KUALA LUMPUR (1st Feb 2008) Brazil are in the final of the KL World 5’s where Argentina lies in wait for a mouth-watering clash for the illustrious Cup Competition.

Australia Lachlan Wright (No.10) - Brazil Francisico Paula (No.15)

Their 7-0 thumping of Australia in their semi-final at the Stadium Negara today (Saturday) has given the Brazilians a second bite at the cherry and the opportunity to make amends after the 2-3 loss which allowed the Argentineans to take home the trophy in 2003.

When reminded of this, Brazilian coach Paulo Oliveira expressed his sentiments for the final, and said, “Revenge is what we are after now.”

Australia was clearly no match for the Brazilians right from the start. A 3rd min goal from William Morais and then another in the 8th min from Lenisio Junior proved that Brazil meant business and that the physical strength of the Australians displayed was no hindrance.

Joao Carvalho increased the lead to 3-0 in the 17th min and by then the legendary Falcao (AlessandroVeira), Brazil’s most celebrated Futsal player, made his appearance after missing out on the earlier two matches because of a thigh injury.

Brazil Minthyue Linhares (No.7) - Australia keeper Peter Spathis (No.12)

Another four goals in the second period – a brace from Morais in the 23rd and 24th; and two more from Junior in the 24th and Alex Roza in the 28th - completed the rout.

Said Brazil’s coach Paulo Oliveira: “We lost to Argentina in two important matches. First of course was the final of the KL World 5’s in 2003 and then we also lost to them in the final of the World Championship South American zone qualifier in 2004. Maybe it’s time for Brazil to take revenge for the two important losses.

Said Paulo Oliveira about his strategy for the final: “Argentina, I believe will try to defend because they know what we are capable of. For us we will certainly attack even though we are a little tired now after five matches.”

Australia's coach Scott Gilligan, whose side drew 3-3 with Argentina in Group A, said: “Without a doubt, the Brazilians are the best team in the tournament and they are a class above the Argentineans. We just experienced how tough it was to play them. It was like going up against a brickwall.

Australia Lachalan Wright (No.10) - Brazil Lenisio Junior (No.10)

“But we are thankful for the lesson we learn here, especially from the Brazilians. But it takes a lot to beat them. You need brawn and brains too.”

The KL World 5’s Cup will be broadcast LIVE across Asia on STAR Sports.

FIXTURES and RESULTS (2nd Feb, 2008)

12am: Malaysia vs Holland	(5-0)
2pm: Iran vs Indonesia	(13-1)
Semifinals
5pm: Argentina vs Thailand	(5-3)
7pm: Brazil vs Australia	(7-0)

FIXTURES (3 Feb, 2008)

Bowl Final: England vs China	(3.00pm)
Plate Final: Holland vs Iran	(5.00pm)
KL World 5s Final: Argentina vs Brazil	(7.00pm)

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CURRENT STANDINGS

Group A
	P	W	D	L	F	A	PTS
ARGENTINA	4	3	1	0	28	5	10
AUSTRALIA	4	3	1	0	21	5	10
MALAYSIA	4	2	0	2	10	18	6
INDONESIA	4	1	0	3	10	16	3
ENGLAND	4	0	0	4	6	31	0

Group B
	P	W	D	L	F	A	PTS
BRAZIL	4	4	0	0	14	0	12
IRAN	3	2	0	1	9	6	6
THAILAND	3	1	1	1	8	8	3
HOLLAND	4	1	1	2	7	9	4
CHINA	4	0	0	4	3	18	0

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About the KL World 5's

The KL World 5's takes place between 29th January and 3rd February 2008 at Stadium Negara, Malaysia's first indoor stadium and a national heritage building. The event will be telecasted to over 310 million viewers across Asia on STAR Sports with over 100 hours of coverage, comprising 30 telecast hours, including 20 hours of live programming - translating into extensive media exposure for Malaysia.

The KL World 5's will have a total purse of US$150,000, and feature 10 teams in this prestigious tournament. The event is expected to draw futsal fans from Malaysia and the region with the pedigree of the international teams such as Brazil, Argentina, Holland and England will join the likes of Asian champion Iran, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia and hosts Malaysia in action.

ESPN STAR Sports and the Ministry of Youth and Sports have a rich tradition of partnerships stemming from a multi-year strategic alliance signed in October 2005 to raise participation and interest in sport in Malaysia.

For more information, please visit www.klworld5s.com

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About ESPN STAR Sports

ESPN STAR Sports is a 50:50 joint venture between two of the world's leading cable and satellite broadcasters. As Asia's definitive and complete sports broadcaster and content provider, ESPN STAR Sports combines the strengths and resources of its ultimate parent companies – Walt Disney (ESPN, Inc.) and News Corporation Limited (STAR) – to deliver a diverse array of international and regional sports to viewers via its encrypted pay and free-to-air services.

ESPN STAR Sports showcases an unparalleled variety of premier live sports from around the globe 24 hours a day to a cumulative reach of more than 310 million viewers in Asia. ESPN STAR Sports has 17 networks covering 24 countries, each localised to deliver differentiated world-class premier sports programming to Asian viewers. This includes ESPN Asia, ESPN China, ESPN Hong Kong, ESPN India, ESPN Malaysia, ESPN Philippines, ESPN Singapore, ESPN Taiwan, MBC-ESPN (Korea), STAR Sports Asia, STAR Sports Hong Kong, STAR Sports India, STAR Sports Malaysia, STAR Sports Singapore, STAR Sports Southeast Asia, STAR Sports Taiwan, and STAR Cricket.  

On the ground, the ESPN STAR Sports Event Management Group manages and promotes premier sporting events around Asia. ESPN STAR Sports aims to reach consumers at any time, any place and through all new media platforms, both internet and mobile. The multi-lingual, online platforms, espnstar.com, espnstar.com.cn and espnstar.com.tw and footballcrazy.tv interact with millions of users providing them with in-depth sports news, results and competitions. Developed for the sports fan that is constantly on the move, mobileESPN and STAR Sports Mobile delivers differentiated mobile content targeted at its various audiences. mobileESPN enables the serious sports fan to follow their favourite sports more closely than ever before with a combination of specially produced video news clips, in-depth news coverage and analysis. STAR Sports Mobile aims to provide interactive and entertaining opportunities to engage with sports, delivering exclusive video excerpts from leading football clubs Arsenal and Liverpool as well as highlights from STAR Sports original programmes covering opinions, instructional tips and the latest online game reviews.

For more information, please contact:

Abdul Rahman (Twenty Four Seven Sdn Bhd)
Tel: 012-6637454
abdulrahman@media247.com.my

Elgen Kua (ESPN STAR Sports)
DID: +65 6216 6034
kuae@espnstar.com