Solomon Islands fall short to Futsalroos in second international friendly in Sydney

In an exhilarating second friendly match between Solomon Islands and Australia, which took place in Sydney on Monday, July 3rd, the Futsalroos emerged victorious with a 3-2 win. The match followed their previous encounter on Saturday, July 1st, which ended in a 1-1 draw. The thrilling contest was witnessed by a capacity crowd in Sydney’s North West.

The opening goal of the match came from Australia through a penalty kick. Jordan Gurreiro’s acrobatic effort struck the arm of a Solomon Islands defender, leading to a penalty for the Futsalroos. Daniel Fornito stepped up and blasted the ball into the net, giving Australia an early lead.

Australia continued to press forward, with Dom Cox forcing a save from Solomon Islands goalkeeper Anthony Talo. Soon after, Scott Rogan doubled the home side’s lead with a deflected shot that wrong-footed the Kurukuru’s goalkeeper. However, Solomon Islands quickly responded and pulled one back. A well-executed move resulted in Junior Mana finding the back of the net off his back, reducing the deficit to 2-1.

Both teams had further chances before halftime, but Rhys Buick and Grant Lynch failed to extend Australia’s advantage. As a result, the teams went into the halftime break with the Futsalroos leading 2-1.

The second half began similarly to the first, with Solomon Islands pressing for an equalizer and Australia searching for another goal. Australia eventually found their third goal through Grant Lynch, who scored with a powerful left-footed strike.

Australia continued to create opportunities, but resilient defending from Solomon Islands denied them further goals. Jacob Basden came close to increasing the lead, hitting the post, and Daniel Fornito’s follow-up was saved from close range.

Despite Australia’s dominance, Solomon Islands refused to surrender and fought back. In the 29th minute, Charlie Otainao tested Australian goalkeeper Badolato, and just two minutes later, Otainao himself found the bottom corner of the net, making it 3-2 and setting the stage for an exciting finale.

In the closing stages of the match, both teams had chances to score. Adeli attempted an audacious outside-of-the-boot shot, and Owen Bunabo had a one-on-one opportunity, but the score remained 3-2 in favour of Australia. The home supporters rejoiced as Australia secured their first victory of the three-match series.

The action between Australia and Solomon Islands will conclude on Wednesday, July 5th, with another international match taking place at The Centre, Sydney. Fans eagerly anticipate the final encounter, hoping for another thrilling display of futsal skills.