The Solomon Islands U14 National Futsal Team played two matches today in the 2020 FFA National Futsal Championship. The Junior Kurukurus won Capital Football by 4-1 and West Black Swans by 6-2.
Solomon Islands finished the group stage in the first position with four wins in four matches. They are qualified for the next stage.
Junior Kurukuru will face South Australia Red in the quarter-finals. The match will be played on this Thursday.
The hero of the Battle of Giants title in favour of Labasa is close to leave the club. The forward Siotame Kubu is in talks with Suva according to local source FBC.
Labasa made a fantastic season in 2019 winning the IDC and BOG tournaments and making all fans very proud of what the team had done. Kubu is one of the key factors of the success of Labasa and the local fans urged Fiji FA to give a chance for the player in the Bula Boys squad.
The 25-year old player is in discussions with the team from the Fijian capital. The new head coach of Suva stated that the club is not only looking for Siotame Kubu in the transfer window, as they already aplayed for Nasinu defender Manasa Levaci and former Fiji U20 player Ravnit Chand is also expected to join the team. Despite the advanced talks with Kubu, is not still sure wheter the player will leave Labasa or not in this stage of the negatiations.
Oceania Football Center recently made an interview with Siotame Kubu, check more by clicking here.
The New Zealand forward Ryan de Vries, former Auckland City FC player is currently undergoing trials in Australia top-league side Western United. The 28-year old player made history with the Navy Blues and also had a succesful stint in Waitakere United when in New Zealand.
After achieving success in the country, the player went to NPL side club in Australia Bentleigh Greens in 2014 on loan from Auckland City. In 2018 the player parted ways with the local powerhouse to pursue a professional career in Japan.
De Vries was born in South Africa but lived several years in New Zealand – which made him available for the New Zealand National. The player has only one cap for the All Whites, a friendly match against South Korea. De Vries was in the Auckland City side that earned the bronze medal in the 2014 FIFA Clubs World Cup.
In Japan, the forward represented the J2 side Gifu, wearing the number 10, scoring eight goals in 51 appearences for the club.
The 2019-20 Telekom S-League runners-up will debut in the 2020 OFC Champions League on February 15 at Luganville Soccer City Stadium, Vanuatu. It is already known that Solomon Warriors and Henderson Eels are qualified but the current season of Telekom S-League has not finish yet.
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There are some rumours that the league will return on January 25. There are seven remaining matches that need to be played in order to finish the season. It is important to remember that this season was originally scheduled to finish in December 2019.
The Solomon Warriors are the current league leaders with 38 points while the Henderson Eels stand in the second position with 35 points. Both teams still have one match to play. You can check the current standings and the top scorers by clicking here.
Wellington Phoenix player Reno Piscopo is having a good time in the AFC U23 Championship that is being held in Thailand. The 21 years old winger is playing an important role in the Australian squad that qualified for the quarterfinals.
The Olyroos scored four goals in the tournament so far and Piscopo has a crucial participation on it. He scored the first goal of the tournament by netting marvelous free kick shot in the opening match against Iraq that ended in a 1-1 draw.
In the second match against Thailand, Piscopo had some good chances to score but he did not manage to net them. However he led Australia’s comeback by delievering a nice assist to Nicholas D’Agostino score Olyroos’ first goal and throwing an outstanding pass to Alex Gersbach that assisted D’Agostino that scored his second goal of the match. You can check both goals by clicking here.
Piscopo delievered another assist with a marvelous through ball to Ramy Najjarine in the 1-1 draw against Bahrein in the last match of the group stage. He scored one goal, delievered two assists and had an important participation in one other goal so he had a hand in all four goals scored by Australia in the tournament so far.
This tournament is not being something special for him due to his goals or assists. The WeeNix winger is showing off his dribbling skills against his opponents as he is being a real nightmare for the defenses.
Australia ended the first round unbeaten (one win and two draws) and his great performances make him a serious candidate to win the “Best Player Award” if the Olyroos manage to reach the further stages.
Olyroos come back to the pitch on Saturday to face the Group B runners-up (Syria, Saudi Arabia or Qatar) in the quarterfinals. It means that Piscopo will not play for Wellington Phoenix against Brisbane Roar in the next matchweek of Hyundai A-League.
Shalom Luani is one of the many National Football League (NFL) players with Polynesian blood. Born in Pago Pago, American Samoa, the 25 years old was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the seventh round of 2017 NFL Draft.
His talent as an American Football player was discovered in 2009 when he was the MVP of a local tournament. He also took part of American Samoa U19 squad that played 2012 IFAF U-19 World Championship.
During this time as a youth American Football player in American Samoa he also had some good adventures playing soccer. He played 2011 Pacific Games for his National Soccer Team and he also played the 2014 World Cup Qualifiers that took place in Samoa at the same year.
He wrote his name in the history of American Samoa’s soccer by helping his National Team to win an official match for the first time ever by scoring a goal in the 2-1 win against Tonga in the World Cup Qualifiers. He also scored in the 1-1 draw against Cook Islands. Luani was one of the top scorers of the Preliminary Round with two goals alongside with Campbell Best (Cook Islands) and Luki Gosche (Samoa). He was only 17 years old. You can check his goals in the video below:
In 2012 he stopped playing soccer because he moved to United States to study and play American Football. Luani does not a huge career in NFL but he has already played 31 matches in the league since his debut. His last official match was in November when he took part of Los Angeles Chargers active squad in the 24-17 loss against Kansas City Chiefs. Luani also took part of Houston Texans practice squad in 2019 but he did not play any match.
Although he left soccer he will never be forgotten by Oceanian football fans because he has made history for his homeland. He scored two goals in eight matches for American Samoa National Football Team.
One of the most important teams of Fiji – the current runners-up of Vodafone Premier League – is looking for a new head coach. Lautoka FC is taking part in the next OFC Champions League edition and is vital for the club to find the right person to guide the club in the regional and local challenges they will have in 2020 season. But they do not have time to waste: the continental competition will start in the next month – February, 2020 – and they will not have much time to prepare for the most important club competition of the region.
Lautoka did not have a good season in 2019 not winning a local title in Fiji, losing the Battle of Giants for Labasa in the grand final and sitting second in the run at the top-tier league Vodafone Premier League. Despite the failures, the club won the Pacific Cup held in New Zealand and organized by New Zealand Fiji Football Incorporated.
The interested head coaches for the place might have at least C level coaching qualification and send its cover letter and curriculum vitae to westerncustomltk@connect.com.fj.
The New Zealand international Marco Rojas is back to Australia after three years in Europe – playing in Netherlands and Denmark. The attacking midfielder also played in Germany and Switzerland in his career.
The now 28-year played made success in Wellington Phoenix and especially as player of Australian powerhouse Melbourne Victory, the side Rojas will represent in 2020.
The New Zealander was heavily linked with Victory city rivals Melbourne City, but it was reported the player turned down the offer from the side. As Phoenix coach Ufuk Talay denied any negotiations with Rojas, the unique side still in contention was Victory that resigned with the Corey Brown and Kristjian Dobras to open cap space for the signing of the former Johnny Warren medalist.
Victory is currently at the 6th position in the A-League ladder and expects Marco Rojas can bring them back to winning days, as they lost for Central Coast Mariners by 3-2 margin their previous game in the league.
It was recently reported by Oceania Football Center that there were some rumours linking Ni-Vanuatu defender Jason Thomas to Malampa Revivors. However it was announced today that Revivors signed with three new players and Jason Thomas is not one of them.
It seems that Thomas will not play 2020 OFC Champions League for a Ni-Vanuatu team as Galaxy FC squad is practically defined and they already count on some good defenders like Joseph Iaruel and Nelson Sale Kilifa.
The doors are closing – Solomon Islands teams can not sign overseas players and the Tahitian transfer window is currently closed. Papua New Guinean clubs Hekari United and Lae City already have many foreign players in their squads.
His biggest opportunity might come from Fiji as he played 2019 Pacific Cup for Lautoka. The 22 years old helped the Fijian team to win the tournament held in New Zealand and people would not be surprised if he joins Lautoka to play 2020 OFC Champions League. Fijian transfer window is currently open and he could add lots of talent to Lautoka’s defense.
Thomas played the last three editions of OFC Champions League – He played for Erakor Golden Star (2017 and 2019) and Solomon Warriors (2018). He was Erakor Golden Star’s captain in the 2019 OFC Champions League.
Junior Kurukuru U14 won again in Australia! The Solomon Islands U14 National Futsal Team won SA Blue by 9-0 in the FFA National Futsal Championship.
Joseph Nasihunu and Abraham Iniga scored three goals each as Junior Michael scored twice. The other goal was scored by Grayham Aneka.
Junior Kurukuru is currently leading the group B of U14 FFA National Futsal Championship with two wins in two matches. You can check the current standings by clicking here.
Oceania Football Center