Courtesy: UEFA.com

Hosts meet Charleroi for third

Friday, 27 April 2007

by Paul Saffer

from Murcia

UEFA Futsal Cup final four hosts ElPozo Murcia FS and 2005 winners Action 21 Charleroi may have seen their hopes of this year's title disappear but there is still third place to play for on Saturday.

Home fans
Kicking off two hours before the final between the sides that defeated Murcia and Charleroi in the last four - Boomerang Interviú and MFK Dinamo Moskva - this play-off ensures home fans in Murcia will get to see their team in action despite a heartbreaking loss to their Spanish rivals on Thursday with just one second to go. It will also give ElPozo the chance to face Charleroi, having missed out on a final meeting with the Belgian champions in 2005 when Murcia were pipped by Dinamo.

Charleroi aim
Charleroi will have a seventh match with Spanish opposition in this tournament, and are yet to register a victory. The Belgian side's coach Christian Vavadio was pleased with his young team despite the 3-1 semi-final loss to Dinamo, and said: "We will approach this game as always - we will play to win. We have two days to rest. We will give everything on the pitch. We expect even stronger opponents. But I will give the chance for all my players to take part, so that they can enjoy the experience of playing at such a high level."




Courtesy: UEFA.com

The road to the futsal final

Friday, 27 April 2007

by Paul Saffer

from Murcia

UEFA Futsal Cup finalists Boomerang Interviú and MFK Dinamo Moskva have each played four matches to reach Saturday's decider in Murcia - and between them have scored nearly 40 goals in this campaign.

Elite round
Among the top four seeds in this season's competition, Boomerang and Dinamo were excused the first two group stages, and entered in December's Elite round. Boomerang, who beat Dinamo in the 2005/06 final, began their title defence in Group A in Verona's Palazzo dello Sport and with only four minutes gone against CC LKW Jistebnik were ahead though Schumacher. Italian Edgar Bertoni and Andreu wrapped up a 3-0 defeat of the Czech side.

Boomerang through
The next day MNK Split were dispatched 6-0 with Marquinho scoring twice and Julio, Gabriel, Bertoni and Schumacher also on target. Only a draw was needed against home side Arzignano Grifo C/5, but Boomerang made certain as they won 5-2, Marquinho and Schumacher scoring within the first three minutes. Arzignano's Fernando Wilhelm and Andrea Bearzi claimed goals either side of one from Gabriel, but Joan and Marquinho made sure for Boomerang.

Dinamo relief
Dinamo brought Group B to Moscow, and showed their class in an opening 5-0 defeat of Sporting Clube de Portugal, Cirilo and Kelson scoring twice and Tatu also registering. A day later it was 9-0 against Romanian champions CIP Deva, Joan getting a hat-trick, Cirilo and Pelé two each and the scoring completed by a George Tomescu own goal and a Kelson strike. Still a point was needed against 2005/06 semi-finalists FC Shakhtar Donetsk, Pavel Kobzar, Joan, Tatu and Kelson made it 4-0 at the break. But Serhiy Sytin scored twice early in the second half for Shakhtar and after Yevgen Yunakov struck on 37 and 39 minutes, Dinamo were grateful for a 4-4 draw.

Semi-final successes
Boomerang and Dinamo avoided each other in the semi-final draw in Murcia. Dinamo were first up on Thursday against Action 21 Charleroi, and although Pula's early goal was cancelled out by Karim Chaibai before half-time, Kobzar and Kelson wrapped up a 3-1 win. Boomerang then took on compatriots and hosts ElPozo Murcia FS, but were behind on two minutes through Kike. Marquinho equalised but after a thrilling encounter Bacaro Vinicius gave Murcia the lead with around five minutes left. Boomerang pushed hard, and Schumacher equalised with two minutes to go and with literally one second remaining Daniel pounced to ensure another showdown with Dinamo.




Courtesy: UEFA.com

Schumacher spurs Boomerang

Friday, 27 April 2007

by Paul Saffer & David Baño

from Murcia

So often the Boomerang Interviú hero, Schumacher showed perfect timing again last night in the UEFA Futsal Cup semi-final victory against ElPozo Murcia FS - and said experience and luck were the key factors for the holders.

Luck a factor
Final-four hosts Murcia took the lead late in the second half last night, but with two minutes left Schumacher struck to make it 2-2 before Daniel secured a winner on full-time to ensure a second consecutive final against MFK Dinamo Moskva. "We had quality but also luck," Schumacher told uefa.com. "To be champions you always need some luck. We tried to win until the end and we managed to reach the final."

Organising role
Part of Boomerang's European successes in 2004 and 2006, when he scored a first-leg hat-trick against Dinamo, the Brazilian is a vital part of the Madrid side's squad and even when they seemed to be heading for defeat yesterday his leadership skills were obvious as he geed his team-mates. A quiet person off the pitch, Schumacher said: "I try to organise the team from defence. I talk to my team-mates all through the game. We have a great team, with Marquinho, Daniel, Andreu, Joan and so on, and that makes things easier."

Experience
He added: "We have been together for six years and even when we are losing we stay calm. This game is like that - you can be winning and lose a game in two minutes. It has happened to us in the past. We can count on 12 international players in our squad and that experience helped us at the end of the game. We know each other by heart and we know our positions on the field without needing to look."

Dinamo quality
As for Dinamo, Schumacher said: "Dinamo Moskva are a great team. We played against them last year. We will have a look on video to see how they play and if there are any differences from last season. I know they have five or six Brazilian players and four or five Russian international players who play very well. But we know each other quite well and there will not be too many things to study."




Courtesy: UEFA.com

Kobzar to give his all

Friday, 27 April 2007

by Paul Saffer

from Murcia

MFK Dinamo Moskva player Pavel Kobzar is ready for his club's third consecutive UEFA Futsal Cup final and believes the new format could help his team make up for defeats in the last two deciders.

New formats
Dinamo were beaten 10-9 on aggregate after extra time two years ago against Action 21 Charleroi and 12 months later a 6-3 first-leg defeat by Boomerang Interviú in Spain meant that a 4-3 win in the return was in vain. But this time the semi-finals onwards are being played in a one-off event in Murcia, and having dispatched Charleroi 3-1 in the last four on Thursday, Dinamo take on Boomerang again at 19.00CET on Saturday.

Determination
"Everyone is determined to gain victory," Kobzar told uefa.com. "Last year we met Boomerang, but it was more difficult under that format. Under the new rules, it will be simpler with only one game." What is not simple is defeating Boomerang, who are aiming for a third European crown. "They are a very strong team, they have the best players from Spain and Brazil," Kobzar said. "And they showed their strength recently by winning the Intercontinental Cup."

Improvement needed
Kobzar put his team 2-1 up against Charleroi, but the 27-year-old Russian international says Dinamo will need to improve having been given a real run for their money by the Belgian outsiders. "We could have played better against Charleroi," he admitted. "I think we have to be more determined and motivated, keep it tight in defence, and take our chances. We had many opportunities to score against Charleroi, and we will have to take them against Boomerang as well as keeping them out at the other end."



Courtesy: UEFA.com

Familiar face-off in futsal final

Saturday, 28 April 2007

by Paul Saffer

from Murcia

The UEFA Futsal Cup may have a new format this year, but the final is the same as last season as holders Boomerang Interviú meet MFK Dinamo Moskva again in Murcia.

Contrasting fortunes
Both of these teams are in their third final in the six-year history of this competition, but while Boomerang were victorious in 2004 and 12 months ago, Dinamo have been beaten in the last two deciders. Those ties were over two legs; this time it will be a one-off game to conclude the inaugural final four event hosted by ElPozo Murcia FS, who lost a dramatic encounter with Spanish rivals Boomerang on Thursday as the Madrid outfit trailed 2-1 with two minutes left but then equalised through Schumacher before Daniel's last-second winner.

'Good memories'
A 6-3 win in the first leg last year set Boomerang up for victory although Dinamo prevailed 4-3 in the Moscow return, and there was little between the teams over the 80 minutes. Boomerang coach Jesús Candelas told uefa.com: "I have very good memories from last year's final against them. We had a very good game home and in Moscow we tried to use our advantage from first leg, but they caused us many problems and almost came back. I still have great memories of that city and that title."

'Neck and neck'
Candelas, whose team are aiming to become the first to claim this trophy for a third time, added: "We have been neck and neck with Dinamo over the last two years, which shows we are both doing things right. They have the same squad as last year plus one more Brazilian, Pula. We will need to work out how to break their tactics and the feeling they have that every player can do something."

Victorious duo
Dinamo have already avenged the first of their final defeats in this competition by beating 2005 conquerors Action 21 Charleroi 3-1 on Thursday. Kelson, who struck the late clincher in the semi-final, joined Dinamo from Charleroi along with Henrique after their encounter two years ago and the Russian champions' coach Yuri Rudnev believes that duo's experience of winning this competition will be useful against a Boomerang team who for the most part already have been part of at least one European triumph. "They know how to handle the situation and motivate the team," Rudnev told uefa.com.

Brazilian boost
Rudnev himself left Dinamo after the loss to Charleroi and did not return until this February, with his assistant Aleksandr Shibaev taking charge for last year's Boomerang encounters. In Rudnev's time away the Brazilian-born contingent at Dinamo has increased from three to seven, something the coach believes has had a significant effect. "We have another team compared to 2005, we have more Brazilian players," he said. "This situation means two things. The positive is that our team is stronger. However, the negative is that the team can become a bit divided. But our Brazilians have boosted team spirit."

*Italian referee Massimo Cumbo and Croatian official Ivan Novak will take charge of the final. Cumbo refereed the first leg of last season's decider between these teams and Novak officiated at the return in Moscow. For both it is the fourth time they have stood in a UEFA Futsal Cup final. Hungarian Karoly Török will be the third official after handling the third-place match with Portugal's António Cardoso.



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