Courtesy: UEFA.com

Ukraine pin hopes on experience

Monday, 26 February 2007

by Igor Linnyk & Lucy Turner

Ukraine have turned to experience as the 2005 UEFA European Futsal Championship semi-finalists attempt to gain qualification for this year's tournament.

Mixed results
Two-time runners-up Ukraine are in Andorra for qualifying round Group B from today until Thursday, where they also meet Israel and Slovakia. Their recent form has been mixed, with friendly results this month including a 5-5 draw with Hungary and 5-4 defeat by Belarus - their first reverse in 19 fixtures against that team - although they also beat both those sides in the other game in double-headed friendlies. January also saw Ukraine held by Serbia and Poland.

Experience
Coach Gennadiy Lysenchuk has recalled veteran Olexiy Kudlay, who missed those most recent friendlies, but is adjusting to life without Serhiy Koridze, the top scorer at the 2001 and 2003 European finals who has now retired from the international game. However, FC Shakhtar Donetsk goalkeeper Vladislav Korneev has been persuaded to play on. Vitaliy Brunko - the leading scorer in the Ukrainian league - has helped FC Energia Lviv eclipse perennial champions Shakhtar this season and will be joined in the attack by one of the stars of the 2005 finals, Serhiy Sytin.

Andorra worries
Andorra, meanwhile, received some bad news on the eve of the tournament. Key man Miguel Blázquez will be suspended for the first two games against Slovakia and Israel, Joan Foix is also banned and No1 goalkeeper Èric Flinch has withdrawn due to pneumonia. Experienced Andorra coach Carles Riba said: "They are all essential players. Blázquez is one of our main attacking players, Foix is an experienced defender who exudes confidence and Èric was playing well. But we're eager for this to start; no one can beat us for enthusiasm. We've sweated blood in the training sessions and we know it's likely we'll lose all three games, but we'll see what happens playing at home."

Hope
He added: "All three opponents play similarly. They are aggressive in defence and fast on the counterattack. To beat Ukraine we will have to have the best match in our history and they would have to play their worst. If we beat Slovakia and Israel we would then have our chances for the last game. You never know what could happen."

Slovakia impress
In fact, Andorra are second seeds in this group, and have gained at least one victory in all their European campaigns to date. Indeed, in 2001 they beat Finland and Latvia only to be pipped by Ukraine, who also ended their hopes in 2003. They defeated Slovakia 6-4 in 1999, though they gained revenge four years later and last time around lost to Ukraine before holding Belarus and overcoming Romania 7-1. They warmed up last month by losing 5-1 to the Czech Republic but then gained a win and draw at home to Hungary, who finished second in their qualifying group behind Russia.

Israeli return
Israel also returned to action in January after more than two years away from the international arena, and the heavy defeats by 2007 finals hosts Portugal were predictable against one of the world's leading futsal forces. Still, they only narrowly lost to France and Belgium in their last qualifying campaign and in the past have achieved competitive wins against Romania, Greece and Finland.




Courtesy: UEFA.com

Czechs cheered by comebacks

Monday, 26 February 2007

by Ladislav Josef

from Prague

The late call-ups of Tomáš Sluka and Roman Mareš proved invaluable for the Czech Republic as the pair scored 12 of their team's 15 goals to help their country win UEFA European Futsal Championship qualifying Group E in Split.

Late call-ups
Mareš and his brother Michal came out of international retirement just before the qualifiers, having returned to the Czech Republic after a spell in Russia with MFK Dina Moskva. Indeed, Sluka was only given permission to play by his football team, second division SFC Opava, five days before the trip to Croatia.

Comeback win
With that trio on board, the Czech Republic beat Kazakhstan 6-4 and Bosnia-Herzegovina 4-2, yet trailed Croatia on goal difference going into Sunday's decider. Needing a win, they were held to 0-0 at half-time, David Filinger having received a red card on 14 minutes, which left them down to four men temporarily. Things got worse two minutes into the second period, when Patrik Drndič put Croatia ahead, before Lukáš Rešetár equalised six minutes later and then, with eight minutes remaining, Roman Mareš shot the Czechs in front in both the game and the group. The last-mentioned scored again in the 36th minute, then Sluka registered twice late on with Croatia having thrown everything into attack, for a 5-1 victory that booked a place in Porto and a third consecutive qualification for the 2005 hosts.

'Mental power'
Recently-appointed Czech Republic coach Tomáš Neumann said: "We survived the two-minute expulsion without conceding a goal and that was crucial. That gave us a real lift. When we were two goals up, our opponents tried to level the scores without a goalkeeper and we were able to punish them from counters." Experienced Czech player Martin Dlouhý added: "It was the most difficult qualification I have played in. Futsal in Europe is getting more and more equal."




Courtesy: UEFA.com

Spain send warning to rivals

Monday, 26 February 2007

by Lucy Turner

from Barcelona

Holders Spain qualified for the UEFA European Futsal Championship finals in Porto with three wins from as many games, scoring 22 goals and conceding just two, and captain Javi Rodríguez says his team are already gearing up for November's tournament in Porto.

'Very important'
Having taken control of Group C by beating F.Y.R. Macedonia 6-1 and Cyprus 11-1, Spain wrapped up qualification yesterday in the Madrid suburb of Pinto thanks to a 5-0 victory against Poland. Javi Rodríguez said: "The win was very important for us and now we have eight months to work hard and improve."

Top scorer
Javi Rodríguez scored twice against Cyprus and matched that tally in front of a 5,000 crowd against Poland to finish as the mini-tournament's leading goal-getter. "To be the top scorer is just a bonus as the important thing is to have qualified," he said. "I hadn't scored many goals for the national team over the last two years.

'At our best'
"There are games when you feel great, and others where you play just as well but you don't score and it seems you've actually played worse," he continued. "Against Poland we were all at our best. Poland played to defend and didn't want us to score, to see if we got nervous. For us to score so early in the game was a heavy burden for them, and they struggled physically with the rhythm we imposed."




Courtesy: UEFA.com

Azzurri enjoy safe passage

Monday, 26 February 2007

Italy have qualified for the 2007 UEFA European Futsal Championship after defeating Belarus 6-1 tonight to finish top of qualifying Group A.

Seven qualifiers
The 2003 champions are the seventh team to qualify for the eight-team tournament in Porto from 16-25 November following hosts Portugal, holders Spain, Russia, Serbia, the Czech Republic and Romania. France secured third place in the group with a 6-4 defeat of tournament debutants Turkey. The draw is on 12 May at 13.30 CET in Porto with four teams to be seeded; Portugal, Spain and the two other highest-ranked teams from the final eight.

Group B begins
Group B, which got under way in Andorra today, will be the last section to be decided in the qualifying round. The hosts lost 6-2 to Slovakia while Ukraine were 3-0 winners against Israel. The action will continue tomorrow before concluding on Thursday, and Ukraine or Slovakia could qualify after their Tuesday meeting. If Ukraine win, they are through with a match to spare unless Andorra overcome Israel, whereas a Slovakian victory would be sufficient if Israel then prevailed.




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