The Waikato Rapids have qualified for the OFC Futsal Men’s Champions League final with a round-robin game to spare, defeating defending champions AS PTT to start day four at the Vodafone Arena in Suva.
A hard-fought contest was expected, between the only two unbeaten teams still left in the competition. An early Rapids goal set the tone though, and the New Zealand representatives dominated throughout.
It marks just the second time AS PTT have lost in OFC Futsal Men’s Champions League history, and the first time since the 2019 final.
Riding high on confidence off the back of three consecutive wins in their debut campaign, it took just 59 seconds for the Rapids to hit the front. Benjamin Bordin took advantage of a deflection to score from an early free kick.
By the end of the eighth minute their advantage had extended to three, as Jet Lim’s men scored twice in the space of 20 seconds. Casey Sharplin rolled the ball through the legs of Mattieu Wassin with a fine finish on his right foot, before Maxwell Ericksen got in on the action to score on the counter-attack.
The Rapids should’ve added a fourth, Cooper Wink failing to turn the ball into an open net following a low cross off the right flank from Hemi Innes.
AS PTT found a way to stay afloat and grabbed a crucial lifeline in the final minute of the first half though. Jymaël Upa’s shot off the left flank rolled through the legs of the keeper to get the defending champions on the scoreboard.
That hope lasted just four minutes into the second half however, Hemi Innes capitalising on an error at the top of the AS PTT box to score the Rapids fourth goal with a direct free kick into the bottom-right corner on his right foot.
The pick of the Rapids goals came in the 27th minute, Sharplin combining with Ericksen to add the fifth goal with a finish into the bottom-right corner.
Despite the disappointment of heading towards a rare defeat, AS PTT did at least score a second goal to add some consolation. Two-time OFC Futsal Men’s Champions League Golden Ball winner Christ Pei scored with a long-range effort on his right foot.
The Waikato Rapids can now become the first club in OFC Futsal Men’s Champions League history to complete a 100% record by winning all their round-robin matches should they record a fifth straight victory against Suva FC on Friday night. Meanwhile, AS PTT’s hopes of reaching the final for the third consecutive edition hang in the balance when they tackle Gulf Komara FC in the first game of the day on Friday.
Waikato Rapids: 5 (Benjamin BORDIN 1’, Casey SHARPLIN 8’, 27’, Maxwell ERICKSEN 8’, Hemi INNES 24’)
AS PTT: 2 (Jymaël UPA 20’, Christ PEI 32’)
HT: 3-1
Photo credit: OFC Media via Phototek