Courtesy: UEFA.com


Kairat cruise keeps hopes alive

Sunday 30 March 2008

Kairat Almaty's hopes of retaining the Kazakhstan title remain alive as they moved to within two wins of aplay-off while ElPozo Murcia FS remain supreme in Spain after the latest league results for the UEFA Futsal Cup semi-finalists.

Play-off looms
After picking up a win and a draw against leaders Atkobe BTA, Kairat remained within six points of the leaders with four games left to their rivals' two. Maximum points at bottom side Alfa Rudniy were crucial, and Kairat had little problem securing them, winning 15-1 and 7-1. Jadder Dantas scored six goals in the first game, while the next day Etienne led the way with a hat-trick. Aktobe beat Ayat Rudniy twice, so they end their 24 fixtures on 65 points, a tally Kairat will match if they defeat Tulpar-Ikar Karaganda on 8 and 9 April. Should the top two finish level, a play-off will decide the title.

Murcia clear
The Russian league had a rest week due to the FIFA Futsal World Cup play-offs, so Kairat's UEFA Futsal Cup semi-final opponents MFK Viz-Sinara Ekaterinburg and hosts MFK Dinamo Moskva were not in action. Dinamo's last-four rivals on 25 April, Murcia, remain ten points clear in Spain, on course for top seeding in the play-offs, as they defeated FC Barcelona 5-2. Vinicius and Mauricio put them two up, and after Dani Fernández pulled one back on the stroke of half-time, Wilde made it 3-1 four minutes into the second period. Igor reduced arrears, but Ciço and Vinicius had the last word.




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