ISFF Futsal World Cup Finals
Antwerp, Belgium
28 and 29 October 2003


World Inter-University Futsal Championship (Finals)
WORLD CUP FINALISTS 2003 AND RANKING

ISFF World Champion
Universidad de Sevilla, Spain
ISFF Vice Champion
WWU Münster, Germany
3rd place
Univ. Cat. Portuguesa (Lisboa), Portugal
4tn place
Fac. Medicina, Univ. do Porto, Portugal
5th place
Univ. Ind. ES Johan Cruyff, Portugal
6th place
University of Antwerp, Belgium


World Inter-University Futsal Championship (Finals)
MATCH RESULTS

POOL 1
Univ. Ind. ES Johan Cruyff
WWU Münster
Univ. Cat. Portuguesa – Lisboa

POOL 2
Universidade de Sevilla
University of Antwerp
Fac. Medicina, Univ. Do Porto

Monday 28 October

Univ. Ind. ES Johan Cruyff - WWU Münster 5-9
Universidade de Sevilla - University of Antwerp 4-2
Univ. Ind. ES Johan Cruyff - Univ. Cat. Portuguesa – Lisboa 4-3
Universidade de Sevilla - Fac. Medicina, Univ. Do Porto 5-2
WWU Münster - Univ. Cat. Portuguesa – Lisboa 4-5
University of Antwerp - Fac. Medicina, Univ. Do Porto 3-7

Wednesday 29 October

Cross Finals for World Cup
WWU Münster - Fac. Medicina, Univ. Do Porto 2-1
Univ. Cat. Portuguesa – Lisboa - Universidade de Sevilla 2-3

5th & 6th place
Univ. Ind. ES Johan Cruyff – University of Antwerp 9-5

3rd & 4th place
Fac. Medicina, Univ. Do Porto - Univ. Cat. Portuguesa – Lisboa 2-13

Final ISFF World Cup
WWU Münster – Universidad de Sevilla 5-8


ISFF Futsal World Cup Winner:
Universidad de Sevilla (Spain)


AWARDS

Best Goalkeeper
Georg von Coelln
Best Player
Emiliano Rodriguez


World Inter-University Futsal Championship (Finals)
MATCH REPORTS

Tuesday 28 October:

Univ. Ind Es Johan Cruyff – WWU Münster 5-9
From the first game it was obvious that teams where here to win the first World Cup and those who were not in favour, definitely decided to give it their best. During the first half, Münster came to a lead of 1 to 5. But the Portuguese team of ES Johan cruyff did not give up and had some beautiful set ups but unfortunately they failed to score.
The team of Munster, greatly encouraged by their fans who especially drove out to Antwerp to support their University, looked to have an easy win. With great passes and one hundred percent razor-sharp shots on goal, their lead grew quickly to 3 to 9. But then ES Johan Cruyff got back in gear again and it looked like ES Johan Cruyff could even the score, but unfortunately they lacked time and came back to 5 to 9.

Universidad de Sevilla – University of Antwerp 4-2
Both teams are equally strong with many opportunities and fabulous actions. Both keepers are also in top shape. The goalkeeper of Antwerp has saved his team a few times of an early goal of the opponents. Gradually Antwerp came into play with a header on the side post and a shot on goal just a few metres from the goal, which was majestically saved by the goalkeeper of Sevilla.
Although Sevilla is one of the favourites it is clear that Antwerp has done some training. They are much sharper on the ball and all playing very good defence. After some enquiries it became clear that a coach from a first national division team has took the team under its wings and created in no time a professional futsal team, which clearly can participate on a high International Level. At the end of the first half Antwerp leads by 0 to 1with a goal from Xavier Potvin, but cannot prevent that the better Sevilla ends the game with 4 to 2.

Univ. Ind Es Johan Cruyff – Univ. Cat. Portuguesa 4-3
Both teams are eager to score early goals, resulting in a (to futsal norms) very physical match. The match is played very quickly back and forth and at the end of the second half the score is 3 to 3. With only 25 seconds to go a last time-out is requested by Univ. Cat. Portuguesa – Lisboa. Lisboa starts with a sidekick at the opponent’s goal and try for a quick shot on goal, which was intercepted by a player of JC. Then a quick charge followed with 3 players from JC against 2 defenders. JC was able to keep calm and set up a beautiful attack resulting in a winning score of 4 to 3 by Pedro Ferreira for JC only 4 seconds away from the end of the game. This was really a thrilling end to a great match.

Sevilla – Fac. Medicina, Univ. do Porto 5-2
Porto started of with an early goal and playing very confident against Sevilla. At half time Fact. Med. UP tied to 1 – 1 and during the first 10 minutes of the second half both teams had scored twice. But then Sevilla set up some great actions and decided the game with a 5 to 2 lead.

WWU Münster – Univ. Cat. Portuguesa (Lisboa) 4-5
Now Münster had a lot more trouble cooping with the UCP Lisboa team. Both teams came to a tied score of 2 – 2 but from that moment on UCP got in high gear and dazzled the Munster team enabling them to get the score up to 2 – 5. At that time it looked that UCP was out for an easy win.
But as usual (also in football) when playing against a German team, it is never over until the final whistle of the referee. And the team from Munster proved again how resilient a German team can be. Fired on by their supporters Münster came back to a 4 – 5 score stand and it was now time for UCP to be dazzled by their opponents. UCP put all hens on deck in their defence and succeeded in preventing Münster to score again and thus bringing a victory home for UCP Lisboa.

University of Antwerp – Fac. Medicina, Univ. do Porto 3-7
Again Antwerp started off real good against UP with good actions but failed to score on a regular basis, which the team of UP had no trouble with and kept scoring regularly. Just as in the first game Antwerp had to cope with bad luck, hitting the goalpost twice and being confronted with the cat reflections of the goalkeeper of UP, which resulted in the end score of 3 – 7.

Wednesday 29 October

Cross Finals
The first two teams in each pool were confronted to play a cross final (1st of Pool 1 against the 2nd of pool 2 and visa-versa)

WWU Münster (1st of Pool 1) – Fac. Medicina, UP (2nd of Pool 2) 2-1
Univ. Cat. Portuguesa (2nd of Pool 1) – Universidad de Sevilla (1st of Pool 2) 2-3
As you can see from the results, the cross finals where real thrillers in which both teams won with the littlest of difference from their direct opponents. Playing in the University of Antwerp, a lot of students witnessed these exiting games and within minutes students fired on their favourites. And as so many times it is sad to see that such great matches always have a defeated team in the end. Of course it needs no telling that both defeated teams from Portugal where very disappointed to lose with the smallest difference and so losing a place for the Final of the World Cup.

5th and 6th Place
Univ. Ind. ES Johan Cruyff – University of Antwerp 9-5
ES Johan Cruyff now found what they lacked in the two previous games and showed to the supporters what they were made off and showed some great attacks together with exiting leg movement and tricks. If ES Johan Cruyff was able to achieve this level from the first game on they definitely would need to be considered as one of the favourites.
Again bad luck followed the relatively young team (they only started to train together a few weeks before the World Cup) of University of Antwerp. Setting up beautiful actions with precisely splitting passes they headed for the opponents goal, but every time shooting on the goalpost or the keeper. If this team keeps training together they will definitely be able to put the University of Antwerp higher on the ranking list in the next World Cup.

3rd and 4th place
Fac. Medicina, UP – Univ. Cat. Portuguesa (Lisboa) 2-13
UCP Lisboa was fired up for this game and determined to show the world their Futsal capability. In no time the team got ahead taking a few goals lead on Porto. Then Porto took over and started to bomb the goal of their opponents, but had a taste of bad luck of their own as they did not succeed to score and kept hitting goalposts or one or another player of UCP. But then the spring broke for the Porto team resulting in an end score of 2 – 13 for UCP Lisboa.

World Cup Final
WWU Münster – Universidad de Sevilla 5-8
We have seen during these two days some exiting Futsal, but the Final can be considered to be one of the best matches of the World Cup.
Before the game the tension on players of both teams was clearly visible during their warm up. At the start of the game both teams where playing defensively trying to keep control of the game preventing an early goal of their opponent.
From the moment the first goal was made both teams went ahead for the attacks on goal and the match was swirling away from one goal to the other, forcing players to give it all they have from splitting passes to acting as a human shield. Sometimes players literally threw themselves in front of the ball in order to prevent the opponent from scoring.
During the match no team had a larger lead than one goal and after a while both teams were stranded at 4 – 4 letting everyone believe that penalties would decide the winner. Only 8 minutes before the end of the match Münster scored a goal bringing them into lead of 5 – 4 deciding to go for defence. If someone thought this would break the team of Sevilla, no one could be more wrong. Not only did they equalize minutes after the goal of Münster but in matter of minutes they decided the match by scoring two more goals resulting in a 5 – 8 win for Sevilla.
Although Munster was very disappointed over their last minutes of the final, they showed that fair play and sportsmanship was in place and congratulated warmly the better team Sevilla.
Overall, as being said by FIFA Representative Charles Ronlez, Referees and ISFF, this World Cup had no losers. All teams showed great matches in which fair play and sportsmanship was the main key, making this World Cup one to be proud of.
After all bringing students together on an International sportive, social and cultural event interacting with one another is what its all about.