the World Cup he has had to overcome malaria and now this injury but still he is looking forward to playing."

It has been a nerve-wracking week for the Kurukuru management who had limited options in terms of available players, so Ragomo’s recovery has been warmly welcomed.

Boso says with Jack Wetney and Lenson Bisili out of the campaign there was effectively no replacement for Ragomo leaving a major attacking gap in the team.

Several other players are also nursing minor injuries, James Egeta is recovering from a toe injury and Samuel Osifelo and George Stevenson are recovering from knocks, though they are all expected to be fit for the World Cup.

Having transferred to their official accommodation at the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel and Towers, the Kurukuru are looking forward to having a base close to the training and match venues.

Team manager Mapuru Tausinga says it is a relief to settle down and get over the feeling that they are still travelling.

“After a lot of travelling in the last couple of weeks everyone is happy that we are now in our official home for the World Cup,” Tausinga says.

“The journey was tough for the players and the management is pleased to bring them to this point safely as now we can focus fully on the task at hand. Everyone from now has to go into World Cup mode – both the players and the management.”

Tausinga has also thanked supporters of the team, and families back home in the Solomon Islands, and called for national unity behind the Kurukuru.

“This is now the most important period of our campaign and was ask the whole of the Solomon Islands to be with us every step of the way.”

The FIFA Futsal World Cup opens tomorrow, November 1, while the Kurukuru’s first match will be on Saturday November 3 against Russia.

They will then play Colombia on Tuesday November 6 followed by their final pool match against Guatemala on Friday November 9.

For more on Solomon Islands football go to www.siff.com.sb




Courtesy: OFC Web Site


Courageous Kurukuru succumb to Russia

The Kurukuru, the Solomon Islands national futsal team, will hope for better results in their two remaining group matches at the FIFA Futsal World Cup after falling to a potent Russian side 16-0 in their opening game.

The contest was never likely to be about who was going to win but rather how many the Russians could put past the team they humiliated four years ago with a world-record 31-2 scoreline. Once again, Russia reigned supreme but signs that the Kurukuru are on the rise were aplenty throughout the match.

“I am proud of the boys for not giving up today – the Russians were a class apart from us but the fighting spirit within the team did not let up until the final whistle. The result is not in our favour but we expected it to be tough so we managed our objectives for this game,” Kurukuru coach Dickson Kadau said.

“Obviously, there is a lot more work that we need to do to be on par with the best of the world but in our own way the boys achieved something today. We need to work on defending all around the court and properly mark opponents because the game is now more dynamic than ever – these are important lessons for us today and we will improve."

With the help of their naturalised Brazilians, Russia were up 8-0 in the first half and a further eight strikes in the second spell helped them to the biggest scoreline in the competition so far and also to the top of the Group F table. Elder Lima top scored with seven goals while Sergey Servgeev and Alexander Fukin both got on the scoresheet twice.

Kurukuru showed some control in the opening five minutes but the Russians soon began to take over the game. While some of the flare of the island boys was on display, getting past the Russian defensive wall proved an insurmountable challenge. The Russians continued to drive them down with press forward and made it 3-0 after four minutes with goals in quick succession.

From there, the concentration levels of the Kurukuru appeared to wane and mistakes began to creep in. The Russians capitalised on the lapses to add five more goals for a very comfortable first-half lead.

The second half opened in similar fashion to the first with Russia quickly gaining the upper hand nd using their well-versed movements to break down the Kurukuru defence. Sergeev needed just one minute to score and the situation went further downhill as efforts from his teammates took the game well beyond reach of the Kurukuru.

The Oceania champions displayed greater determination in the dying minutes with captain Elliot Ragomo and Micah Lea’alafa both exciting the crowd with breakaway runs but the Russians ensured a clean sheet finish with class defending at the back.

The Kurukuru now need to win both their remaining games in the competition to guarantee them a place in the second round. South Americans Colombia are the next team on their schedule and that clash will be followed by an encounter with Guatemala.

Kadau believes the Russian game will be an invaluable experience for the Kurukuru as they look ahead to their next two challenges.

“The lessons from today will be vital if we want to win our remaining group matches. Both at a player and management level we need to correct our errors and move on with renewed objectives and determination,” he said.

For more on Solomon Islands football go to www.siff.com.sb





Courtesy: OFC Web Site


Kurukuru determined to bounce back

The Kurukuru, the Solomon Islands national futsal team, is looking to pry some points out of its clash with Colombia today following the loss in their opening match against European powerhouse Russia.

A dejected Kurukuru side left Nimibutr Stadium on Saturday but there are signs that the team's spirit is on the mend with the mood in the camp now one of hope and renewed determination.

Head coach Dickson Kadau has made it clear to his players after Saturday's loss that the Russian game is in the past but their campaign can be salvaged with wins in their last two matches.

“I understand that the players were in pain after the loss against Russia but we have to look forward to our remaining pool matches," Kadau says.

"As far as I am concerned the Russian defeat is history and beyond our reach but we are still in control of our destiny when it comes to Colombia and Guatemala.”

Their match against Colombia will be crucial if the Kurukuru want to recover any hopes of going into the second round but even a win there may not be enough.

The team would then need another three points against Guatemala to qualify outright behind Russia. On paper this seems a straight forward affair but on the court it will be a different story.

Colombia opened their campaign with a 5-2 loss against Guatemala, despite leading 2-1 at one point in the game, and will prove difficult for the Kurukuru to beat.

The classy South American side qualified in fourth from CONMEBOL and their path to the World Cup included matches against Brazil and Argentina.

Faced with an effective attacking side, the Kurukuru will be hoping to capitalise on Colombia's defensive lapses to turn the game in their favour.

Guatemala are favourites to qualify from Group F alongside Russia so the Kurukuru will have their work cut out for them when they come up against the Central Americans on Friday.

However, a previous meeting at the Alfateh Intercontinental Championship in Libya ended in a 6-6 draw with the Guatemaleans forced to come from behind.

That was three years ago and Guatemala have improved vastly since then - but so have the Kurukuru.

The key for the Kurukuru according to their captain, Elliot Ragomo, is to stay cool and play with the belief they can win.

“In the World Cup it is about your country - you want to get emotional and against Russia we suffered for that. In our next two games we have to play smartly and objectively and leave our emotions in the dressing room,” Ragomo says.

“The question about whether we can win will be settled after the final whistle has sounded. But if you ask whether we believe that we can win? Yes, we believe that we can. That is one thing we all share.”

The clash against Colombia takes place this afternoon at 5pm local time at Nimibutr Stadium while the match against Guatemala will be played at the same time on Friday at Huamark Hall.

For more on Solomon Islands football go to www.siff.com.sb





Courtesy: OFC Web Site


South Americans wreck island hope

The Solomon Islands national futsal team now needs maximum points in its final group match and at the same time pray for a Russian whitewash of Colombia following an 11-3 defeat to the South Americans in their second group game today.

After an impressive first half, which ended 3-3, Colombia took advantage of an organisational collapse by the Kurukuru in the second half to hit home eight unanswered goals.

The result leaves the Kurukuru at the bottom of the Group F table while Colombia move up to second place with their first ever points at a FIFA Futsal World Cup.

Colombia took the lead in the sixth minute courtesy of Johnathan Toro and the advantage was extended by Jose Quiroz seconds later.

Captain Elliot Ragomo brought the Solomon Islanders back into the game with a neat finish from a penalty and a kick-in a minute later put the Oceania champions on par with their opponents at 2-2 with Samuel Osifelo connecting with a Yefri Duque cross.

Just before half time each side got one-a-piece - Toro got his second of the match to regain the lead for Colombia but Micah Lea’alafa kept his side in the game with his close range strike to enter the break level.

However, moments before Toro's goal the Kurukuru’s first choice goalkeeper Paul Huia was sent off for handling the ball outside his area and the referee ruled that he denied his opponent a goal-scoring opportunity.

Sixteen-year-old Anthony Talo was then brought in to replace him.

As soon as the second half started defensive red flags started popping up for the Kurukuru, who were let off easy on two occasions as the Colombians tried to break their spirit early.

However, the third time the Kurukuru were not so lucky as Andres Reyes scored in the 22nd minute and Yefri Duque took it to 5-2 with his contribution seven minutes later.

The Kurukuru clawed onto the belief that they were still in it after the half hour mark but Colombia sank their hopes with another six goals adding to their growing tally.

Reyes struck again in the 32nd minute and Jorge Abril also got in on the action in the 34th minute.

Toro completed his hat trick with three minutes left on the clock before Angelott Caro, Yeisson Fonegra and Johan Prado made their marks on the scoresheet.

In reply the Kurukuru crafted several worthy scoring opportunities but the Colombians refused to let them through. An effort from James Egeta rattled the Colombian woodwork and two more shots were saved.

"It's obvious that I am satisfied with the first half and very unsatisfied with the second," Solomon Islands head coach Dickson Kadau says.

"We lost our concentration and stopped executing our game plan, which was to pressure them and mark tight in one-on-ones."

Counterpart Amey Fonnegra praised his team’s performance in the second half but expressed concerns about their final group match against Russia.

“In the second half our counter-attacks were lethal," Fonnegra says.

"It is true that we have accomplished something historic by winning our first ever World Cup match, but I can’t be completely satisfied just yet. Now I have to think of the best way to play Russia."

Solomon Islands is now left with only a statistical chance of making it to the second round and need several freak results to take place inside and outside of Group F.

First they need to beat Guatemala by a gigantic margin and hope that the Russians can put enough goals past Colombia to overturn the massive deficit they currently hold.

Meanwhile in the other Group F match yesterday the Russians confirmed their ticket to the second round with a 9-0 win over Guatemala. The result saw Guatemala slip to third place in the Group F table.

For more on Solomon Islands football go to www.siff.com.sb




Courtesy: OFC Web Site


Win a building block for future

Coming into this month’s FIFA Futsal World Cup the Solomon Islands national futsal team, the Kurukuru, were best remembered for their record-holding 31-2 loss to Russia at their first appearance at a World Cup in 2008.

However on Friday night the side changed the course of history when they posted the first win at a World Cup by an Oceania side after 16-year-old keeper Anthony Talo’s goal secured them a 4-3 victory over Guatemala.

Now as the Kurukuru prepare to touch down to a hero’s welcome in Honiara, OFC Futsal and Beach Soccer Development Officer Paul Toohey tells oceaniafootball.com how the historic victory was achieved and how it will affect the future of futsal in Oceania.

Are you happy with Friday's result?
Yes, it was a great result for Solomon Islands, and a great result for Oceania - a very proud day.

How much do you think the build-up, which included a 10-day training camp in Spain, helped the team?
I think the build-up was vital in getting that result. The work began after the OFC Championships last year when the team and the management recognised that they had a lot of work to do to be able to compete at the World Cup. OFC then brought Venancio Lopez, the coach of the Spain national side, to the Solomon Islands in late February and he started to work particularly on the defensive side of things. That work was enhanced later in September when we sent OFC Futsal Coaching Mentor Juliano Schmelling to continue that emphasis on defending and counter attacking. Finally the trip through Spain provided them with the opportunity to put some of that into practice and it was difficult because the team had come from a period where they hadn’t had any games for 17 or 18 months so they were learning as they went. They had some tough games in Spain and a very positive game against Thailand - there were elements of that in the game, I think, against Guatemala. It was a similar score line, but a very similar game where the team was very cohesive as a defensive unit and they counter-attacked with precision. This shows that yes, the build-up was important. There were eight games prior to that one and finally they got the result that they deserved.

How big was that win for Oceania futsal?
I think it was huge for futsal in Oceania. It showed that we can compete on the world stage. I think we always thought we could - but there’s nothing like the hard evidence of a victory like that to show that you can do it. The game is still in its infancy in the region and I think one of the real positives is that we can say that even though the Solomon Islands don’t have a lot in terms of resources – there isn’t a full-size futsal court, they don’t even have a regular league and there hasn’t been a lot of games for the team – they can still achieve. So imagine what we could do if we could create more infrastructure in the game. And we look at New Zealand and Tahiti in particular where there is a lot of work going on in the game, and I’m sure Solomons too will go back with a renewed energy, and these countries will start to look and say, ‘Wow, look at what can we achieve’. And I’m sure for futsal in Oceania it’s the dawn of a new era – I hope so anyway.

What is OFC going to do to build on the back of the Solomon Islands success?
Again, it’s important to remember that we need games, we need tournaments. So we have the OFC Championships which are scheduled for next year. Something like this is vital, because it gives teams the opportunity to play against other international teams and see where they’re at. It’s also a great opportunity for coaches to come together because typically we have a workshop or other activities around the championship and for me that’s very important. But we also have to look long term and we look at the grassroots programmes – making sure that kids have access to futsal – not just to develop futsal but to improve our technical ability in football. We’ve already established that we have around 17,000 players in the region and I think we need to make sure that as many kids as possible are playing the game, but they also need to be able to look at that elite level and think ‘I can do that – I can play there’ and have something to aim for. So it’s a big job, and underpinning all that is making sure that we have the facilities to play the game. So in the Solomon Islands for example we don’t have enough facilities, so we need to make sure that over the next two or three years we develop venues where the game can be played regularly with regular tournaments. It’s a big job.

Will you be using the Memorandum of Understanding with the Spainish FA in the near future, or will you look to use that closer to the World Cup?
It was discussed when I was in Spain and our hope is that we can continue to use that Memorandum of Understanding in both the short and long terms and look at specific coaching courses perhaps aimed at the elite end to help up skill our coaches. Definitely one of the great things about the result on Friday is that it is a tangible example of how that relationship can be of benefit. To go work with Venancio and then go to Spain, to train and play games in a professional environment and then to get a positive result is hard evidence that this is an important part of our programme. I really hope that creates momentum to get another project going as soon as possible.






Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com