The groups for The FA National Futsal Super League were confirmed last weekend as the regional leagues drew to a close.
The Super League groups have set up a number of alluring matches that promise some excellent Futsal action over the coming weeks to determine the four clubs that progress to The FA National Futsal League Grand Finals at St Georges Park at the end of May.
The highlights of the weekend’s last round of matches from the regional leagues saw Manchester Futsal Club storm to a 6-0 home victory against arch-rivals Sheffield to win the Northern League and also to claim a spot in Group A of the Super League.
The FA National Futsal Super League
Group A: Manchester Futsal Club, Birmingham Futsal Club, West London Futsal Club.
Group B: Baku United, Sheffield Futsal Club, University of Bath Futsal Club.
Group C: Oxford City Lions, Middlesbrough Futsal Club, Helvecia Futsal Club.
Group D: FC Baltic United, Loughborough Students Futsal Club, Liverpool Futsal Club.
Manchester will obviously be pleased to reclaim their Northern title after Sheffield took it last season, but more importantly, winning the league entitled them to a place in Group A which pitches the north-west giants against Birmingham and West London; a group that Manchester will fancy themselves as favourites to win and progress to the Grand Finals.
Sheffield’s defeat meant that they were resigned to joining one of the two ‘Groups of Death.’ Group B will see Sheffield joined by favourites Baku United and University of Bath. At the start of the season, Baku became the first Futsal club in England to turn professional, and with their plethora of foreign stars they blazed their way to winning the Southern League, and are very much the favourites to not only win Group B but to win the entire competition and retain their National Champions title and claim a spot in next season’s UEFA Futsal Cup.
But Sunday saw perhaps the first chink in Baku’s armour as they dropped their first points of the season to draw 2-2 with FC Baltic. University of Bath will be hoping that their array of England and Wales national team players can rise to the big occasion to unsettle Baku.
The other group of death is Group C, where five times national champions Helvecia may not be the indomitable force that they once were, but on their day can still rival any team in the land.
They will face the impressive Oxford City Lions who claimed the Midlands title for the second time in their short history. Middlesbrough makes up the final team in Group C, and although the north-eastern club had a rather disappointing end to the season their performances at the start of the year suggest that they will be tough to beat.
Group D is perhaps the hardest group to predict the outcome of. FC Baltic’s incredible draw with Baku to narrowly edge past Helvecia and claim the runners-up spot in the Southern League suggests that they are a force to be reckoned with.
However, the London club struggled on the road during last season’s Super League and Loughborough will be waiting for them with their cohort of England players fancying their chances of reaching the Grand Finals. Liverpool have made significant strides forward this season and deserve their place in the latter stages of the National Futsal League for the first time in their history.
The first round of thrilling matches in the FA National Futsal Super League kicks-off on 6 April in fixtures around the country. To find out more and to go and watch these games visit either http://full-time.thefa.com/NationalFutsal.do or www.EnglandFutsal.com.
