FIFA BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP: VAN DILLEN OPTIMISTIC

Oceania Football Confederation’s (OFC) Beach Soccer champions Solomon Islands take to the sands of the Copacabana tomorrow where they face world champions Brazil at the FIFA Beach
Soccer World Cup – Rio de Janeiro 2007.

Solomon Islands Bilikiki Boys are coached by New Zealander Terry Van Dillen Pictured below left)who acknowledges his team faces an uphill battle against a Brazil side that has gone
52 matches unbeaten stretching back over a two year period.

Van Dillen – a police officer based in Honiara – replaced former coach Airton Andrioli at the last minute after Andrioli left his post by mutual agreement with the Solomon Islands
Football Federation (SIFF) following the XIII South Pacific Games – Samoa 2007.

 “Playing against Brazil is a unique opportunity for my boys. My team has improved a lot since we appeared here last year, we’re now more experienced. We feel ready to take on
the defending champions,” Van Dillen said.

The Bilikiki Boys will be familiar with their surroundings with former New Zealand-based Nelson Suburbs defender Gideon Omokirio back for his second FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup
appearance alongside ace goalscorer James Naka.

“Brazil 2006 was an incredible experience and the Bilikiki Boys will be strong again. But we have total respect for all our opponents and hopefully our experience in South America
last year will stand us in good stead this time around,” Naka said.

Brazil coach Alexander Soares is confident his team will have it what it takes to defend their trophy – starting with a win over OFC’s Beach Soccer champions.

“In 2006 we were under pressure to win back the title we’d lost the previous year. Now we’re expected to defend our crown, and that’s a quite different situation. That being the
case, we’re going to have to prove ourselves once more as a team. The other countries have closed the gap and it won’t be easy,” Soares said.

Solomon Islands have been drawn into Group A featuring Brazil, Mexico and Russia.

Internet coverage of Bilikiki Boys FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup campaign can be found at www.fifa.com or
by clicking the links provided below.

For further information please contact

Gordon Glen Watson     phone  +64 (0) 9 526 5658

       email  [email protected] 

Extra Info

BILIKIKI BOYS SQUAD

1.John MORGAN; 2. Samson TAKAYAMA; 3. Brian FENI; 4.Eddie NGAITIN; 5. Richard ANISUA; 6. Benjamin MIXED; 7. Henry KOTO; 8. Gideon OMOKIRIO; 9. Joe LUWI; 10. James NAKA; 11. Gibson HOSEA; 12. Fred
HALE.

Coach: Terrence VAN DILLEN

FIFA BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP – RIO DE JANEIRO 2007 – BILIKIKI BOYS MATCHES

GROUP A – 

*Rio de Janeiro local time

**Time Conversion for Oceania

Vanuatu UTC +11hrs

FIFA BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP – RIO DE JANEIRO 2007 – LIVE COVERAGE
http://www.fifa.com/beachsoccerworldcup/livecoverage/index.html

FIFA BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP – RIO DE JANEIRO 2007
http://www.fifa.com/beachsoccerworldcup/news/index.html

OFC BEACH SOCCER/SOLOMON ISLANDS BILIKIKI BOYS
http://www.oceaniafootball.com/comphome/6039/Beach-Soccer-2007