Courtesy: UEFA.com


Magic boots help Czechs down Hungary

Sunday 24 January 2010

Match review by Pavle Gognidze & Jim Wirth from Budapest

A change of boots paid dividends for the Czech Republic's David Fric as the Czech Republic secured a shock 6-5 win against Hungary, with coach Tomas Neumann saying it was "one of the best nights of my career".

Dramatic finish
At 4-0 down midway through the second half, the Czechs looked dead and buried, but coach Neumann switched to all-out attack, playing Marek Kopecky and then David Fric as flying goalkeepers to devastating effect. They took a 5-4 lead, lost it in the last minute to a Zsolt Gyurcsanyi strike, but found a winner with 19 seconds left as Kopecky headed home a loose ball.

Magic boots
Fric, Hungary's tormentor in chief, was wearing one white shoe and one yellow as he looked to lift the goalscoring curse that he felt had struck him in his side's 5-1 opening defeat against Russia. "I switched my shoes because in the last match I hit the woodwork twice, so I wanted to change something," he told uefa.com. "It worked, because I scored today.

'Power play'
"It was going very badly for us," Fric added. "Hungary were playing very well. They had a lot of chances to score and were winning 4-0. It was bad but we hoped we could change the score on the power play. It is a strong part of our game. We have played many games when we were losing 3-0 or 4-0 and came back, so we always had hope."

'A thriller'
"It's one of the best nights of my career," said coach Neumann, who added: "It was a thriller but that why I really like futsal; even at 4-0 down it's not over. When we scored our third and it went to 4-3, I started to believe that maybe we could win. It was an excellent game; a great advert for futsal. Our fans are happy but everyone in Hungary also got to see a great game."

Hungary overrun
It is a game that Hungary coach Mihály Kozma will not enjoy watching again; his side shredded the Czechs in the first half and were marching to victory until the switch to a flying goalkeeper – and more specifically the switch from Kopecký to Friè as flying goalkeeper – exposed the limitations of his defence. However, he said defiantly: "We have a future. I won't resign."

Five-man system
Asked whether, 2-0 up at half-time, his players though the match was won, Kozma replied: "No, they didn't and me neither." However, he could not deny that the switch to a five-man attack had totally floored his team. "The Czechs have been mastering this five-man system for years; we knew it but we could not deal with it. We are sorry because we wanted to play in Debrecen."

'Bigger pool'
As it is, it will be the Czechs who travel to the Fönix Arena for the quarter-finals on Monday, where they will face Group B winners Italy. All Kozma could do was hope that the tournament would have positive, long-term effects for futsal in Hungary. "A lot of kids have been here to watch games and a lot of people have seen how exciting futsal is," he said. "We can only hope that in the future we will have a bigger pool of players to choose from for the national team."




Courtesy: UEFA.com


Menichelli grateful to earn day of rest

Sunday 24 January 2010

Match review by Francesco Corda & Oleg Sokol from Debrecen

Italy coach Roberto Menichelli was relieved to have won UEFA European Futsal Championship Group B with victory against Ukraine.

Rest
A Clayton Baptistella hat-trick and a goal from Saad Assis – those two players also contributing three of the assists between them – means Italy remain at Debrecen's Fönix Arena to play the Czech Republic on Monday, while Ukraine travel to Budapest to face Group A winners Azerbaijan. "This victory allows us a more comfortable quarter-final," Menichelli said. "Not because of our opponents but because we will remain here in Debrecen in the only rest day between this game and the next one."

Duo praised
Baptistella and Assis performed superbly, and Menichelli stated: "It is true that I don't like to speak about individuals but it's obvious certain players are playing really well right now; Baptistella and Assis deserve praise. But before putting the ball into the net, there is a team job that you need to recognise. Credit to these lads who carved out the space."

Rizzo record
Menichelli has brought several new talents into his squad and in the last minute on Saturday made Cristian Rizzo, of third-tier club Acireale C5, the first 18-year-old to play in a Futsal EURO final tournament. "It was a wonderful experience," Rizzo told uefa.com. "I have no words ... it was an unforgettable minute, I will remember it for my whole life. I hope to continue on this path and to go further and further ahead."

Mistakes
Ukraine coach Gennadiy Lysenchuk already knew his team were through before this encounter, as both they and Italy had beaten Belgium, but sees room for improvement before Monday. "If we want to win, we have to avoid mistakes like the ones we made today," he said. "The players really wanted to do their best and it has disturbed them. But still we are in the quarter-finals, so there is no tragedy in our loss. Maybe it is better that now the coaches can show the team their bad mistakes."

Motivation lacking
There were hopes that Ukraine could get the win they needed to pip Italy to first place when Serhiy Cheporniuk scored a superb individual goal early in the second half. Cheporniuk said: "Many people expected that we would win by more against Belgium than Italy did, but we didn't. People expected a better performance from us today, but again we could not succeed. One of the reasons is that we were not as motivated as we could be. The situation will be different in the next game. We can play better."




Courtesy: UEFA.com


Maevski heeds Portuguese warning

Sunday 24 January 2010

by Pavle Gognidze from Budapest

Russia captain Konstantin Maevski said Portugal's performance against Belarus was a warning for his side of the danger of losing their edge with a game against Serbia on Sunday set to decide their last-eight opponents.

Under a cloud
Portugal – who barring disaster against Spain will play either Serbia or Russia in the UEFA European Futsal Championship quarter-finals on Tuesday – led 2-0 against unfancied Belarus, but went 4-2 behind, restored their lead to 5-4 and then conceded a last-second double penalty to earn a 5-5 draw. The result leaves them all but through to the quarter-finals but under a cloud.

Dangerous situation
"Portugal relaxed against Belarus when they were 2-0 up," defender Maevski told uefa.com. "It could have ended in tears for them, and their third goal scored from the penalty was the decisive moment. Before that, the Belarussians were two goals in front, but when it was 4-3 they just lacked the experience to defend their lead."

Last-eight permutations
In theory, Russia are favourites to win against Serbia, a result that would see them top the section and face the Group D runners-up in Budapest in the last eight, though Maevski said: "We haven't really planned or discussed who we will play in the quarter-finals, Spain or Portugal, as the two have to play each other still."

Serbian calibre
The MFK Dinamo Moskva player is aware, however, that Serbia will be no pushover, though they won their most recent meeting 3-2 in qualifying for the 2008 FIFA Futsal World Cup finals. The fact that they boast Marko Peric, a player who stars in the Russian futsal league for MFK Dina Moskva, is further reason for caution.

Selfless star
"We know the Serbian team well having played them in World Cup qualifying," explained Maevski. "They also have players who play in our league. Marko Peric is a very strong individual player, who stands out in their squad, and we know him very well. It must be noted that these days he plays selflessly for the team."




Courtesy: UEFA.com


Baptistella treble puts Italy on top

Saturday 23 January 2010

Match report by Paul Saffer from Fönix Arena

Italy will stay in Debrecen for the UEFA European Futsal Championship quarter-finals after beating Ukraine to first place in Group B thanks to a Clayton Baptistella hat-trick.

Ukraine travel
Baptistella converted a first-half free-kick and after Serhiy Cheporniuk's superb equaliser, the No9 struck twice more from distance either side of a Saad Assis effort before Maxym Pavlenko's consolation. Ukraine must now travel to Budapest to take on Group A winners Azerbaijan while 2007 runners-up Italy will face the Czech Republic here.

Italy on top
Cheporniuk threatened early for Ukraine, the prone Alexandre Feller stretching to bat away his chip, but it was Italy who dominated the early exchanges and went ahead just over 12 minutes in. Mykhaylo Romanov, back from suspension, conceded a free-kick on the edge of the Ukraine area and Baptistella's shot sped in via a Yevgen Rogachov deflection. That did not stop Italy pressing, Vinicius Bácaro turning and shooting just wide as the Azzurri maintained control until half-time.

Briefly level
A little more than two minutes after the interval, Cheporniuk equalised in stunning style. Receiving the ball in the centre circle, he weaved past three Italy players before giving Feller no chance with his strike. Italy worked hard to restore their lead and in the 28th minute an Assis corner came deep to Baptistella, whose low drive went in through the legs of goalkeeper Vladyslav Lysenko.

Hat-trick complete
Not long afterwards, Baptistella returned the favour by teeing up Assis; his long shot caught out Lysenko. Assis rattled the crossbar and then fed Baptistella to complete his treble from distance. Pavlenko finished off a neat passing move late on just before Cristian Rizzo was brought on for Italy, becoming the first 18-year-old to take part in a UEFA European Futsal Championship final tournament.




Courtesy: UEFA.com


Czechs floor Hungary in Budapest

Saturday 23 January 2010

Match report by Jim Wirth from Papp László Arena

The Czech Republic will play Italy in the UEFA European Futsal Championship semi-finals on Monday in Debrecen after coming from four goals down to beat Hungary and take second place in Group A.

Spirited crowd
In front of a spirited crowd of 7,006, Hungary tore into their opponents, the fire in their bellies incinerating any butterflies in their stomachs. There had been chances at both ends, though, before Zoltán Dróth spun in from the left on six minutes, his cheeky shot darting low into the left-hand corner of Tomas Meller's net.

Lódi rampant
Czech captain Martín Dlouhy went close shortly afterwards, while Hungary goalkeeper Zoltan Balasz needed to be canny to keep out Radek Polasek's effort. Mihaly Kozma's men were swiftly rewarded, Zsolt Gyurcsányi pulling the ball back for Tamás Lódi to thunder home in the tenth minute. Lódi was to hammer another one off the bar later on.

Hungary ascendant
Gyurcsányi picked out Lódi to score his second of the night five minutes into the second half, and it looked to be game over when Dróth intercepted with the Czechs playing Marek Kopecky as a flying goalkeeper, lifting the ball into the unguarded net from the halfway line. However, almost immediately, Lukas Resetar's shot beat Balász and the comeback was on.

Flying goalkeepers
With Kopecky and then David Fric playing as increasingly cavalier flying goalkeepers, the Czechs then terrorised Hungary. Dlouhy set up Michal Belej to snatch another one back, and was then on hand to make it 4-3 as a shot cannoned into his path of Lódi. Fric then exploited a tussle in the area to equalise while nominally in goal.

Breathless finale
The Czechs planted a foot in the quarter-finals when Kopecky's ball from the right was headed home by Dlouhy. Incredibly, Hungary then struck back as they fielded their own flying goalkeeper, Gyurcsányi snapping up a second chance after his own effort hit the post. However, with seconds left, Kopecky made it 6-5 after Balász saved but could not clear his lines.



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