“There have been a change in the competition format since 2012 where it became a knockout stages from second round onwards, so there will always be room for plenty of surprises, for example Egypt eliminated Italy in 2016 and Colombia sent Iran packing in 2012. Afterall, futsal is a very dynamic game with a lot of small details. And one small detail is capable of changing a game.”
“But of course the biggest factor is the parents’ mindset and that is indeed not easy to change. During my time, there was a lot of good Chinese players at school level but they never pursued a professional career because their parents don’t allow them to – I think this is an issue that still exists today.”
“Let’s look at the bright side of playing against all these big teams. There are so much to gain especially for the younger players. I told them how fortunate they are to be able to play against the best in Asia at their age. The experience that they gained from playing in such matches will definitely improve their game! So I told the younger boys, let’s all go out do our best and enjoy the moments”
Football has snailed back up from the sleepy lockdown months and we’re peaking with fantastic spectacles like the absolute stormer of a football match between Manchester City and Real Madrid in the Champions League round of 16 a few nights ago. But at the end of a storm, there’s normally a golden sky; the future is certainly golden for top tier wunderkinds like 19-year-old Takefusa Kubo from Real Madrid and Lee Kang-In of Valencia CF.
It is a very natural thing now to see more Asian players playing in European leagues now. We have got the best from Japan (Takefusa Kubo) and South Korea (Lee Kang In) in La Liga now. But if you ask me, I think the best of Asian football is yet to come.
I’m a guy who likes to speak my mind. It may cause a lot of controversy, but I don’t like to be involved in politics. I like to be honest. If you want to be professional, you have to be professional. Everyone has their own duties to perform. I am a coach and I don’t like an official who has never kicked a ball to tell me what to do.
True Bangkok United took home the inaugural Selangor Asia Challenge (SAC) 2020 after beating hosts Selangor FA 4-2 on penalties at the Shah Alam Stadium, Malaysia on Sunday evening. Persib Bandung came in third and Hanoi fourth.
Since last season, more than 10 players from the Academy have progressed to the first team, and many have even went on to play in Europe and subsequently the World Cup. Interestingly, some of the futsal pitches at Redsland are actually built using the transfer fees from some of the players’ move to Europe.
Many times we got thrashed in DFL games but at the end of the game sometimes those opponents come and shake our hands – telling us that we’re doing a great job. I learnt that it’s about gaining respect from people, not just about winning or hammering people.
“Technically, Indonesian football is slightly better than Hong Kong’s. Having said that, not all the clubs are technically good but in each of the league, there will be 3-4 teams that will be outstanding. And in terms of game play, Indonesian football is definitely more aggressive and intensive. In fact, I would rate Indonesian football 80% more aggressive than in Hong Kong! Especially since I am playing as a defender, I have the clear view of the entire play from behind. It is always full of action for 90 minutes. Indonesian league is certainly a more challenging league to be playing in”
