AFC Futsal Championship Chinese Taipei 2018
Semi-Final vs Iraq Futsal National team
9 February 2018 (Fri.) Kick-off 16:00(Local Time) Playing Time 40min.(20min.×2)
Xinzhuang Gymnasium (Taipei, Chinese Taipei)

Japan Futsal National Team 3-0 (3-0 ,0-0) Iraq Futsal National team

Scores
1'　MORIOKA Kaoru (Japan Futsal National Team)
6'　NISHITANI Ryosuke (Japan Futsal National Team)
20'　MUROTA Yuki (Japan Futsal National Team)

Starting Line-ups
GK: PIRES Higor 
FP: HENMI Katsutoshi Rafael, TAKITA Manabu, MORIOKA Kaoru, NISHITANI Ryosuke

Reserves 
GK: SEKIGUCHI Yushi
FP: MUROTA Yuki, SAITO Koichi, MINAMOTO Akira, YOSHIKAWA Tomoki, NIBUYA Kazuhiro, HOSHI Shota, SHIMIZU Kazuya, WATANABE Tomoaki

Match Report

Japan Futsal National Team, who are participating in the AFC Futsal Championship Chinese Taipei 2018, squared off with Iraq in the semi-final on Friday 9 February.

Japan beat Bahrain 2-0 in the quarterfinal on Thursday 8 February, showing great improvements as a team throughout the tournament. Iraq, on the other hand, won a close match ending in penalties, 9-8 against Lebanon in the quarterfinal.

The game opened with MORIOKA Kaoru scoring off of a corner kick with a powerful volley with his right foot, in the very first minute of the game. Following the goal, Japan found their rhythm and applied pressure to the Iraqi side with swift passes and quick transitions. In the 6th minute, MINAMOTO Akira sent the ball towards the goal from a left corner kick. NISHITANI Ryosuke reacted to it to score Japan's second goal.

Although Iraq managed to create several goal-scoring opportunities, the Japanese defence led by goalkeeper PIRES Higor denied their chances. Just before the end of the first half, HENMI Katsutoshi Rafael, who skilfully got through the right side, sent a pass to MUROTA Yuki who was open in front of the goal. MUROTA made sure to capitalise on this opportunity, stretching the Japanese lead to three goals before halftime.

Japan maintained their momentum into the second half. The team would not score any more goals, but Japan kept its dominance over Iraq, securing their second consecutive clean sheet victory following their quarterfinal.

With this victory, Japan Futsal National Team will now face their biggest rival, Iran in the final at 19:00 on Sunday 11 February.

Coach's and Players' Comments

Bruno GARCIA, Coach
Today’s game was excellent. The players showcased a stellar performance and executed the game plan exactly as told. This is what I call a Japanese performance and a well-deserved victory. Having said that, the semi-final is already in the past. We’d like to refresh ourselves in order to concentrate in preparing for the final.

FP #5 MINAMOTO Akira (Fuchu Athletic F.C.)
We were able to establish a positive groove after we capitalised on two set-plays early in the game. The goal we scored just before the end of the first half was also crucial in order to control the match. We managed to stay focused in defence until the very end and kept a clean sheet in two consecutive games. The final against Iran is a long-awaiting match for us. Our goal is not to become the finalists, but to regain our championship. I’m determined to become the Asian champions once again, carrying the spirit of current and past teammates, who has brought us to where we are today.

FP #7 HENMI Katsutoshi Rafael (SL Benfica)
We once again faced a difficult stretch in this semi-final, but we were able to work as a team to pull off a win. I will give my best in the final with Japanese pride and spirit.

FP #14 NISHITANI Ryosuke (Nagoya Oceans)
We were able to stay focused until the end and played as a team in the semi-final against Iraq. The team have become more and more united through these games. We only have the final to play now. We’d like to perform with all we got in order to win the championship and earn our place in history.

Schedule

*Local Time
*The schedule is subject to change due to the team condition, the weather, etc.

AFC Futsal Championship Chinese Taipei 2018

Tournament Period: Thu. 1 - Sun. 11 February 2018
Knock out stage Final
Japan Futsal National Team vs Iran Futsal National Team
11 February 2018 (Sun.) Kick-off 19:00(Local Time 20:00)

For more information