Courtesy: UEFA.com


Belarus beat odds to hold Portugal

Friday 22 January 2010

Match report by Paul Saffer from Fönix Arena

Portugal narrowly avoided being the victims of one of the biggest shocks in the history of the sport as Belarus recovered from their opening 9-1 defeat by Spain to salvage a draw in the last second of a fantastic UEFA European Futsal Championship Group D encounter.

Comebacks
Despite the injury absence of the inspirational Ricardinho, Portugal looked set for a comfortable win as they strolled into a two-goal lead only to find themselves 4-2 down with eight minutes left. However, they kept their heads to move ahead and although Aleksei Popov completed his hat-trick in the last second, Belarus will only go into the quarter-finals if Spain – now through – beat Portugal more by better than 9-1 on Sunday.

Portugal ahead
Having had to wait until three teams had finished their group games before commencing their campaign, 2007 semi-finalists Portugal wasted no time tearing into Belarus goalkeeper Artur Navoichik. Not long after a shot almost slipped under the No1's body from Cardinal, the same player opened the scoring with a strong effort after being set up by Israel.

Further goals
Cardinal nearly struck again after rounding Navoichik but hit the post from a tight angle but Joel Queirós doubled the lead when Gonçalo Alves intercepted the ball and sent the Portugal captain clear to beat the goalkeeper. Belarus did not let their heads drop and late in the half Popov advanced down the left touchline and centred for Aleksandr Chernik to finish at the far post.

Belarus ahead
Vladimir Levus came mighty close to equalising at the start of the second half, while at the other end Popov defended superbly to twice deny Evandro. He was rewarded when he received the ball inside the Portugal half, advanced and confidently beat João Benedito. The Portugal goalkeeper did deny Aleksandr Savintsev from close range but it was Popov again who struck, turning in a cross from Chernik. Two minutes later Sergei Kuznetsov broke and fed Aleksandr Gayduk to make it 4-2 with another confident finish.

Thrilling finish
Almost immediately there was a lifeline for Portugal as Chernik pulled down Cardinal in the box and Joel smashed in the penalty. Only four minutes remained when Cardinal turned and shot past Navoichik and with Belarus using a flying goalkeeper, Arnaldo broke from deep to put Portugal ahead. That was not the end of it, though, as Portugal committed their sixth foul of the half in the last second and Popov's double penalty gave Belarus a point and kept them in the tournament for now.




Courtesy: UEFA.com


Serbia strike final blow to Slovenia

Friday 22 January 2010

Match report by Jim Wirth from Papp László Arena

Group C's 'derby' ended in success for Serbia, as victory in their opening UEFA European Futsal Championship finals fixture took them and Russia into the last eight and marked the end of the road for Slovenia, with their second consecutive defeat ensuring their elimination.

Goalless half
Neither side scored in the first half, but that was not for want of trying. Serbia's tiny dynamo Vidan Bojovic shot wide after turning in the area, then hit the ball across Slovenia goalkeeper Alan Pertovt and against the post from an almost identical position within a few minutes. Pertovt, whose team lost their opener 5-1 to Russia, then did well to stand up to Mladen Kocić as Serbia broke away, but at the other end Slavisa Goranovic was denied by goalkeeper Vladimir Ranisavljevic's foot.

Off the bar
Serbia, though, continued to have marginally the better of a free-flowing contest, with Bojan Pavičević just failing to get a head to Bojovic's cross from the byline. Slovenia, though, came close in the closing seconds as Goranovic's angled shot was acrobatically palmed wide by Ranisavljevic, but from the resulting corner Serbia broke away, with Milan Rakic's cheeky long-range lob dipping over the back-pedalling Pertoft and striking the crossbar on its way into touch.

Goalscoring flurry
The deadlock, however, would be broken within a minute of the restart, Marko Peric's diagonal ball allowing Rakic to angle the ball home at the far post. The post denied Serbia's Slobodan Rajcevic shortly afterwards but it was 2-0 when Bojan Pavicevic fed Vladimir Lazic and his ball was turned in by Slobodan Janjic from close range. Slovenia's lively travelling fans deployed drums, horns, an accordion and even an air-raid siren to keep their side motivated, and when Kristjan Cujec's powerful shot beat Ranisavljevic but pinged into the post there was an audible sigh of agony.

Serbia through
Deploying Gorazd Drobnic as a flying goalkeeper for the latter stages, they penned their oppnents back, but there were to be no goals. The result of Russia's game against Serbia on Sunday will now decide who tops the section. Russia lead on goal difference but both sides will have a quarter-final on Tuesday.




Courtesy: UEFA.com


Peric pleased to roll back the years

Saturday 23 January 2010

Match review by Jim Wirth & Pavle Gognidze from Budapest

Having laid on the opening goal for former club-mate Milan Rakic, Serbia striker Marko Peric was pleased that an "old combination" helped his side to beat Slovenia 2-0 and qualify for the UEFA European Futsal Championship quarter-finals from Group C at their neighbours' expense.

'Good for us!'
The striker's angled ball was tapped home at the post by Rakic in the first minutes of the second half in a move which MFK Dina Moskva striker Peric said hailed from the players' time together at KMF Marbo Beograd. "The first goal was our old combination which we invented playing for Marbo years ago," he told uefa.com. "It still works for us many years later, good for us!"

First goal
The half-time score was 0-0, and in a nervy game, the first goal always looked likely to be crucial. "We knew from the outset that it was going to be a difficult match and it was: a battle until one of the teams conceded a first goal," said Peric. "Slovenia were well prepared physically, and we knew we need to wait and be patient. I am very happy it was us who scored first."

Nervous game
Coach Aca Kovacevic, meanwhile, was glad that his side's long wait for their first game was finally over. "The game was just as I expected; a very even one. Our problem was that we have had six days spent waiting for our first game, and two sides have already finished their fixtures before we had even started. Both sides were very nervous and we had a bit of luck, but I think the best team won."

'Better side'
Slovenia player Miha Osojnik agreed. "Serbia definitely have a better team," he said. "Maybe we were a bit unlucky but congratulations have to go to Serbia. The difference was the individual quality of the players. We can stick together and play tough defence but individually they are a better side."

Down and out
With his side eliminated following their second consecutive defeat, Slovenia coach Andrej Dobovnicik took time to thank the substantial contingent of travelling fans, adding: "My players had a real desire to win but the result wasn't what we wanted in the end. We made some mistakes and Serbia penalised us. We matched them for much of the game so it was just those mistakes that decided the match."




Courtesy: UEFA.com


Popov feat still leaves bitter taste

Saturday 23 January 2010

Match review by Oleg Sokol, Paul Saffer & Nuno Tavares from Debrecen

If you had said to Belarus player Aleksei Popov before the UEFA European Futsal Championship that he would score a hat-trick in a 5-5 draw with Portugal, he probably would have been delighted. However, after his treble – completed in the final second – did indeed secure a Group D point on Friday night, his feelings were decidedly mixed.

Drama
Portugal were swiftly two up against a Belarus side beaten 9-1 by Spain in the group opener. Then Belarus surged back to lead 4-2 midway through the second half, only to immediately concede a penalty. By the 39th minute Portugal were leading, and although Popov converted a last-gasp double penalty to complete his treble, the finals debutants will only go through if Orlando Duarte's side lose the last group game by more than 9-1 to Spain on Sunday.

Mixed feelings
Popov told uefa.com: "On the one hand this is a very good result against such strong opponents, but appetite comes with eating. When the score went to 4-2 we were thinking only about a win. But we didn't succeed. However, nobody can say that we did not fight tonight."

Coach reflects
Belarus coach Valeri Dosko added: "We knew that Portugal would start very fast and that's why we allowed them to control things for the first ten to 12 minutes. Unfortunately, we made two mistakes and conceded two goals. However, we were able to score right before the break. We made several changes and started to play better. The players were confident and scored three goals. After that we conceded the penalty and in this situation it is much more difficult to defend than when you are two up."

'No excuses'
While Duarte's side may be almost through, and did well to recover when things looked bleak, the Portugal coach was not pleased. "There are no excuses for a team like us to go two goals up then concede four goals in a row on the counterattack," he said. "We weren't secure when we attacked. We keep thinking we can do something special in this tournament but no team that has a real hope of that can concede four goals like we did tonight."

Cardinal's relief
Cardinal, who opened the scoring, was also the man that won the penalty that turned the tide in Portugal's favour and then made it 4-4 with three minutes left and his relief was palpable. "I was on the pitch when Belarus scored their fourth goal and I can tell you I had lots of things going through my mind," he said. "The fear of being eliminated was there but also the presence of mind to fight back. Thank God we did just that and are in a very good position to advance."


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