Tricky ties await Group A

Chinese representative Shenzen Nanjing Tielang FC are also making a debut in the competition but given their experienced players, Chonburi Bluewave coach Pazos Mendez believes that the Chinese are the team to beat in Group A.

“I have lots of futsal friends in China and though I cannot claim that I know the in and out of Shenzen, I know that they are a team to beat,” Mendez told reporters.

“I have been following this competition from the very beginning and the quality has been improving with every succeeding year so I am expecting some highly contested matches in both the groups,” he said.

Shenzen’s coach Wu Zhuoxi, a former Chinese national futsal team coach, believes that their team’s ideal preparation ahead of the tournament will certainly help them qualify for the August finals.

“The main aim is qualifications and we are well prepared for it. The first concentration is to see off the group where Chonburi Bluewave certainly look stronger than any other sides but we respect the opponents from Chinese Taipei and the Philippines so making it into the knockout stages by no mean would be easy,” he said.

The group winners and runners-up will book a place in the semi-final and the top three of Zone 2 will qualify for the finals to be held in Nagoya in late August. The league champions of Japan, Iran and Uzbekistan and the winners and runners-up of Zone 1 will be other sides featuring in the eight-team competition.

Tainan City’s main aim in the tournament, according to the head coach Lo Chih Tsung, is to learn and gain experience at the international stage.

“This championship is a learning opportunity as at the end of the day, regardless of the results, we will gain invaluable experiences. We want to showcase our futsal to the rest of Asia,” Tsung said.

Thursday's Matches

Match	Time	Venue
Chonburi Bluewave vs Tainan City	12:30	Panasonic Sports Complex
Thai Son Nam vs Dural Warriors	15:30	Panasonic Sports Complex
Shenzen Nanling vs Pasargad FC	18:30	Panasonic Sports Complex