Wolves: What Doesn't Kill Us, Makes Us Stronger

After receiving a battering at the Mauritian Futsal Cup (MFC) 2010, the Wolves enter the Champions Cup 2010 tournament eagerly.  The results of MFC 2010 were terribly disappointing for the Wolves as they finished in last spot on the ladder.  However, instead of quietly licking their wounds, they have steeled themselves and began whatever preparations they can to ensure a different outcome on the Champions Cup 2010 tournament.

With some changes in their line-up since the last tournament, the Wolves enter the tournament with these players:

• Kim Young (captain)
• Kenny "Cha Cha" How (vice captain)
• Jeff Lai
• Edouard Whan Kan
• Nicolas "Teokon" Tao
• Rio
• John

Wolves captain, Kim Young, admits that "the Wolves have been through a rough first experience but we learned a lot from our first team experience".   However, the captain of this young team definitely has an indomitable spirit, which he can hopefully impress upon his team.  Like the real Wolves of the wild, Kim Young looks at their encounters in the MFC and positively characterizes it in a well-known and appropriate adage, "what doesn't kill us, make us stronger".

The tournament will prove to be another challenge to the Wolves.  Jeff Lai returns in the team line-up as Danny Young exists the team and their goal-keeper Christopher Chong is replaced by veteran Edouard Whan Kan.

The Wolves know that they have a lot more work to do, and they do not underestimate any teams in the tournament.  Kim Young wishes all the other teams the best of luck and looks forward to the upcoming tournament, determined to improve upon their mistakes and make their way further up the ladder.

United!!!: New Name, Same Purpose

United!!! is the re-branded name of The Waka Waka All Stars who made their MKS Melbourne futsal tournament debut in the Mauritian Futsal Cup (MFC) 2010.  Prior to that, the team was formed by Brian Lam to compete in the RMIT Soccer Challenge 2010.  The team was then composed of Brian Lam, Nirvadesh, Oliver Chung, and Jason Ip.

After missing out on qualifying for the elimination round in the RMIT Soccer Challenge 2010, the team recruit some new members from Sport Du Samedi.  They entered the MFC 2010 with a singular purpose, defeat The Replacements, and claim the first mark on the then fresh MFC trophy.  Although they made a valiant start, they fell short of their target.

They finished in 5th place in the MFC, just one place away from a top four finish.  However, they performed admirably well against the big four teams in the tournament.  In the second round, The Waka Waka All Stars defeated Black Hawk United 1-0.  They drew against Nioukyen FC in the third round.  Their only lost against a top four team was against Club Maurice in round 4, in which they lost 2-0.  In round 5, they drew 1-1 against the eventual champions of the tournament, The Replacements.

Having made a good debut, the team has renamed itself as United!!! and is, thus far, composed of:

• Oliver Chung (captain)
• Nirv Nirvadesh (vice captain)
• Jason Ip
• Binesh Seetanah

Oliver Chung is taking the captainship from Brian Lam as the Mauritian international is currently away on international duty.  The team's goal-keeper, Nirvadesh, fills in Oliver Chung's shoes as vice captain. 

With their captain missing, United!!! is ready to compete as one and is looking forward to the matches against Club Maurice and The Replacements, two of the big four teams that they have not defeated yet.

FC Goons: A True Sporting Club

The MKS Melbourne futsal tournament has, of course, many competing futsal/football clubs, however, none of those clubs are what one would call a true sporting club.  A sporting club, by definition, is one which participates in a number of sports. As all of the MKS Melbourne clubs so far are specialized in futsal or football, it would be a stretch to call any of them a true sporting club.  However, the one true sporting club making its debut in the Champions Cup 2010, and thus their first appearance in an MKS Melbourne futsal tournament, is FC Goons.

FC Goons began from a group of friends with common sporting interests, as many good clubs do.  The club participates in sports such as indoor cricket, basketball, and volleyball.  Given that they are all passionate football fans, it was only natural that they venture into competitive futsal.

FC Goons is made up of:

• Phuong Phan (captain)
• Kenny Ma (vice captain)
• Quoc Le
• John Truong
• Phung Truong
• Khoa Pham
• Ben Pham
• Ivan Curak

FC Goons captain, Phuong Phan, believes that the team works well because each player has different strengths and weaknesses, and this leads to a complementary and balanced side.  FC Goons is proud to be a futsal team and can boast on having made the finals in all but one of their seasons since they began competing a few years ago.

As they are a new team in the tournament, FC Goons is testing out the waters.  Their aim is to enjoy the tournament and to make it as far as they can.  With the champions and runners up of the Mauritian Futsal Cup 2010 confirming their attendance, FC Goons have their work cut out in front of them.  This may well be the tournament in which they make the finals and emerge victorious, marking a new era of futsal achievements for this true sporting club.

Club Maurice: From Strength to Strength

After goal-keeping for The Replacements in the Champions Cup Winter 2009 tournament, the very first MKS Melbourne tournament, and with the taste of success after The Replacements won the tournament, Kenny Lam amicably parted ways with The Replacements to for Club Maurice.  Drawing in players from the outdoor soccer incarnation of Club Maurice, there was high expectations of the team as they debuted the Champions Cup Spring 2009 tournament.  However, they failed to qualify into the elimination round.  Quick to learn from their errors, Club Maurice entered the Mauritian Futsal Cup (MFC) 2010 with their typical enthusiasm and organization.

In the MFC 2010, their made their stellar rise to success, established themselves as strong contenders and as one of the big four teams of the MKS Melbourne tournaments.  Having missed the opportunity to play against The Replacements in the Champions Cup Spring 2009 tournament (as they were in a different group), Club Maurice entered the round 2 MFC 2010 match against The Replacements with fervour.  Their determination earned them a 1-0 victory.  In round 6 of the MFC 2010, they convincingly defeated Black Hawk United, a fellow big four team, 3-1.  However, in round 7, they fell to another big four team, Nioukyen FC 2-0.  As fate would have it, they face Nioukyen FC in the semi-finals and sought to make amends for their earlier defeat.

The match was the more exciting semi-final of the two and was very a tense game.  At the very end of the match, Nioukyen FC was award a penalty-kick, however, they failed to convert it to a goal.  Thus, the match ended with both teams scoreless at the end of normal time.  Club Maurice scored first in extra-time, however, Nioukyen FC equalized and, at the end of extra time, the match ended in draw once more.

A penalty shoot-out was necessary to separate the teams and determine a winner.  The shoot-out was long and drawn out, however, Club Maurice managed to get their revenge and emerged victorious 11-10.

Club M then moved on to the finals and face The Replacements.  Having already defeated The Replacements once in the tournament, they were surely confident against them. however, they were the least rested of the two teams given their drawn out encounter against Nioukyen FC in the semi-final.  Club M managed a dream start to the finals by scoring right from kick-off.  However, in the end, they were unable to hold the lead as The Replacements equalized and took the lead late into the match.

Having been a breath away from winning their first MKS Melbourne futsal tournament and making the very first mark on the Mauritian Futsal Cup silverware, Club Maurice have returned to the Champions Cup.  Their line-up for the tournament is as follows.

• Kenny Lam (captain)
• Olliver Lim (vice captain)
• Dean Lau
• Teddy Choon
• Kenny Choon
• Mervyn Lam
• Ken Fat Low

Their line-up remains largely unchanged, save for the addition of Ken Fat Low.  The team was bolstered with the addition of vice captain Olliver Lim in the Mauritian Futsal Cup.  There are also rumours of the addition of Shane Chan to their ranks. Shane Chan, who was the captain of the outdoor incarnation of Club Maurice, would be a strong addition to the team and would make Club Maurice an even bigger powerhouse than what it already is.

Captain Kenny Lam, says that Club Maurice enters the tournament with no rivalries, and is looking forward to play at its best against all teams in the competition.

It seems that Club Maurice is pushing hard to make up for the silverware they narrowly missed out on.  With the club going from strength to strength, this may well be the tournament in which they, in one fell swoop, realize their dream, and bring to a grinding halt The Replacements' winning streak and dominance.  Club Maurice has shown that they are the team with the best qualifications to derail the juggernaut that is The Replacements and make the first impression on the new Champions Cup trophy.

The Replacements: Defending Champions

Since the inception of the original Champions Cup, in the winter of 2009, and thus, the inception of the MKS Melbourne futsal tournaments, The Replacements have been the only champions in all competitions.  The Replacements' trophy cabinet currently holds the following:

• Mauritian Futsal Cup 2010 - Winners
• RMIT Soccer Challenge 2010 - Winners
• Champions Cup Spring 2009 - Winners
• Champions Cup Winter 2009 - Winners
• RecWest Cup - Runners Up
• RMIT Soccer Challenge 2009 - Winners

 With back-to-back victories in both the RMIT Soccer Challenge and the Champions Cup, and being crowned champions in the first ever Mauritian Futsal Cup, their RecWest runners up achievement is the only black mark on their otherwise impression record.  Having won the last two Champions Cup, they return as defending champions and will certainly give all participating teams a run for their money.  Their motivation is likely to have increased since the introduction of the Champions Cup trophy.

If The Replacements win the Champions Cup 2010 tournament, they will win the tournament for the third successive time.  However, MKS Melbourne has cleared decreed that if that happens, The Replacements will not be walking away with the Champions Cup trophy as the title count for the trophy begins from the Champions Cup 2010 tournament itself.  Having previously won back-to-back, and having shown that this is a feat not beyond them, this will surely bolster their resolve.

Their line-up has changed vastly since forming and first playing in FutsalOz, however, they seem to have plenty of depth in their team and have always brought quality players who have been able to step up to the occasion.  In the upcoming Champions Cup 2010 tournament, their line-up is as follows:

• Jason Cheong (captain)
• Cameron Holmes (vice captain)
• Ahmed Badawy
• Simone Tortorici
• Duong Pham
• James Bush

The team captain, Jason Cheong, and vice captain, Cameron Holmes, are the two main stay of the team.  In the Mauritian Futsal Cup (MFC) 2010 finals against Club M, The Replacements had a nightmare start with Club M scoring right from kick-off.  However, Cameron Holmes, with some trademark team play from The Replacements, neutralized the deficit and Jason Cheong scored the tournament-winning goal late into the match.

James Bush, The Replacements' first choice goal-keeper, was unavailable to play in the MFC 2010 and many competing teams saw this as a great opportunity to bring down The Replacements.  However, Duong Pham, The Replacements' striker filled in between the posts and quickly showed his opponents his depth both as an attacker and defender.


Significant changes in The Replacements' line-up includes missing players Nicholas Sin, Michael Whan Kan, and Dean Singh.  Nicholas Sin is currently on loan in Mauritius, rookie Michael Whan Kan is unavailable, and Singapore international Dean Singh is also unavailable.  This is the first MKS Tournament that Dean Singh will be missing.  Along with Jason Cheong and Christopher Cheong, who is currently undergoing rehabilitation, he one of the founding members of The Replacements and has proven to be a solid defender.

With such quality players missing from their ranks, opponents are surely seeing this as another opportunity to defeat The Replacements and make the first mark on the Champions Cup trophy.  However, The Replacements are bringing in two new players to their team in this tournament: Ahmed Badawy and Simone Tortorici.  Some opposing teams may have seen Ahmed Badawy play in the RMIT Soccer Challenge 2010 against The Replacements, who emerged triumphant.  It seemed that Ahmed made an impression on The Replacements as he was recruited into their ranks after the tournament.  Simone Tortorici will likely be an unknown to other teams as it is his first participation in an MKS Melbourne futsal tournament.

 Jason Cheong states that The Replacements have no rivalries with any other teams, but it may be different for the other teams though.  That may well be true, as after having stamped their authority and superiority on the MKS Melbourne tournaments, other teams have been particularly seeking to play against The Replacements.  This was strongly apparent in the Mauritian Futsal Cup.  However, The Replacements have proven themselves as the top team in the MKS Melbourne tournaments.

With The Replacements missing quality players and bringing in two new recruits, it seems that a change is on the way.  But one is unsure if it's a change for the better or for the worse.  The competition level has increased in the MKS Melbourne tournaments, and The Replacements were in doubt in the early stages of the Mauritian Futsal Cup 2010.  Their opponents' resolve have also been bolstered by the introduction of the Champions Cup trophy and are also seeking to make the very first mark on the new silverware.

Champions Cup 2010 Tournament Announced!

After the success of the hugely anticipated and first ever Mauritian Futsal Cup, MKS Melbourne have announced the Champions Cup 2010 Tournament.  This is the original tournament that started the journey that led to the momentous event of the Mauritian Futsal Cup.


Although the Champions Cup was a tournament that was previously hosted twice a year, with the addition of the Mauritian Futsal Cup, it will now only be played once per year.  To explain the matter, MKS Melbourne has announced that there are some changes underway to the tournaments that it annually hosts.  They remain tight-lipped about the changes and Christopher Cheong, one of the committee members of MKS Melbourne, would only reveal the following:

There are a number of upcoming changes to the MKS Melbourne tournaments.  We don't want to reveal too much right now as we'd like to keep these as surprises for the participating teams and players.  Of course, with these changes, we're sticking to what has worked for us and participating teams in the past.  That is, providing low-cost tournaments, a good social and competitive atmosphere, and lots and lots of futsal. 

The changes that we have planned is only possible with the continuing support and interest that we have received from the teams so far, which I have to say has been over-whelming thus far.  I mean, consider the following. 

In the first Champions Cup, in the winter of 2009, there were 6 participating teams, however, the second Champions Cup in the spring of 2009, attracted 8 teams.  Seeing the increasing interest and inspired by both the success of Mauritian-based teams in the RMIT 2010 Soccer Challenge and the 10th FIFA World Cup, we felt that it was necessary to introduce a new tournament and that it was only appropriate to name it the Mauritian Fustal Cup (MFC).  The MFC 2010 has been our biggest tournament so far, with a record of 9 teams.  I think it's fair to say that all teams played their hearts out during the MFC 2010.

With the resounding success of the MFC 2010, we again think that there are some further appropriate changes to be made to the benefit of all.  We are starting to phase these changes in this year.  By the end of next year, all of the changes we are planning will be in place and I think 2011 will be a good example of what the teams can expect in the coming years.

One change that MKS Melbourne was willing to reveal is the introduction of the official Champions Cup trophy.  The Champions Cup trophy will be much the same as the Mauritian Futsal Cup trophy: starting this year, the first team to claim 3 consecutive or 5 (non-consecutive) Champions Cup tournaments to their name will retain the trophy.

The Champions Cup Trophy

Starting from 2010, the first team to win 3 consecutive or 5 (non-consecutive) Champions Cup tournaments will retain the trophy.

Although The Replacements have won the Champions Cup twice already, in the winter and spring of 2009, these two wins will not be taken into consideration for claiming the Champions Cup trophy.  MKS Melbourne believes it only fair that since the trophy is being introduced at the Champions Cup 2010 tournament that the count should start fresh from henceforth.

The tournament details and format will follow the same MKS Melbourne futsal tournament format.

Tournament details
Champions Cup 2010 Tournament
5-a-side futsal tournament
Saturday 4 September 2010
0900-1600

Important dates
Fri 13/08/2010: Team registration deadline
Fri 20/08/2010: Team payment deadline

Team Registration
To register your team, please fill in the form at:
http://bit.ly/ChampionsCup2010TeamRego

Team size
Team sizes are strictly limited to the following.
Minimum: 5 players
Maximum: 8 players

Team Cost
By Friday 20 August 2010: Discounted early bird team registration cost of $120.
After Friday 20 August 2010: Team registration cost of $150

Tournament Format
The exact tournament format will be confirmed at a later date as it depends on the number of teams competing. However, in general, the tournament will consist of:

1. Qualifying round - a single round robin competition. All teams will participate in this round.

2. Elimination round - a knock-out competition. Only a number of top ranked teams from the qualifying round will progress to this round.

Please note: MKS Melbourne reserves the right to alter the tournament format without notice.

Tournament Rules
The tournament rules will be follow the MKS Melbourne Futsal Tournament Rules.

Referees
In order to keep the cost of the tournament low, every team will need to provide referees for some games. The referees can be one of the players and they will not referee any of their own team's matches.

MKS Melbourne Website
http://mksmelbourne.blogspot.com/
Please monitor the website for updates.

Enquiries
Please send all enquiries to:
mks.melbourneATgmail.com
(replace "AT" with "@").

As always, MKS Melbourne is looking forward to a great and successful tournament and wishes all participating teams the best of luck!

Futsal Tournament Rules

MKS Melbourne

Futsal Tournament Rules

1. Knowledge of the game

1. The laws of indoor soccer that apply are those of FIFA.
2. In the event of conflict between FIFA rules and the rule of the tournament, the tournament rule will prevail.
3. Specific rule amendments:

1. The decisions of the referees is final.
2. An indirect free kick shall be awarded in the following situations:

1. If a goal-keeper touches or controls the ball with his hands after it has been deliberately kicked to him by his team-mate.
2. If a goal-keeper touches or controls the ball with his hands or feet in his own penalty area for more than four seconds.

3. The free kick:

1. There are two types of free kicks:

1. Direct free kick: if a direct free kick enters the opponents' goal, a goal shall be awarded.
2. Indirect free kick: a goal shall only be awarded if the ball touches another player before it enters the goal.

2. All opponents shall be situated at least 5 meters from the ball until it is in play.  When a defending team is taking a free kick from inside its own penalty area, all opponents shall remain outside said area.

4. The kick-in:

1. The kick-in is a method of restarting play after the ball has gone out of bounds.  A goal may not be scored directly from a kick-in.
2. The ball shall remain stationary on the touch line.
3. The player taking the kick-in shall have part of one foot on the touch line or off the pitch at the moment he takes the kick-in.
4. The player taking the kick-in shall do so within 4 seconds of receiving the ball.
5. The players of the defending team shall be at least 5 meters from the place where the kick-in is taken.

5. Tackling:

1. Tackling from behind is allowed.
2. Players may not slide tackle, except for the goal-keeper.
3. The goal-keeper may slide tackle under following circumstances:

1. He must clearly be slide tackling for the ball.
2. The slide tackle must start from inside his own penalty area.

6. Send-offs:

1. A player who is sent off may not re-enter the play, and should not interfere with the play.
2. A substitute player may enter the pitch two full minutes after a team-mate has bee sent off, unless a goal is scored before the two minutes has elapsed.

2. Tournament format

1. The following describes an example of the tournament format with a single team.  The actual tournament format will vary depending on the number of teams participating.
2. The tournament is composed of two parts: (1) a qualifying round (a.k.a. “group stage” or “group round") and (2) the elimination round.
3. The qualifying round:

1. The qualifying round shall consist of a single group.
2. The qualifying round is a single round robin competition.  That is, each team shall play every other team once.
3. After the completion of the qualifying round, the top four teams will qualify to partake in the elimination round. 
4. Team ranking in the qualifying round will be determined as follows:

1. Teams will first be ranked by points.  A win is awarded 3 points, a draw is awarded 1 point, and a lost or forfeit is awarded zero points.
2. If teams are equal on points, they will then be ranked as follows:

1. By goal difference (goals for - goals against)
2. By goals for
3. By goals against
4. By toss of a coin or penalty shootout (if time permits)

4. The elimination round:

1. The elimination round consists of two semi-final matches and a final match.
2. The elimination round is a knock-out competition.  That is, a losing team will not progress further in the tournament.
3. The semi-final matches shall be as follows:

1. The 1st ranked team from the qualifying round will play against the 4th ranked team.
2. The 2nd ranked team from the qualifying round will play against the 3rd ranked team.

4. The two winners of the semi-final matches will play against each other in the final match. 
5. The winner of the final match will be deemed the winner of the tournament.
6. In the case of a draw in the elimination round, winners will be determined by extra time (if time permits) or penalty shootout.

3. The games

1. Duration of the games:

1. Qualifying round games will consist of a single 10-minute match with no breaks.
2. Elimination round games will consist of a single 10-minute match with no breaks.
3. Games are to be strictly limited to the aforementioned durations.  Once a game has finished, no further play may take place.  The sole exception is if a team is awarded a penalty kick, in which case, even if the game has finished, the team will be permitted to take the penalty kick.  This does not apply to free kicks.

2. The game start and finish by the referee’s whistle or sirens.

1. Once a game has finished, no further play may take place.  The sole exception is if a team is awarded a penalty kick, in which case, even if the game has finished, the team will be permitted to take the penalty kick.  This does not apply to free kicks.

3. Kick-off is decided by toss of coin.
4. Time of the games:

1. Teams are to be on court at the scheduled time for the start of the game.
2. The clock will be started at the scheduled time to ensure all teams have their full game.
3. Failure to be on the court by at the scheduled time will result in a one-goal penalty. 
4. Thereafter teams will lose one goal for every minute after the scheduled start of the game.
5. The game will start with or without a full team.
6. Teams that have players running late must take the court when they have a minimum of three players.
7. An automatic forfeit will apply if a team is not on court within 5 minutes of the scheduled starting time.

4. Teams

1. A team must have at least three players for the game to start.
2. No more than five players will be allowed on the court at any time.
3. A team may have up to a maximum of 3 substitutes.

5. Injuries

1. Players play at their own risk.  The tournament organizers will not be held liable for any injuries or accidents.
2. To minimize the disruption of subsequent games, no extra time is allocated in this tournament.
3. An injured player must leave the court as soon as reasonably possible so that play may continue.
4. Once an injured player leaves the court, his position may be filled with a substituted player.
5. If a player is bleeding, he must vacate the court immediately and cannot return until the bleeding has stopped.

6. Substitution

1. The referee must be notified if the goal-keeper is substituted.
2. Failure to do so will result in a yellow card to the player and/or the captain.
3. Substitutions can be made at anytime during the game.  The player being substituted off must cross the sideline before the new player comes on.
4. Failure to do so will result in a yellow card to the player and/or the captain.

7. Fees

1. All payments should be finalized before the start of the tournament.
2. Teams will outstanding payments will not be allowed to compete in the tournament.  

8. Changes

1. Tournament organizers reserve the right to makes changes to any and all parts of the tournament without notice.