Futsal Thread 2015/16

[Mark Neal]

Opening Match Result. Genesis Futsal 11-4 Oxford City Lions

[hedges]

Genesis, Baku and Helvecia Will totally smash us this season.

A better marker is how we will perform against the rest as there is a big gap between the above 3 and the rest in the super league!

We scored 4...thats not so bad.

[hedges]

As predicted the Lions where smashed 9-0 by Helvecia at home on Sunday. They now have 3 away games on the trot.The nearest being away to Reading at High Wycombe leisure center on the 8th October.

[hedges]

The Lions are off the mark beating London United 7 - 5 away to climb away from the bottom of the league. a Superb result all round for all concerned!

[hedges]

Below is the match report from yesterdays futsal game against Baku

MATCH REPORT: Oxford City Lions Futsal 3-6 Baku United

Baku weathered an early Oxford onslaught to record a comfortable 6-3 victory and move up to second place in the FA Futsal Super League South.

Coming into the game off the back of two victories, Oxford were a side playing with confidence. Indeed, they were on the front foot from the off, pressing Baku high and creating the majority of chances. Despite having the better of the early stages, Oxford were unable to turn their chances into goals and it was Baku who took the lead. A long ball from Tobias Seeto found the head of Rob Ursell, who nodded past the keeper. It was a goal that took the wind out of Oxford's sails and Baku soon doubled their lead, Jarrod Basgar driving down the line and squaring for Seth Burkett to tuck home. Basgar then turned provider once again, receiving the ball from a corner and driving a pass across the area for 16-year-old Ruben Santos to score his fourth goal of the season.

Just as it appeared Baku were comfortable Oxford came back into the game. A free-kick from eight metres out was driven past Mindaugas Labuckas and Oxford further reduced the deficit by capitalising on a loose Baku pass to make the score 3-2.

However, as Oxford continued to press aggressively the foul count was racking up. As Baku drove forward with a one-on-one the ball was lobbed over the keeper, who stuck his hand out to handle the ball outside the area. The referee produced a yellow card and Ursell struck the resultant penalty past the keeper. Just before half-time Oxford conceded a seventh foul; this time Seeto tucked the ball in from the penalty.

Up 5-2 at half-time Ursell urged his men to continue playing at the intensity Oxford were forcing them to play at. The next goal was important and fortunately it went to Baku, Ursell racing forward and round the keeper with his trademark roll before passing into the empty net.

The goal defused the game with a Baku win appearing inevitable. Both teams opted to powerplay for the final six minutes and though Oxford added another goal from a six-metre penalty, Baku saw the game out for a 6-3 win.

The two teams meet up again this Sunday at the Copperbox Arena at 2pm. With Oxford proving a tough opponent, head coach Ursell knows the challenge that awaits. Join us in your support of Baku United.

I went to the game with the mind set we are going to get trounced against a futsal powerhouse whose squad isn't much different to last seasons....which includes two Australian futsal internationals, the Lithuanian international goalkeeper and captain and Rob Ursall (formally of Wimbledon) you can see why I went thinking this way.

Despite the two recent victories the Lions have had on the road....Baku, Genesis and Helvecia are a different level all together and City playing with a scratch team mainly of City youth players and Schollers. With Spaniard Pepe Gonzalez as captain, the only player left from last season. I didn't hold much hope here.

However I was very pleasantly surprised. City came out the blocks like a team with nothing to lose and created 5 or 6 good early chances....(this sounds familiar) before being done by a long hoof headed in by Ursall. City Conceeded the second quickly again failing to do the simple thing of tracking the runners.

City however dug in and continued to create chances before getting there rewards with two goals of there own.

Sadly Baku scored 2 good goals and had a controversial foul given which gave them a penalty to put Baku 5-2 up at H/T and City a mountain to climb.

The City youth kept at there fitter and stronger opponents and kept Baku honest for most of the second half before the pace of the game and weary legs began to take a hold and Baku began to command the later stages of the game with Ursall at the centre of everything good Baku did.

I spent much of the game speaking to a father of one of the under 13 lads, he saw the Lions play in the second game against Helvecia (beaten 9 - 2) and he said it was training game for Helvecia who ran rings round the lions and didn't even field there star players....what a difference 5 or 6 weeks makes....he said the improvement is astronomical and to play that well against a team with the strength and quality of Baku deserves alot of credit to the lads as well as EG and Captain Pepe (who is also a Lions coach).

He also made the intresting point that his son and many of the younger players are not really an 11 a side footballer, doesn't have the physical attributes but is very good with ball to feet....futsal is a perfect alternative for him and the others and he hopes the club cvan keep the futsal going in some capacity even for that reason alone....it gives a viable alternative to those who don't make the cut at 11 a side.

The other bit of good news is the Lions have acquired the services of the Welsh International goalkeeper who is moving to the area for work so will only serve to strengthen the team.

I also heard a positive rumor about the future of Berinsfield and City...*Fingers crossed we hear something solid soon!*

Its fair to say I went in feeling a touch negative...Ive come out feeling positives with a small bounce in my step!

[Mark Neal]

Good win for the futsal team.

Another hard day at the office... West London 4-5 Oxford City Lions. A pride of lions tonight!

[hedges]

Lions Lost last weekend 4 - 3 to Baku in London having given a top team a real run for their money the Lions this weekend faced another top team which decimated them earlier in the season in Genesis.

The depleted Lions, missing Manu and Captain Pepe two star players this season, but included 1st team player Martin Ofosu (who came on as a rotation player for a few minutes, in what was his first futsal game), it was always going to be a big ask to overturn one of the countries best, but again the teams improvement was marked. Certainly however the Lions gave Genesis a game particularly in the first half and went in at the break 4-3 up in an enthralling end to end encounter which saw the City keeper play a blinder, perhaps knowing this could be his last game as first choice as the Welsh international keeper who is away on international duty is coming in.

Half- time proved to be the Lions high water mark as Genesis went through the gears and upped their game in the second. However it wasn't Genesis's clear power and strength advantage, it wasn't their play or better technical ability, that won them the game...it was simply the Lions inexperience that threw it.

The Lions conceding the next 4 goals in reasonably quick succession all attributed to conceding possession in a bad area or a pass to a Genesis player 4 yards from goal or indeed in the end when EG knew the game was up, decided to give his team a chance to practice some rush keeper, a communication problem in the keeper switch let the Genesis player slide the ball into an open net. Without the hugely experienced Pepe at the back commanding his troops the Lions became their own worst enemy and gifted the game to Genesis who simply played out the last few minutes knocking the ball around for fun and getting two more very good goals (this time down to their own skill). The Lions did pull one excellent goal back from a City youngster who apparently has taken to futsal like a duck to water, but the game was long gone.

Lions- 5 Genesis - 10

Its not any easier as the Lions play run away leaders Helvecia away on the 11th

Next home game not until 8th January when the Lions play London United.