FUTSAL NOT FOOTBALL

Bayside Pirates - Winners NZF Futsal Women's National League 2017

Futsal Women's National League Final 2017

Bayside Pirates 4 Auckland Football Federation 3

ASB Arena, Wellington

Attendance : about 60-70

So the 2017 NEW ZEALAND women's Futsal National Champions are...............  

errr Australian!

Well sort of, Melbourne club Bayside Pirates won the 8 team competition over the weekend in Wellington. And it was the Pirates who were presented with the cup but they are Australian, so Auckland who finished 2nd, highest out of the NZ teams (who were Northern, Capital, WaiBOP, Central - Manawatu, Central - Hawke's Bay & Canterbury United Pride) get to call themselves the 2017 champions, even though they didn't actually win the game!

Futsal, according to FIFA is the quickest growing sport in the world, but then they would say that! However in NZ alone the numbers have grown from 700 registered players in 2010 to 21 000 in 2015, so they are probably right! 
It's actually been around since 1930, when it was created by a Uruguayan teacher called Juan Carlos Ceriani. The word Futsal is a corruption of the Spanish and Portuguese words for indoor football. It is based on football, but also takes rules from Basketball (5 a side, 40 minute games, timeouts and when a team commits 5 fouls in a half every foul after that is a penalty), and Handball (court and goal sizes). The ball is also smaller and they use rolling subs.

Ironically the only photo of a goal I have is going past Pirates Bethany Mason-Jones who won the golden glove for least goals conceded The JourneyFan

The final actually played out more like a game of basketball, with the defending team forming an arch around the circle (or D in basketball) and the attackers looking for a way through. It was Auckland that opened the scoring early in the half, but then were pretty much on the back foot for the rest of it and the pressure told when they conceded a late goal and then shortly after committed their 6th team foul allowing Bayside a penalty which they converted to make it 2-1 at half time.

In the 2nd half it was Bayside Pirates again that dominated and when they scored their 4th, despite 11 minutes left, looked as they had done enough. But Auckland weren't finished, they subbed the keeper and the keeper that came on played up as an extra player to put pressure on the Pirates defence, she then had to race back to the sideline and swap with the other keeper when they lost the ball. The Pirates did try and take advantage of the keeper being out of the goal but the Auckland defence dealt with the shots with no problems. Auckland then managed to pull 2 goals back which led to a tense final 2 minutes as they pushed for an equaliser but it failed to come and the Bayside Pirates finished deserved winners.

Auckland, Runners Up but National Champions 2017 The JourneyFan

I have heard murmurings from football people about the amount of money NZF is investing in the sport of Futsal (circa $150k pa) and this isn't really their area, but it is. Futsal is part of the NZF (&FIFA) integral plan and the NZF development officer presenting the trophy's said it is his role to integrate Futsal throughout the business (although I though Football was a sport not a business, but maybe I'm just old fashioned like that!).

I can see the benefits it will bring, the game requires players to have more skill, control and a good first touch, which let's be honest, NZ hasn't been particularly renown for in the past.

It looks like an exciting game to play and if I was younger I'd most likely be into it (but these days I'd be more into walking football!). As a spectator sport it was OK but I'm probably not going to be making any real effort to get along and watch it (unless I know someone playing or someone will pay me!)

Bayside Pirate's Mascot & Golden Glove The JourneyFan