Courtesy: UEFA

Kairat and Dinamo complete lineup

Wednesday, 1 February 2006

by John Atkin

Kairat Almaty and MFK Dinamo Moskva joined Boomerang Interviù and FC Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Futsal Cup semi-finals after the two second qualifying round groups were completed.

Kazakh surprise
Kairat Almaty will face Dinamo after this season's surprise packages progressed from Group A in Lisbon courtesy of an emphatic 5-1 victory against Belgian side Cristal Noir MB Morlanwelz. Aleksandr Terentyev, Etienne, Cacau and Neto were all on target for the Kazakh champions as they booked a semi-final berth at the expense of SL Benfica, who saw their hopes ended in spectacular style at the hands of Boomerang Interviú.

Joan form
Undaunted by their opponents' record of 16 goals in two games, the Portuguese hosts quickly raced into a two-goal lead at the Pavilhão da Luz. But the 2004 European champions stormed back against the team they beat in that year's final, scoring four unanswered goals, including two from Joan, as they qualified for the last four with a 100 per cent record. Shakhtar will be their next opponents after the Ukrainian champions, who were already assured of progressing, lost 1-0 to Dinamo, who went through as Group B winners in Belgrade.

Charleroi exit
Cirilo struck the only goal of that game from the penalty spot with just six minutes remaining, meaning the final Group B fixture between Action 21 Charleroi and KMF Marbo Beograd was simply to decide who finished third. In the event it was the Futsal Cup holders Charleroi, who edged a five-goal thriller to end a disappointing title defence on a high. There will be a new name on the trophy come May but the sides must first come through the two-legged semi-finals, which take place in March.



Courtesy: UEFA


Shakhtar star as Charleroi crash

Thursday, 2 February 2006

by Aleksandar Boškovic & Paul Saffer

from Belgrade & London

While MFK Dinamo Moskva can dream of going one better than their runners-up spot in last season's UEFA Futsal Cup, holders Action 21 Charleroi are coming to terms with their emphatic exit after second qualifying round Group B in Belgrade.

Holders out
FC Shakhtar Donetsk, who had been eliminated at this stage three times, shocked Charleroi 4-1 in their opening match on Sunday. It was to prove the crucial result. With Shakhtar then beating hosts KMF Marbo Beograd a day later to book a semi-final slot, and Charleroi falling 5-3 to Dinamo Moskva, the Russian side who were defeated by the Belgian champions in last year's final effectively ended the holders' campaign a game early. Dinamo, who began by drawing with Beograd, subsequently overcame Shakhtar 1-0 to progress in first place.

Shakhtar thrilled
Still, the plaudits went to Shakhtar and the Ukrainians' coach, Oleg Solodovnyk, was thrilled. "Maybe it is a surprise, but only for others - not for me," he said, before adding: "I want to play Dinamo again, ASAP, say in the UEFA Futsal Cup final this season."

Dinamo avoid Boomerang
However, if Shakhtar are to reach the final they must win a two-legged semi-final against Spanish giants Boomerang Interviú, who are determined to reclaim the trophy they clinched in 2004, having won all three of their Group A matches in Lisbon. Dinamo ensured they would meet Kairat Almaty by overtaking Shakhtar on the final day.

Clean sheet
"We wanted to be first - we are the winners, that's the most important thing," Dinamo coach Viktor Papaev said. "I wanted victory because I did not want to play Boomerang in the semi-final. I noticed some problems with our team and we will work on that. But the concluding victory without conceding a goal was something special."

Charleroi changes
Charleroi did at least defeat Beograd 3-2 in their closing match, but it was little consolation. Since lifting the European title last April they have made a number of changes to their squad, reducing their reliance on Brazilian stars and bringing in several homegrown Belgian youngsters.

'Still young'
Coach Sergio Benatti was not happy with the performance of his players, but added in mitigation: "My team is still young and we must wait for better results. Club politics mean we now mix Belgian and Brazilian players, but we must remember their ages." One of the remaining Brazilians, Robinho, said: "We deserved a better position in the group, but we could not do anything more after the disappointing result in our first match."

Beograd proud
The other eliminated side are Beograd, but although they finished bottom of the group, they have much to be proud of. This was their best run in the competition, the draw against Dinamo showed they can mix it with Europe's finest, and crowds of more than 4,000 in the Palata Pionir proved the potential for Futsal in Serbia and Montenegro.

'Not losers'
Coach Goran Ivancić said: "I am very proud because we staged a tournament of the highest standard. We represented our club and our country on the European stage. Belgrade witnessed a real spectacle, and I am already dreaming of another one. I am satisfied with everything - what our players have done, our results, and what we showed to Europe." Captain Bojan Pavicević concluded: "We are fourth, but we are not losers. We have learned so much and we will be better next season."



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