Courtesy: UEFA.com


Torras of Spain wins adidas Golden Boot

Torras won the adidas Golden Boot for his five goals and one assist on Spain's way to the Futsal EURO title, with the Silver Boot to Dario Marinovic and Bronze Boot to Vidan Bojovic.

Saturday 11 February 2012

by Paul Saffer from Arena Zagreb

Torras was the winner of the UEFA Futsal EURO 2012 adidas Golden Boot after his five goals and one assist on the way to his fourth continental title with Spain.

Croatia's Dario Marinovic began Saturday as the nearest challenger to Torras, an assist behind, but did not add to his tally in the 3-1 third-place play-off loss to Italy. That meant although Torras also drew a blank in the 3-1 extra-time final defeat by Russia, he topped the rankings, giving Marinovic the Silver Boot.

The Bronze Boot went to Vidan Bojovic of Serbia, who played two games fewer than the top pair after their quarter-final elimination, having scored four in the record-breaking 9-8 win against Azerbaijan. Bojovic's one assist left him above the other four-goal man, Aicardo of Spain. It is the first time the award has been decided in this manner; in 2010 the award was shared with goals scored the only criterium.

"Despite the goals, I'm not a goalscorer, I'm very happy about winning the championship," Torras told UEFA.com. "I never get tired of winning. I dedicate this to the coaching staff and everyone behind the scenes."

Golden Boot: Torras (Spain) 5 goals, 1 assist
Silver Boot: Dario Marinovic (Croatia) 5 goals, 0 assists
Bronze Boot: Vidan Bojovic (Serbia) 4 goals, 1 assist

-> Full final tournament statistics


Past final tournament top scorers
2010: Saad Assis (Italy), Biro Jade (Azerbaijan), Javi Rodríguez (Spain), Joel Queirós (Portugal) 5
2007: Cirilo (Russia), Daniel (Spain), Predrag Rajić (Serbia) 5
2005: Nando Grana (Italy) 6
2003: Serhiy Koridze (Ukraine) 7
2001: Serhiy Koridze (Ukraine) 7
1999: Konstantin Eremenko (Russia) 11
1996: Konstantin Eremenko (Russia) 8

Adidas Golden Boot criteria
1) Higher number of assists:
• Player delivering the intentional pass, cross, header or shot leading to a goal
• Player shooting and ball rebounding from woodwork, goalkeeper or defender and entering the goal
• Player passing, shooting or crossing and leading to an own goal
• Only one assist per goal can be awarded
• No assist for player winning a penalty or free-kick
2) Higher ratio of converted double (ten-metre) penalties
3) Higher ratio of converted (six-metre) penalties
4) Higher number of goals scored in fewer matches
5) Fair play record (red, yellow cards)




Courtesy: UEFA.com


Lozano inspires Spain to final defeat of Russia

Two goals from Sergio Lozano, his first cancelling out Pula's effort 34 seconds from time, helped secure a fourth straight title for Spain.

Saturday 11 February 2012

Russia 1-3 Spain (aet)

by Wayne Harrison from Arena Zagreb

Sergio Lozano scored twice as Spain came from behind to defeat Russia after extra time and secure a fourth consecutive UEFA European Futsal Championship title, and sixth overall, in Zagreb.

Beaten twice before by Spain in the finals of 1996 and 2005, Russia were 34 seconds from repeating their own defeat of the perennial champions 13 years ago when Lozano's deflected shot cancelled out Pula's 34th-minute strike. In the second period of extra time, Lozano's shooting prowess broke Russian hearts again and Luis Amado's last-gasp clearance goal ensured coach José Venancio López emulates predecessor Javier Lozano in securing three European titles with Spain.

This fourth continental final between these nations in eight editions began with Spain captain Amado − featuring in his sixth showpiece − being tested after 27 seconds by the recalled Konstantin Maevski. Spain's opening shot across the bows came when Gustavo stuck out a hand to thwart Rafael Usín.

The early tempo was high, with both teams pressing. The holders soon imposed themselves, however, and when Nikolai Pereverzev ceded possession deep inside the Russia half he was relieved to see Sergio Lozano fire wide with time and space.

Save for a Cirilo snapshot, which Amado parried, openings for Russia were scarce. Spain were more adept at creating them, with Miguelín driving wide after Dmitri Prudnikov had tracked back to suppress a flowing team move. Gustavo then twice prevented Torras adding to his finals-leading tally of five goals and one assist before the half was out.

Quickly out of the traps in the second period, Spain threatened again when Aicardo troubled Gustavo inside nine seconds; a reminder of Russia's menace came with Cirilo and Sergei Sergeev bothering Amado in quick succession. Amado's palms were warmed again by Cirilo after Kike − like his goalkeeper now a five-time winner of this competition − had relinquished the ball.

Suddenly Sergei Skorovich's men looked the more likely to score, something Pula did with a low shot into the bottom corner after a forceful run. Russia survived two minutes with four players following the dismissal of Cirilo and if they thought they had won it when Prudnikov cleared Borja's attempt off the line, Lozano's deflected drive dashed their hopes.

Miguelín was centimetres away from an extra-time breakthrough as Venancio López's charges, on a high after their late reprieve, sought a second. Lozano, the top scorer in the Spanish league, got it with a firm strike just as penalties loomed. With Sergeev on as a flying goalkeeper, a shot into an unguarded net as the buzzer went confirmed a hat-trick of EURO final victories for Spain, a fittingly thrilling end to by far the best-attended edition yet.




Courtesy: UEFA.com


'Special' Spain rejoice at final success

José Venancio López, Torras, Kike and two-goal hero Sergio Lozano reflect on Spain's dramatic 3-1 extra-time final defeat of Russia, who "came very close" to denying them a fourth straight title.

Sunday 12 February 2012

by Wayne Harrison & Gonzalo Aguado from Arena Zagreb

José Venancio López, Spain coach
Congratulations to Russia, this was a great game. Russia maybe deserved to win but luck was on our side, especially when we scored in the last minute. I'm very proud of my team and happy that I'm their coach. The players showed they are the best because only the best can score in those final moments.

Sergio Lozano has always wanted to score and has been quite impatient. We've always told him his moment would come and it did tonight. This shows we are capable of anything, in every situation, and at difficult moments. The team is special, the best, and all the senior players know to how pass knowledge onto the younger members of the squad.

It was very difficult [towards the end of regulation time] and at that moment I remembered a Spanish first division match I was involved in and losing 4-3 in the last minute. I'm very happy, of course, but I had never thought about matching Javier Lozano's record [of three EURO wins as Spain coach] − I just want to make the team better every day.

Kike, Spain defender
It was a final that had everything. It was a good game, Russia also wanted to attack, but Spain again demonstrated they have something more. Spain have the heart of champions. We fought until the end and the goal came in the last minute. Then we had an incredible extra time and won the title.

Spain never give up: we always want a little more. We always believe we can give a little more, and luckily this time we succeeded. Russia produced a great championship, a great final, but we are worthy winners. All titles are special. The first one is because you are youthful and somewhat immature, while this is also special because it's near the end of my career and I'm almost 34.

We all knew Russia were great opponents. Certainly Italy are much improved, and Croatia also had a good tournament in these perfect arenas. Today Russia demonstrated the qualities of a great team.

Torras, Spain winger and adidas Golden Boot winner
I don't know how it looked from the sidelines, but from on the pitch it was a great show. A final like this is very good for futsal and if we are champions, then even better. Either team could have won the championship. We both fought until the end and we were lucky enough to up our game when it seemed really difficult.

I want to congratulate Russia, because they also deserved this title. After the goal we conceded we didn't let our heads drop, we continued going for the match and we came back. Extra time was very good for us but they also had chances to score. We never gave up and we have another championship - I congratulate the entire team.

Physically, Russia dropped in extra time. We had no choice but to take risks, because we do not like to speculate. In extra time we were a little stronger.

Sergio Lozano, Spain double goalscorer
We went through a lot but in the end we are champions. I'm really happy because it's my first title with the national team. It was a difficult championship because we had many injuries and we had many changes. For our confidence this title is perfect.

We relied on our goalkeeper [Luis Amado] and we knew we were going to have chances. We had a little luck and in the end we scored goals. We were better, their goalie was very good. We are deserved champions. Russia have an excellent team, they are very competitive. I dedicate this to my family, who supported me from the start. To me this is a dream.

Sergei Skorovich, Russia coach
The final, between the two strongest teams in Europe, was very interesting. Spain are the best in Europe, they have the spirit of winners, but today we gave a great performance and were very close to beating them. I'm satisfied with the team. We were close to levelling [in extra time] because we used the flying goalkeeper. Indeed, we had some chances, such as when we hit the post.

I thanked all of the players. They played with their hearts and showed that Russia are equal to Spain. They did their best. Time is the best healer and such defeats make a team stronger.

Ivan Milovanov, Russia defender
I don't think Spain were better than us. We were just unlucky. Two deflections helped them to score twice. Russia played really well and even managed to keep out Spain despite being a player down for two minutes after the sending off. It was a very difficult game. Lozano, who scored two goals, was very impressive tonight, although all Spanish players are really good.




Courtesy: UEFA.com


Spain celebrate once more in Croatia

Spain were 34 seconds from defeat in the final but they then clinched their fourth straight title after a UEFA Futsal EURO 2012 fortnight in Croatia full of drama, goals and record crowds.

Sunday 12 February 2012

by Paul Saffer from Zagreb

It sounds so simple: Spain clinching their fourth UEFA European Futsal Championship in succession. But the 2012 finals in Croatia ended in thrilling fashion after an unforgettable fortnight in Zagreb and Split in which all sorts of records, especially for attendances, were smashed.

Russia led Spain with only 34 seconds of the final remaining, having survived two minutes with four players after Cirilo's dismissal, only for Sergio Lozano to equalise. The same player struck again late in extra time and the last act of the final in Zagreb was for a Spain clearance to roll into the net to clinch a 3-1 victory as the buzzer went.

"Spain never give up, always want a little more," said Kike, who set up both Lozano's goals, the first as flying keeper. "We always believe we can give a little more, and luckily this time we succeeded."

For anyone who thought the retirement of Javi Rodríguez and Daniel after the 2010 win would adversely affect the holders − and that Amado and Kike may be approaching the end − Spain's show in Croatia proved them wrong. It was indeed a fifth title for goalkeeper Amado (in his seventh final tournament) and defender Kike, and fourth for five-goal adidas Golden Boot winner Torras, but new names like Lozano and late call-ups Miguelín and Aicardo played just as important a part.

Their early progress was smooth, beating Slovenia 4-2 and Ukraine 4-1 in Group B, then Romania 8-3 in the quarter-finals. Yet it was their 1-0 win against Italy in the last four that most impressed, a flawless performance far from the negative display the scoreline suggests.

The side Italy overcame for third place maybe matched Spain as stars of the championship. Hosts Croatia, who had not qualified since 2001 and had never made it past the group stage, went on a thrilling run to the delight of the home fans, who three times broke the tournament-record crowd, culminating in 14,300 watching their 4-2 semi-final loss to Russia, when they came close to pulling back a four-goal deficit.

After the quarter-final penalty shoot-out win against Ukraine in Split, tournament ambassador Robert Jarni ran from his TV commentary position to celebrate with the team after what he called "a miracle". The 21-year-old Dario Marinovic stood out for the hosts with five goals and finished an assist behind Torras in the Golden Boot race.

One other game will live long in the memory. A day after the Czech Republic fell, another of the 2010 semi-finalists, Azerbaijan, met Serbia hoping to avoid the same fate. Felipe put Alecio's side ahead in eight seconds, a Futsal EURO record, but they were to lose 9-8 in what became the highest-scoring finals game.

To top it off, Azerbaijan goalkeeper Andrey Tveryankin, the first 44-year-old to play in a UEFA final tournament, was sent off with the score a mere 2-2. Serbia coach Aca Kovacevic said: "No one has ever seen anything like this at a Futsal EURO."



Courtesy: UEFA.com


UEFA.com's pick of UEFA Futsal EURO 2012

Following the conclusion of the eighth UEFA European Futsal Championship, UEFA.com's team of reporters select their most memorable moments from the tournament in Split and Zagreb.

Sunday 12 February 2012

by UEFA.com reporting team from Zagreb & Split

Gonzalo Aguado: Spain's dramatic triumph
For me the best moment of the tournament was certainly Spain's equaliser 34 seconds from the end of the final against Russia. At 1-0 down the five-time champions looked set for their first defeat in a competitive match, other than on penalties, since 2005. And then came the goal by Sergio Lozano, which forced extra time, and the rest was according to the script: a 3-1 win, and a sixth title.

Francesco Corda: Stefano Mammarella, best in the world
Futsalplanet.com elected him the best goalkeeper in the world in 2011 after helping ASD Città di Montesilvano C/5 to the UEFA Futsal Cup. At UEFA Futsal EURO 2012, Mammarella gave the umpteenth justification of this choice. If Ivo Jukic's saves set Croatian fans on fire, those of Italy's No1 dragged Roberto Menichelli's squad to third place ahead of the hosts.

He capped that in the play-off with a late clinching goal of his own. He had been the key man in all the other games, a brilliant save from a deflected İsmail Çelen shot against Turkey, the one to deny Paulinho in the quarter-final with Portugal and keeping Spain to just one in the semi-final loss. After Gianfranco 'Ciccio' Angelini and Alexandre Feller, the Azzurri goal is still in good hands.

Wayne Harrison: Ivo Jukic's performance against Ukraine
The noise which accompanied Croatia's quarter-final shoot-out victory against Ukraine and Jukic's role in it was truly unforgettable. The Croatia captain and goalkeeper helped his team reach the knockout stage for the first time with some vital saves in the group phase; in the last eight he lifted his fame to new heights by stopping three of Ukraine's four penalties. That it happened in the city where he plays his club futsal, for MNK Split, made it all the more sweet. A two-page spread on his heroics in sports daily sportske novosti will forever be a nice reminder of a special night at Spaladium Arena.

Elvir Islamovic: The Croatian crowds
Futsal is far from the most popular sport in Croatia, so we did not know what to expect from demanding but always fanatical home fans. But from the first day the headline news was "the atmosphere". Not only was it spectacular but also record-breaking as three of Croatia's first four games eclipsed the tournament-best crowd, 14,300 coming to Arena Zagreb for the semi-final with Italy.

But it was not just the home team − the fact that at every other match at EURO there were at least a few thousand fans looking for quality futsal impressed me even more. So, yes, futsal is not the most popular sport in Croatia, but Croatia is a sporting country and people can recognise quality. And this was top quality.

Dmitri Mamykin: Sergei Abramov's bicycle kick against Turkey
It is rare that a player tries an overhead kick in football and even more so in futsal. However, that did not stop Russia forward Abramov from executing such an acrobatic manoeuvre in the finalists' 5-0 Group C victory against Turkey.

A long ball was destined to go nowhere, but to the astonishment of the crowd at Spaladium Arena the 21-year-old MFK Sinara Ekaterinburg striker produced an effort Marco van Basten would be proud of. Mahmut Akbaş spoiled the fun by making a save, so Abramov had another go in the next match against Italy. He finally opened his goalscoring account at the finals versus Croatia in the last four, albeit by more conventional means − a close-range a tap-in.

Paul Saffer: Only 16 goals in it
I'm going to cheat and pick two very different thrillers. The first was Serbia's 9-8 group elimination of Azerbaijan, who scored the fastest-ever EURO goal on eight seconds through Felipe but lost the highest-scoring match in the tournament's history despite leading four times. That was exhausting but just as gripping was Spain's 1-0 semi-final win against Italy, not gained through negative tactics but flawless defending and by pressing their opponents throughout. It was proof the new generation could be as dominant as the old.

Nuno Tavares: Arnaldo Pereira's special day
Portugal eventually bowed out in the quarter-finals following a 3-1 defeat by Italy, but before that Arnaldo had time to celebrate his 150th cap for his country in remarkable fashion. The captain recovered from a long-term injury in time to be present at the finals in Croatia and celebrated his century-and-a-half for Portugal with one of the goals of the tournament, his thunderous right-foot strike putting his team on track for a 2-1 win against Serbia and the top of Group D. Disappointment was just around the corner for Arnaldo and his team-mates but the time was to celebrate.




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