Futsalroos lifting the PacificAus Futsal Series 2024. Photo: SIFF Media
The Australian national futsal team Futsalroos proved dominant to claim overall winners of the PacificAus Sports Futsal Series for the second time in Honiara.
From two wins in game 1 and 2 the final match of the series saw the Miles Downie side plagued a comprehensive 8-2 win over a developing Solomon Islands national futsal team Kurukuru at the Friendship Hall.
Team Captain Shervin Adeli starred with five goals as the PacificAus Sports Futsal Series 2024 ended in an action-packed 8-2 victory for the Futsalroos.
Adeli stole the show with five goals – three of which were assisted by Jordan Guerreiro. Wade Giovenali, Daniel Fornito and Domenic Cox were also on the scoresheet – Cox for the first time in his national team career.
Futsalroos goalkeeper Aaron Yu caught up with Football Australia’s media unit before the game. He said that the “whole week has been incredible,” and he was looking forward to game three.
“I think we’re well prepared,” he continued, “and I think [the] final game, it’s good, we have the freedom to express ourselves – and of course we want that result.”
Kurukuru’s custodian between the sticks, Anthony Talo, also spoke to Football Australia in the lead-up to the match. Despite results not going their way so far, Talo expressed that the young players in the Solomons’ team had already taken valuable lessons from the first two games.
“A lot of young boys [are] in this team,” he explained. “[We have] slowly built their confidence in the series, and just trust everyone for the last game that the young boys will improve.”
“As one of the senior players in the team, there’s some young goalkeepers sitting on the bench. I have to pull myself up to represent my country when I’m playing in my homelands. Just want to give everything for my fans and family that are watching at home.”
The game started with the Futsalroos playing positively. Daniel Fornito played a lofted ball over the top into the path of Jordan Guerreiro, who replicated his two assists from Game Two. Once again, Team Captain Shervin Adeli was waiting at the back post, and found the back of the net to make it 1-0 within a minute of play.
Kurukuru quickly found a way back into the game. Whenever the Futsalroos lost the ball, particularly in 1v1 situations, Kurukuru would spring forward in numbers. This created a number of opportunities that required sharp saves from Domenic Badolato in goals, and desperate tracking back from the [Australian] players in front of him.
The home side got their breakthrough in the eighth minute thanks to Elis Mana. An incisive ball found him at the back post – he was able to tuck it away to equalise for Kurukuru.
They came close to taking the lead moments later, but were denied by Badolato.
Futsal can be a game of inches, and a game of big moments. When Raphael Lea’i was through on goal in the 14th minute, it seemed as if Solomon Islands would take the lead. A remarkable save from Badolato denied him. From the resulting set piece, Kurukuru conceded a foul – their sixth of the match – which led to an opportunity from the 10m penalty spot for Shervin Adeli. Adeli converted, and the Futsalroos took the lead.
They would double their advantage before half-time when Wade Giovenali was the first to react after a rebound. His finish rocketed into the top of the net to make it 3-1 at the break.
It took ten minutes of play for the first goal in the second half to arrive – but when it did, several followed. Both teams were left scratching their heads that they didn’t score after two phenomenal chances each came in quick succession in the 24th minute, but it wasn’t until Domenic Cox scored his first of the series that the game opened up.
Moments after Cox’s goal, Kurukuru’s Jayson Timmi had his moment in the sun, scoring his first goal in his first series for the national side. The Solomons had the momentum and the crowd behind them at 4-2 and looked poised to press on.
However, it was Shervin Adeli who was yet again waiting at the back post for his opportunity. His goal – only moments again after Timmi’s – completed his hattrick.
There was more to come for the Futsalroos captain. During the powerplay, where Daniel Fornito was used as the fifth player, Guerreiro found a free Ethan De Melo who was able to set up Adeli for his fourth goal. His fifth would come four minutes later, as he scored another 10m penalty.
First-half goalscorer Elis Mana received a red card late in the match due to accumulating two yellow cards, but this time the resulting 10m penalty was saved by Talo.
Clifford Misitana also received a second yellow card in this period, and against a temporarily outnumbered Kurukuru side, Daniel Fornito added an eighth.
After the match, Kurukuru Team Captain Jeffrey Bule gave his thoughts on the success of the series.
“I think the important thing is the Kurukuru team, we want to build,” he explained. “It’s not all about the result, it’s all about that we want to make use of the new generation so that they feel the tension of the game.”
He said that his team would focus on staying connected moving forward. They will take the experience to grow for upcoming matches, and aim to reclaim the next OFC Futsal Championship.
“We know that here in the Solomons we’re crazy about Futsal,” Bule continued. “What’s important is that they want us to give our best to the Australian team.”
“For us, it’s hard for us to play against Australia… but for our people back in the community it’s important.”
Five-goal hero Adeli was thrilled with the performance, expressing that scoring goals for his country is something that will always hold meaning.
“The hunger to score and that feeling of the ball hitting the back of the net, I don’t really know how to describe it, but it definitely never gets old,” he explained.
The PacificAus Sports Futsal Series was about building towards the AFC Futsal Asian Cup, but also was about building off-field ties between two countries united by futsal.
“We were lucky enough to have a few training sessions and obviously three games,” Adeli continued.
“You can clearly see that we’re improving, and we’re learning how to play with each other, learning what the coach wants from us, and hopefully gain some momentum leading into our upcoming [AFC Futsal] Asian Cup campaign.”
“Going to Gilbert Camp, going to the futsal clinic, we realise that there’s more to futsal. We have been so grateful and fortunate to be a part of those two occasions and seeing the difference we make in these kids lives, and hopefully trying to help them, be some motivation for them, and give back to them… I think off the court has been priceless.
“The better Solomon Islands are, the better we are. This is a game that we’ve had for years, us against them. We can keep pushing them, they can keep pushing us, it’s a win-win for both countries.”
Australian High Commissioner to Solomon Islands Rod Hilton told Football Australia’s media team after the game that occasions such as this series, facilitated by PacificAus Sports and the Australian Government, are incredibly important.
“The Futsalroos have brought great energy and passion to everything they have been doing here in Solomon Islands,” Hilton said.
“Everywhere I was going people were talking about the Futsalroos, everyone was so impressed to meet them, to see the wonderful competition we’ve had, to see the great community work they’ve done out there [as] outreach. It’s brought a level of energy and passion here in Solomon Islands.”
“It’s also about connections. Earlier on we’ve had the Solomon Islands team travel down to Australia, and the Australian team travel up here. It’s those connections that form lifelong friendships and lifelong relationships, both among the players, but also with the community.
“There is nothing that is more important in any relationship than those people-to-people linkages, and those relationships developing.”
The PacificAus Sports Program is an initiative of the Australian Government that creates new opportunities for Pacific and Australian athletes to play, grow and train together, and bring our countries closer together through sport.
MATCH SCHEDULE – 2024 PACIFICAUS SPORTS FUTSAL SERIES
Match One
Date: Wednesday, 21 February 2024
Venue: Friendship Hall, Honiara
Match: Solomon Islands 1:2 Futsalroos
Match Two
Date: Friday, 23 February 2024
Venue: Friendship Hall, Honiara
Match: Solomon Islands 2:6 Futsalroos
Match Three
Date: Sunday, 25 February 2024
Venue: Friendship Hall, Honiara
Match: Solomon Islands 2:8 Futsalroos
