When quizzed about what will be on offer at the ASB Sports Centre in Wellington from Friday next week in the three-match series against the Futsalroos, Manickum was quite clear: action, and lots of it.
“You’ll get a massive display of skill from both sides and you’re also likely to see a lot more goals being scored than you get in 11-a-side football,” Manickum said.
The nature of futsal has drawn Manickum in with the Futsal Whites player a big fan of the format of the 5-a-side game and what it promotes in those who play it.
“Futsal seemed a good fit for me because it’s a lot more technical; you get more touches, you get more shots and I score more goals in futsal because of the smaller court. It’s more fun because you get the ball all the time.
“It can be more intense than 11-a-side football where you can get rest time when the ball is in other parts of the pitch. In futsal you tend to run at high intensity most of the time and with the rolling subs it allows the team to work at higher intensity for longer periods of time.
“It does seem more intense and there is a different vibe when you’re playing or watching futsal.”
The 22-year-old Manickum, part of the Futsal Whites set up since 2010, got his start in futsal – which has been credited with helping to develop Brazilian World Cup heroes such as footballers Pele, Oscar and Neymar – as a 13-year-old.
“I was playing at Eastern Suburbs where our coach put our club team into a youth futsal league and I’ve been playing since then,” Manickum said.
“I gradually worked up into the men’s grade at East City where we play and then there was an open trial for the Futsal Whites and I got selected for the team through that.”
As with some of the superstars of the world game currently in action in Brazil, Manickum says futsal has had a big influence in developing his 11-a-side football skillset.
“I play on the wing usually or up front and futsal has helped with my touch and dribbling skills to beat players and it has definitely helped me to get out of tight situations and create chances in tight situations.”
Having been around the futsal courts in Auckland for almost 10 years, Manickum speaks to a game on the rise with a new generation of youngsters driving the development of the sport.
“It’s grown massively. When I first started everyone was new to futsal in New Zealand and there were 10 teams in our league, now there are youth leagues all over the place.
“Through the national league there are all these younger players coming up and everyone seems to be better technically, the teams are better and everyone is playing better futsal and that helps your own play and keeps you improving.”
Searching for their first win over the Futsalroos, Manickum said the team will look at ways to threaten their opponents with the ball when they go into camp in Wellington on Monday.
“We need to try and create more scoring opportunities. They are really good defensively, they put in a massive shift, but they are beatable and we just haven’t been able to exploit that yet.”
Beyond next week, Manickum is eying the chance to make a lasting impression on the game in New Zealand, perhaps as a platform towards the top of the sport internationally.
“I’d definitely like to rack up 100 caps and become top scorer for the Futsal Whites and make a mark on the sport and hopefully play professionally.”
Trans-Tasman Cup Futsal Series – Futsal Whites v Futsalroos
July 11-13
ASB Sports Centre, Kilbirnie, Wellington
Futsal Whites squad: Bakr Al-Saudi (AFF), Tai Barham (Central), Ryan Batty (Mainland), Leo Bertos (Capital), Elias Billeh (GK – AFF), Daniel Burns (Mainland), Marvin Eakins (AFF), Atta Elayyan (GK – Mainland), Jan Fischer (NFF), Hicham Kamri (NFF), Dylan Manickum (AFF), Miroslav Malivuk (Capital), Kareem Osman (Capital), Ouadhah Ragued (NFF), Jakub Sinkora (Mainland), Josh Stevenson (Central)
Coach: Scott Gilligan
Match schedule
Game 1 – Friday 11 July, 8pm
Game 2 – Saturday 12 July, 8pm
Game 3 – Sunday 13 July, 12pm
Story courtesy of New Zealand Football
For more on New Zealand football go to www.nzfootball.co.nz

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