Source: NZFootball.co.nz

The fourth edition of the ASB Futsal National League kicks off today with eight teams from across New Zealand descending on Auckland’s ASB Stadium.

The league is played over three action packed weekends in late 2013 with ASB Indoor Sports Centre in Wellington hosting Series Two in November before the league culminates at Napier’s Pettigrew Green Arena in December.

With the interest in futsal running high after the Futsal Whites’ historic win at the recent OFC Futsal Championship, the ASB National League is set to be the showcase domestic futsal event of 2013.

Defending champions Northern start the season as favourites to retain their title, but they will be severely tested twice on Saturday, first by 2011/12 champions Auckland, and later in the day by last year’s defeated finalists Capital.

Northern’s roster has been boosted by the addition of highly experienced Futsal White Bakr Al-Saudi, who joins other key players Felipe Bernardi, Hicham Kamri, Shady Osman, Oudhah Ragued and young Futsal White Jan Fischer in a formidable line up.

Auckland, as always, feature a good selection of Futsal White representatives, including influential captain Marvin Eakins and OFC Futsal Championship Invitational Golden Boot winner Dylan Manickum.

Capital are also packed with current and former Futsal Whites and will expect big things from a fully fit Micky Malivuk and last season’s MVP Kareem Osman. There is a cosmopolitan feel to the Capital squad once again with a smattering of Brazilians and the flair of Shingo Ina of Japan.

Mainland will be lead by Futsal White stalwarts Jakub Sinkora and Daniel Burns, while Futsal South will rely heavily on the outstanding Brazilian Carlos Hermann, who finished top scorer in last season’s competition.

Central - Hawke's Bay and WaiBOP have continued to place emphasis on youth in their squads, with both teams featuring a good selection of current and fringe Futsal White players. For Hawke’s Bay Tai Barham, Daniel Ball and goalkeeper Mitch Webber stand out, while for WaiBOP John Penyas and Dominic O’Sullivan will make their debuts after representing the NZ Invitational side at the OFC Futsal Championship Invitational in July.

Last year’s wooden spooners Central - Manawatu will rely on experienced leader Scott Mudgway and the returning Greg O’Connor.

Features of this year’s competition include a number of format changes to bring the league into line with FIFA’s international regulations, evolutions which excite NZF Futsal Development Manager Dave Payne.

"The introduction of the stop clock and fourteen man squads reflect the growing professionalism of the league,’ he says. "In addition we have rescheduled the timing of the competition to fully align with New Zealand’s Football’s newly introduced futsal season for clubs and schools.

All teams are also set to benefit from the technical study group headed by FIFA futsal instructor and Futsal Whites coach Scott Gilligan. The group gather statistics and study playing trends during the competition and present this information back to the teams at the conclusion of each series, in order to improve the technical and tactical standard of the league.

Payne is also delighted with the national league’s ability to bring together a wide range of communities, with players, coaches, volunteers and supporters from many continents involved in the competition.

"One of the most enjoyable features of the national league is the ethnic diversity on display both on and off the court", he says. "It really highlights the nature of futsal as a truly global sport".

Entry into ASB Stadium is free, and fans outside of Auckland will be able to catch delayed broadcast of four full games and a thirty minute highlights package on Sommet Sports, the new Freeview television platform in mid October. All twenty games will be available on YouTube .

The ASB Futsal National League

Series One

6-8 October 2013

ASB Stadium, Kohimarama, Auckland

Free entry

Follow the results at www.nzfootball.co.nz/futsal.

Friday 6 October 2013

1 1.30pm Mainland Futsal v Central Futsal Manawatu

2 3.00pm WaiBOP Futsal v Capital Futsal

3 4.30pm Mainland Futsal v AFF Futsal

4 6.00pm WaiBOP Futsal v Central Futsal Manawatu

5 7.30pm Central Futsal Hawkes Bay v Northern Futsal

6 9.00pm AFF Futsal v Futsal South

Saturday 7 October 2013

7 10.00am Mainland Futsal v WaiBOP Futsal

8 11.30am Futsal South v Central Futsal Manawatu

9 1.00pm Central Futsal Hawkes Bay v AFF Futsal

10 2.30pm Northern Futsal v Capital Futsal

11 4.00pm Mainland Futsal v Futsal South

12 5.30pm Central Futsal Hawkes Bay v Central Futsal Manawatu

13 7.00pm Northern Futsal v AFF Futsal

14 8.30pm Futsal South v Capital Futsal

Sunday 8 October 2013

15 9.00am WaiBOP Futsal v Northern Futsal

16 10.30am Futsal South v Capital Futsal

18 1.30pm WaiBOP Futsal v Central Futsal Hawkes Bay

19 3.00pm Central Futsal Manawatu v Northern Futsal

20 4.30pm Capital Futsal v AFF Futsal





FP Staff --> info@futsalplanet.com