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Brazil kick-off new era with a bang

(FIFA.com) 17 Nov 2005

A crushing 13-0 win over Ecuador saw the Brazilian national team storm to victory in the final of the inaugural South American Women's Futsal tournament, organised by CONMEBOL, the Continent's Football Confederation. Third place went to Argentina, who earned their place on the podium with a 1-0 win over neighbours Uruguay.
Peru, meanwhile, sealed 5th place thanks to a 9-4 win over Paraguay, who were left holding the wooden spoon in last place. Of the ten member countries affiliated to CONMEBOL, only Bolivia, Chile, Venezuela and Colombia declined to take part in the tournament, held in the Brazilian city of Barueri, 29km from São Paulo.

With a 100% record and an astonishing 33 goals to their name, Brazil swept aside all comers on their way to taking the title. The samba stars also boasted the tournament's meanest defence, conceding just 2 goals, both of those in the opening day win over Peru. The icing on the cake for the home side was their winning of the Fair Play award, along with Argentina. However, Uruguayan star Alejandra Laborda was able to prevent a Brazilian clean sweep by taking home the award for Best Player.


Brazilian player Cátia scored five goals in the decisive match and with a total of nine, she finished as the overall leading scorer in the South America Womens Futsal tournament in Brazil.
Beto Costa/CBF
Jayne, who captained the host nation to victory, struggled to keep her emotions in check as the trophy was presented. "It's really satisfying to be able to celebrate after the way we've played throughout this tournament. We started off slowly but hit form at the right time. In the final we put on a footballing masterclass to leave nobody in any doubt that we're the best side here," said Brazil's pivotal winger.

Cátia, who topped the tournament's goalscoring charts with nine goals, believes that teamwork was the secret of Brazil's success. "I didn't expect to be the main goal getter. The most important thing for me was for Brazil to play well and win the title. I'm obviously happy with the individual award, but I couldn't have done it without my team-mates, that's what really made the difference." The flying wide player tortured the Ecuadorian defence in the final, finding the back of the net a staggering five times. A hat-trick against Argentina in the semi-final and a goal against Uruguay at the group stage took her well clear of team mate Prisicila and Peru's Olenka Salinas, who scored six goals apiece.

As for Auriverde keeper Jú Salla, she believes that is was the team's will to win that saw them safely through their last two games. "We knew that it was vital for us not to lose our focus. We wanted to show that despite only having a few days to prepare before the tournament, we were the best side. This group of players can go a long way, and I only hope that we continue to receive the support we need."

Ecuador spring a surprise
Wins over Argentina and Paraguay in the group stages had seen Ecuador labelled as the tournament's surprise package, even before their dramatic extra-time win over Uruguay in the semi-finals. The resounding defeat at the hands of Brazil in the final clash was not an accurate reflection of an excellent campaign by the Ecuadorians. Ecuador coach Rémulo Sotomayor was justifiably proud of his side's performance: "I have to admit that I'm still in shock. Despite not having much money or time to prepare, this runners-up spot is an historic achievement for Futsal in our country." With 13 goals, Sotomayor's side were the tournament's second-highest scorers.

There were also scenes of celebration in the Argentina camp as they sealed third place ahead of Uruguay. Verónica Levy, the Albiceleste's tactical director, had this to say: "It's a great feeling to have achieved what we set out to do. We came here with our eye on a place on the podium and we've made it. However we mustn't rest on our laurels, we must keep working hard to try and do even better in the next competition."

Uruguay's technical director Jorge Seré could not fail to hide his disappointment with his side's fourth-place finish. "Fourth place was the best we could have hoped for when we came here but ended up being the least we deserved for our performances in this competition." The Charrúas could at least take some consolation from Alejandra Laborda's Best Player award. "As an individual it doesn't get any better than this, but it's a shame that it wasn't enough to see us crowned Champions. Even so, I think it softens the blow a bit," said Laborda.

Tournament summary

Group stages - Results

Day 1 - 08.11.05
Brazil 5-2 Peru (Group A)
Argentina 0-1 Ecuador (Group B)

Day 2 - 09.11.05
Peru 2-4 Uruguay (A)
Ecuador 7-1 Paraguay (B)

Day 3 - 10.11.05
Uruguay 0-7 Brazil (A)
Paraguay 3-3 Argentina (B)

Group Standings
Group A: Brazil 6 points (+10); Uruguay 3 points (-5); Peru 0 points (-5)

Group B: Ecuador 6 points (+7); Argentina 1 point (-1); Paraguay 1 point (-6)

Final Stages
5th place game- 12.11.05
Peru 9-4 Paraguay

Semi-finals - 12.11.05
Ecuador 5-3 Uruguay
Brazil 8-0 Argentina

3rd place match- 13.11.05
Uruguay 0-1 Argentina

Final - 13.11.05
Brazil 13-0 Ecuador




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