All articles posted below are courtesy: UEFA.com


Interviú cruise into final with clinical display

Friday 24 April 2009

Match report by Paul Saffer from Ekaterinburg Palace of Sport

Interviú Madrid are through to their fourth UEFA Futsal Cup final in six seasons after two goals each from Schumacher and Neto and a late Vinicius Bácaro effort comfortably accounted for the challenge of Kairat Almaty in Ekaterinburg.

Sunday final
Schumacher struck in just the second minute and by half-time he and Neto had put the Spanish side in total control. Kairat, who had lost both their previous semi-finals in this competition, pushed hard after the interval but Neto's second goal with 12 minutes left effectively ended their challenge and Bácaro, a beaten finalist a year ago with ElPozo Murcia FS, was to make it five. Interviú play either MFK Viz-Sinara Ekaterinburg or MFK Dinamo Moskva in the final on Sunday, with the losers of the all-Russian tie meeting Kairat for third place.

Early goal
Interviú started with three veterans of both their 2004 and 2006 triumphs – goalkeeper Luis Amado, Daniel and Schumacher – and the Brazilian with the German nickname took only 111 seconds to strike. After a superb team move, his fellow 2008 FIFA Futsal World Cup winner Betão swept the ball left for Schumacher to power in. Matters nearly got worse for Kairat when Jordi Torrás's shot was deflected by Carlinhos on to his own post.

Lead increases
Although Kairat were not being overwhelmed, Interviú kept up the pressure and Almaty goalkeeper Gustavo had to save at Torrás's feet. And the second goal arrived in the eighth minute, Ortiz's cross tapped over the line by Schumacher. Interviú continued to dominate possession, as always orchestrated by Schumacher, and when the third goal came it was as aesthetically pleasing as it was a mortal blow to Kairat. Daniel rolled a pass down the left to Neto, who fooled Gustavo with a subtle touch that sent the ball just inside the far post.

Amado in form
Gustavo was back in action early in the second half, saving from Betão. Denis Samohvalov came close three times for Kairat, and Cacau was unfortunate to see his shot rebound off the post. Amado saved at the feet of Rafael, and further confirmed his own stellar reputation with four stops in a matter of seconds, denying Fabricio twice and both Rafael and Carlinhos from rebound shots.

Victory confirmed
Suitably stung, Interviú coach Juan Luis Alonso called a time-out and soon his team were 4-0 up, Ortiz sweeping forward on the break and providing Neto with a simple finish. Kairat never gave up, but five minutes from time Schumacher broke and cut back for Bácaro to make it 5-0. All Interviú now needed to do was defend their clean sheet, and more spectacular Amado saves ensured they did.




Alonso's pride in determined Interviú

Friday 24 April 2009

Match review by David Baño from Ekaterinburg Palace of Sport

Interviú Madrid coach Juan Luis Alonso praised his players for a professional job after they struck five without reply against Kairat Almaty to reach Sunday's UEFA Futsal Cup final with hosts and holders MFK Viz-Sinara Ekaterinburg. The Spanish side were last in the final in 2007, when they lost to MFK Dinamo Moskva in the dying seconds in Murcia, and Alonso admitted that defeat – which preceded his reign – was a huge motivation. Kairat's João Carlos Barbosa backed keeper Gustavo despite the five conceded goals.

Juan Luis Alonso, Interviú coach
We deserved to win today. I'm extremely happy to keep a clean sheet. It was important to keep them out for the first five minutes. It was an objective for our club to be here this year. Since the final in Murcia, we have been looking forward to winning this trophy again, we are highly motivated to win. We put on a very professional display today. I'm very proud of my players. Our first two goals made the game very easy for us, they have had to risk a lot more and we could play on the counterattack.

João Carlos Barbosa, Kairat coach
We knew that playing against Interviú was going to be very difficult. We missed many chances, but also their goalkeeper was amazing. Interviú did well and took their chances. They fully deserve their victory. We will try to do our best on Sunday in the third-place match. It is very hard to lose 5-0, but now I will talk to my players and I will motivate them for the next match. Despite the goals, I have not lost my faith in my goalkeeper: I fully trust Gustavo.




Ecstatic Ekaterinburg edge past Dinamo

Friday 24 April 2009

Match report by Paul Saffer from Ekaterinburg Palace of Sport

UEFA Futsal Cup hosts MFK Viz-Sinara Ekaterinburg will defend the trophy in the final against Interviú Madrid on Sunday after the most nerve-jangling of victories against their Russian rivals MFK Dinamo Moskva.

Late goals
For 35 of the 40 minutes, the capacity crowd at the Ekaterinburg Palace of Sport watched a passionate encounter that Dinamo could well have led, had it not been for the brilliance for home goalkeeper Sergei Zuev. Then in the space of 69 seconds, Aleksei Mokhov and Pavel Chistopolov produced two brilliant finishes to ensure Viz reached their second UEFA Futsal Cup final in as many entries.

Zuev saves
This was the seventh meeting between Russia's two dominant clubs this season, and that showed in a tight goalless first half, every move by one team anticipated by the other, not to mention a visible determination not to allow their arch-rivals any edge. Dinamo's Anatoli Badretdinov was first to threaten, denied by Zuev, and the hero of the 2008 final penalty shoot-out against ElPozo Murcia FS also saved from Cirilo.

Passion
The importance of the occasion was shown by Cirilo's reaction when he blocked an Andrey Afanasiev drive, celebrating with such vigour that he had to be temporarily withdrawn for treatment. But although there were plenty of occasions for the noisy crowd to roar their encouragement, neither Zuev nor Dinamo goalkeeper Alexey Popov looked like being beaten before the break.

Cirilo denied
Passion levels did not drop after the interval, and Zuev got down brilliantly to stop a Cirilo shot on the turn, while Afanasiev and Artem Chudinov both made Popov work. Dinamo were starting to have long spells of possession, but Ekaterinburg moved forward quickly when they got the ball and Konstantin Agapov flashed an effort across the face of goal.

Edu relief
That was the prelude to a spell of Ekaterinburg pressure, and from a Damir Khamadiyev corner, it was a mightily relieved Edu that watched his deflection ricochet away off the post. Zuev got across goal excellently to kick a Tatu shot away and from the resulting corner got down crucially at Badretdinov's feet.

Spectacular goal
Just how crucial that save was became clear with five minutes left. Konstantin Timoschenkov crossed from the Ekaterinburg left and Mokhov's acrobatic volley beat Popov. Dinamo, winners in 2007 and beaten finalists for the two years before that, were not done yet and Zuev added to his heroics in stopping an Aleksandr Fukin shot.

Clincher
But Ekaterinburg were not about to go on the defensive, and Chistopolov lashed in the most powerful of shots to double the lead. Joan received a second booking soon after, and by the time Dinamo were able to resume playing with five men, time was too short for a comeback. They now will aim to repeat their third-place play-off victory against Kairat Almaty of 12 months ago.




'The fans support us with all their hearts'

Friday 24 April 2009

Match review by Eugene Ravdin from Ekaterinburg Palace of Sport

MFK Viz-Sinara Ekaterinburg coach Sergei Skorovich watched his side win a dramatic UEFA Futsal Cup semi-final against Russian rivals MFK Dinamo Moskva and said it would have be been "a crime" for the hosts not to give their all in front of a noisy capacity crowd. Aleksei Mokhov's acrobatic strike five minutes from time sent the holders on their way to a 2-0 win and a meeting with Interviú Madrid in Sunday's decider, but only after some superb goalkeeping from Sergei Zuev had kept the game scoreless for so long. Indeed, Dinamo coach Yuri Rudnev admitted it was the Ekaterinburg custodian "whose heroics paved the way to the final for Viz".

Sergei Skorovich, Ekaterinburg coach
Our team are stars. From match to match we prove that we try to play for victory against any other side and we often get lucky. The lads were eager to win, to put on a terrific performance and they did just that. I am proud I work with them. It was a great match and a great goal that Aleksei scored, a crowning futsal creation. It was the key factor in our victory. And of course the great atmosphere in our hall where the fans have a passion for futsal and support us with all their hearts. It would be a crime to play in a slipshod manner in front of them in such a strong tournament and against such strong opponents. We proved we were a bit luckier and stronger today. I believe we won deservingly.

Yuri Rudnev, Dinamo coach
I would not agree that we lacked attacking flair today. It was evident that we created far more chances than Viz. The other thing is that our finishing was not up to the standard Dinamo should perform at. Today it was one man whose heroics paved the way to the final for Viz. Both teams were a bit too careful in the first half. We used pressing tactics from time to time to exhaust them because they were playing not even with eight men but with seven or six. Viz got tired after the break just as we expected and we tried to make our advantage in fitness and squad depth count. We did not play to the level we should have. Yes, their goalkeeper had a great match but it was us that played a poor one. I believe [our goalkeeper Aleksei Popov] played well. As for the first goal, all credit to [Mokhov] who produced a moment of great individual skill, co-ordination and dexterity. The spectators obviously liked that a lot. Maybe Popov could have saved that and he blames himself. But it was a wicked shot with the ball coming down and I do not reproach him.







Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com