Eakins, who plays his club football in Auckland for Manurewa, is a veteran of the Futsalwhites’ last Oceania campaign in 2008 and has some lofty goals in mind for his charges this time. He sat down with oceaniafootball.com for a chat during the South Pacific Tournament at ASB Stadium in Auckland last weekend.
How have the team’s preparations been this time compared to 2008?
It was a bit of a let down last time, the preparation wasn’t very good to be honest. It started from the top – we went through a couple of coaches pretty quickly and just did what we could. We are a lot more settled this time though. New Zealand Football getting behind us it has made a big difference.
When and how did you get into futsal?
I started playing futsal about four years ago. I just filled in for a mate and haven’t stopped since then. It was just a club game at East City (who play at the ASB Stadium in Kohimarama). Initially, I was just playing it for a bit of fun but I soon realised what value it brings to your game for outdoor as well, it gives you so many skills. The more I played it, the more serious I got and now here I am.
How do you find futsal differs from 11-a-side, outdoor football?
Probably the biggest thing is the speed of the game. It’s always quick and you find yourself in a lot of tight spaces. Other than that, I’d say it’s actually quite similar. The tactics vary obviously and a couple of little rules are different but I think they’re both pretty interchangeable. You’ve got a lot of really skilful players playing the game but you can make up for what skill you don’t have with good movement and passing.
What is your role in the Futsal Whites?
My position is pivot, which is the person that sits at the back like a sweeper and moves the ball around. On defence, you have to be a big talker and make sure everyone is marking up – it’s a real organisational role. You have to pick and choose your times to go forward wisely. I picked up three goals at the last OFC champs we went to in 2008, I was pretty happy with that.
What will the team’s goals be in Fiji?
We’re aiming to win it. We know that the Solomon Islands will be good and they are the team to beat. We realise the other teams will be strong as well but we think we’ve got a squad that’s capable of doing it. And we’ve got such a great team spirit – we all make sure we are playing for each other. Good players can only get you so far but I think what we’ve got is going to give us the edge.
How tough was the selection process?
I was really stoked to make it, it was a lot harder this time than in 2008. A lot of great players trialled and a lot of great players missed out.
Do you see yourself having a big future in futsal or would you rather focus on 11-a-side?
The more I’ve played, the more I see myself being a futsal player rather than a football player. It was the other way when I started but it’s slowly switched around. Playing at an international level is awesome, I know that’s something that’s a bit out of my reach in the outdoor version so it’s really got me excited. So I do have plans to keep playing and I want to keep the core of this team together for as long as I’m involved.