Tahiti take on New Zealand in the first match at 4:30pm local time before New Caledonia face off with Fiji at 6:30pm and Vanuatu clash with Solomon Islands at 8:30pm.
All matches will be streamed LIVE online via Oceaniafootball.com
Here’s a look at how the teams are looking ahead of the fourth round of matches:
Tahiti vs New Zealand
This is an important clash as both teams are very much in the running for the title, or at least a top-three placing. New Zealand’s Futsal Whites started their campaign with a loss against favourites Solomon Islands but bounced back yesterday to earn themselves a crucial 3-2 victory over Vanuatu, another side tipped to go far. Captain Marvin Eakins has been one of the team’s most consistent performers and he was the hero last night, scoring New Zealand’s first goal and then hitting the winner just two minutes from time. Striker Miroslav Malivuk was a star against the Solomons – he scored a hat-trick and was a constant threat to the Kurukuru defence – but could not add to his tally yesterday as he missed the game through injury. If fit enough to take part today, he will be itching to back out on court and find the net again. Tahiti’s two wins have drawn them level on points with front-runners Solomon Islands and Fiji – though they have not had to sit out a match because of the bye yet – and they will see no reason why they can’t extend their run against the Kiwis. But New Zealand will also have pencilled in this game as a chance to get three points so someone is going to be disappointed.
New Caledonia vs Fiji
Judging by the results of the two sides so far, the home team would appear to have this one in the bag. Fiji have won both their matches – 2-0 over Tahiti and 5-1 over Tuvalu – while New Caledonia seem to be in all sorts of trouble after three straight losses. But a closer look reveals this game may not be the walk over many will be expecting. Fiji are yet to produce a complete performance and, despite picking up the pair of wins, will not be particularly pleased with their progress. They struggled to finish off a determined Tahiti side on the opening day and were flattered by last night’s scoreline against Tuvalu. The underdogs actually led 1-0 for most of the match and it took a five-goal blitz in the closing stages to get Fiji over the line. Captain Kamal Hassan smashed in a hat-trick and, given that star striker Roy Krishna has been surprisingly quiet in front of goal, is the man New Caledonia need to starve of possession. Although they are yet to earn any points, New Caledonia have not had luck on their side and two of their defeats have been very narrow – 5-4 against Vanuatu and 3-2 against Tahiti. They are a much better side than their place on the table suggests and, if coach Eric Michalak can restore some confidence to his embattled charges, are capable of springing an upset.
Vanuatu vs Solomon Islands
This match brings two of the title favourites together and should be a fitting finale to the day’s action. Coach Dickson Kadau’s Solomon Islands team have, as expected, been the most entertaining to watch and are in fine goal-scoring form after hitting nine in their opening match against New Caledonia and eight in their second against New Zealand. They go into this game with fresh legs after getting a rest yesterday thanks to the bye and will be keen to pick up where they left off. The ability of Vanuatu is closely matched to that of New Zealand’s – the Futsal Whites beat them 3-2 with a late goal – so they are likely to pose a similar challenge to the Solomons as the Kiwis did. The Kurukuru won that match 8-4, which is not a good sign for Vanuatu’s chances. But Vanuatu have reason to feel confident after winning two of their three matches. Striker Ben Hungai has found a rich vein of form – his goal tally now stands at five – and captain Louis Dominique has also caught the eye with his playmaking ability. Whether they can compete with the likes of Elliot Ragomo and Jack Wetney, two of the best futsal players in Oceania, remains to be seen though and anything other than a Solomons win would be a major surprise.
Tuvalu will have a bye today.
Upcoming matches:
10/8/10 4:30pm Tahiti vs New Zealand
10/8/10 6:30pm New Caledonia vs Fiji
10/8/10 8:30pm Vanuatu vs Solomon Islands
For full schedule and results click here
For official team lists click here