On Saturday July 11th BEFC Futsal team took part in the International Association Japan's 6th Annual Futsal Competition raising money for those affected by the Nepal earthquake.
It was a scorcher of a day down at FutMesse in Shinagawa, and after some squad drop outs the prospect of only having 1 subsitute meant the high octane high press style was not on the cards.
The tournament comprised of 8 teams representing, Japan, South Korea, Scotland, USA, MOFA, France, Japan B and of course the United Kingdom. However mysteriously the French team were in fact no other than the TML's Pumas FC, and Scotland were the Minato Mirai team who often take part in these competitions.
BEFC were in group B with Japan B, USA and MOFA. To buck BEFC tradition, the team started out by not being completely useless and playing a controlled passing game keeping a strong defensive line.
The first game against MOFA, BEFC kept the majority of possession and pressure, with only MOFA threatening with short lived counter attacks. Despite the dominance BEFC couldn't find the net until Ben Palmer took on and out muscled the defence along the right byline, slotting in Jorge Marenco to do the honours with a clinical strike past the keeper. This put the game on MOFA, and BEFC continued its same controlled style. On a turnover, Silvano Boroni had dragged his markers wide opening up space for Jorge Marenco to get a clear path to goal. Slotting it forward, Ben Palmer sent Jorge on his way for a brace and the final score 2 - 0 BEFC.
The heat however was brutal and unfortunately BEFC had back to back games, going straight up against the USA, fielding some familar faces. Starting again in the same style BEFC controlled the play from the back but were unable to find the net until winning a corner. Leaving Ben Palmer unmarked just over inside the halfway line, the US let Silvano Boroni pass the ball back for Palmer to wind up a long range strike straight into the bottom right corner. Having done this the previous week in futsal training Palmer was particularly proud of himself, putting BEFC up 1 - 0.
This first goal again put the game on the US, and despite some for direct running at BEFC they were unable to threaten. Some slick movement again from Marenco and Boroni up front allowed them to escape their markers and score the second match killing goal -- 2 - 0 BEFC.
The final group game was against Japan B, who also had dispatched MOFA and the US, meaning the final game needed a winner. BEFC began well again, but the heat was finally taking its toll as the marking became looser allowing a few three on two situations for the defence to deal with. In a Japan B attack in which a pass deflected ball to hand on Ben Palmer, the referee allowed advantage for the joining attacks to get a shot off and into the net. The first time BEFC had been behind, it was time to see how they would react. Stepping up the intensity a bit James Cane pushed further into attack and managed to release Boroni who working with Marenco, got into the box and drilled it home equalling the game at 1 - 1. Pushing more aggressively for the win, Cane and Yong saved BEFC from the counter attack a number of occaisons and in a fast break Palmer nearly scored the winner, with a drilled shot the keeper managed to punch away last second at the right post.
The match ended 1 -1, but with BEFC easily with more shots and chances.

As both teams were level in everyway, the organisers decided the team to play in the tournament final would be decided by Janken (scissors, paper stone). Knowing that being British penalties was not a good idea, Captain Ben Palmer had been practising hard his Janken skills for the inevitable situation victory would depends on a shuffling of hands. First trying to negotiate settling it with an arm wrestle, the opposition declined and the referee explained the rules and timing -- Japan suggesting best of 3 and Palmer refusing and insisting it was all or nothing. During the referee explanation Palmer confirmed the timing with a little demo and utilising the Darren Brown tactics of signalling his choice subsconciously to the opposition --- with an open hand. Whether this worked or not mattered not, because on the Janken Pon, Palmer dropped the Stone with a clenched fist of victory over the oppositions measly Scissors -- perhaps expecting the open hand.
That was it and BEFC were in the final!

The final was against the Japan A team, who had previously been in a serious grudge match with Korea. BEFC were up against a higher calibre of opposition now of the young and quick kind, illustrated by the immediately attempt of a Zidane piroutte move against the defence. The match began pretty cagey, but with BEFC struggling to find a way through Japan who defended deep in their half and broke on counters. In this situation the high pressing was not working for BEFC and opening too much space for their runners in the middle of the park. However BEFC had been coping well enough until a rifled shot, spilled from Keith Crowley and a Japan A striker was fastest to the second ball. That made it tough as Japan continued to sit in their own half and utilise their speed on the turnovers.
In defence however the pressing was still giving a little too much space for Japan to use their quickness and BEFC were down 0 -2, when in a penalty area scramble, Japan managed to poke the ball home first.
After that, the heat and wind was taken from BEFC, and with renewed vigour in tackling (mostly from Marenco) the problem was BEFC had to push forward to try and comeback. This played into Japan's hands and the final result ended 0 - 4 Japan.
It wasn't a glorious way to end the competition run, but in the heat for a team with only 1 subsitution compared to their 5 subs it was pretty well done over the course of the event. However everyone admitted that in the last game BEFC played poorly compared to before. Maybe it was the heat, maybe it was due to a different calibre of opposition, but ultimately it ended with BEFC coming in second as runners up of the 6th International Association Embassy Futsal Competition.

{More photos and maybe video to come}