All reports below are courtesy: FIFA.com


Czechs on song in Rio

In Group D, Czech Republic took a step closer to realising their quest of reaching the second round of the FIFA Futsal World Cup Brazil 2008 by defeating Libya 4-2 at the Maracanazinho in an entertaining match.

The enthusiastic crowd in Rio had to wait a full seven minutes for the first goal due to some fine goalkeeping from Mohamed Alsharif in the Libya goal who made two spectacular saves to deny Roman Mares and Jan Janovsky. However, he was powerless to stop Michal Mares' spot-kick, awarded after Janovsky was felled in the box by Mohamed Suleiman.

Czech Republic doubled their advantage eight minutes later due to a rare goalkeeping error from Alsharif, who failed to hold on to a Marek Kopecky's shot, which slid into the net. The goal spurred Libya into action and they pulled one back two minutes before half-time through Yousef Mohamed.

Four minutes after the re-start, Libya were level, with Mohamed Rahoma's delicious effort restoring parity, but the Asians' joy was short-lived as just two minutes later, Martin Dlouhy put his team back on top. Libya almost grabbed an equaliser when Rahoma's goalbound effort was blocked on the line by Jiri Novotny with the ‘keeper beaten. Then in the 39th minute, Tomas Sluka scored to seal the game's fate.

Libya now leave the tournament without winning a game, but have won plenty of admirers for the way they played, while Czech Republic travel to Brasilia on Thursday to face Iran in a game which will seal their fate in the tournament.




Guatemala take positive step

Guatemala improved their hopes of reaching the second round with a convincing 10-1 victory over China PR in Brasilia. The result moved the reigning North, Central America and the Caribbean champions on to six points from a possible nine, and left their opponents pointless at the foot of Group C.

Guatemala were 2-0 up within four minutes, courtesy of strikes by the in-form Erick Acevedo and Daniel Tejada, and by the interval they had scored seven times without reply. The pick of these goals came from Jose Gonzalez, who tricked his marker before firing home.

The second half was a much tighter affair, with its first goal arriving almost 12 minutes in through Chinese forward Liu Xinyi.

However, it served as a wake-up call to the Guatemalans. Marlon Noj quickly made it 8-1, before Gonzalez and Carlos Estrada posted their second and third goals of the game respectively to complete the scoring.

If Guatemala beat Argentina in their final group game on Thursday, they will be assured of a place in next phase.




Iran control their destiny

Iran moved level on points with Spain at the top of Group D following their 4-2 victory over Uruguay at the Maracanazinho.

After ten minutes Iran found themselves two goals up. Mohammad Taheri netted the first from close range after Diego failed to hold on to a shot. Their second was a bit more polished; Mostafa Tayyebi flicking the ball over the goalkeeper.

Uruguay pulled one back, perhaps more out of will than skill, when Jorge Rodriguez purposeful run into the box was checked by Mostafa Nazari. A penalty was awarded and Mincho made no mistake.

But the game moved further away from Uruguay in the second half. They quickly took control the game and scored twice through Vahid Shamsaee and Mohammad Hashemzadeh following good approach play from the Asians.

Uruguay pulled one back through Rodríguez, but it was scant consolation for the team, who now exit the tournament. Iran's destiny is in their own hands. A win or draw against Czech Republic will see them advance.




Ukraine romp to top

Ukraine's 5-1 win over Egypt on Tuesday in Brasilia sees them rise to the top of Group C (tied with Argentina on seven points, but ahead on goals) at the FIFA Futsal World Cup Brazil 2008.

The East Europeans got off to a hot start when Sameh Saleh put through his own goal on seven minutes. Valeriy Legchanov then doubled the score from the spot in the 18th minute to make it 2-0 at the interval.

Dmytro Ivanov increased the lead to 3-0 inside the first two minutes of the second period. Mizo then hit back for the Egyptians to make it 3-1 and give a glimmer of hope to the Africans. However, Sergiy Cheporniuk hit home a penalty kick in the 31st minute and Valeriy Zamyatin added a fifth with four minutes to go and settled the affair for the impressive Europeans who outshot their opponents 25-7.

The Ukrainians - tied with Argentina at the pinnacle of Group C - are a very good bet to move on to the next round, needing only to avoid defeat against winless China PR in their final game of the section on 9 October.



Trio survive as Ukraine stroll

Tuesday 7 October 2008

Tuesday’s action at the FIFA Futsal World Cup Brazil 2008 saw Ukraine take a giant stride towards a berth in the next round and Czech Republic, Iran and Guatemala all live to fight another day. The day's results universally went in favour of teams currently in the second tier of the world game, but who may be poised to challenge the established order sooner rather than later.

By contrast, Libya, Uruguay, Egypt and China PR’s slim hopes of making the next stage were finally extinguished. Nothing else was finally settled on Matchday 8, as hosts Brazil remain the only team definitely through to the last sixteen.

The big game
Czech Republic - Libya 4-2
Czech Republic offered abundant evidence that, even if you rarely win anything with kids, you can still perform with great credit. The youngest of the European sides at the tournament punished African champions Libya for a below-par display to run out deserved 4-2 winners. However, Tomas Neumann’s talented youngsters must now beat Asian champions Iran to stay in the tournament, guaranteeing a tense and dramatic encounter.

Yousef Mohamed and Mohamed Rahoma did their best to stave off the Libyan defeat, hauling their side back into it after Michal Mares and Marek Kopecky had put the Czechs two up. However, Martin Dlouhy and Tomas Sluka restored the two-goal cushion, which the Europeans protected to the end. The young Czechs certainly buzzed with the kind of resilience they will need to withstand mighty Iran.

The other games
Elsewhere, the same Iranians once again underscored their credentials as a sound outside bet for the title. The Asian champions kept their cool against a passionate and hot-blooded Uruguay team to seal a 4-2 victory.

Ukraine also staked an emphatic claim to a place at futsal’s top table with a thoroughly disciplined 5-1 victory over Egypt. Coach Gennadiy Lisenchuk’s side is solid and perhaps unspectacular, but deservedly go top of Group C with the kind of winning mentality typical of a successful team.

A robust physical build combined with plenty of skill is perhaps the most dangerous weapon in futsal. Carlos Estrada boasts all this in spades, and made best use of his attributes in netting three times as Guatemala coasted to a 10-1 win over China PR.

The player
Daniel Tejada (GUA)
Complementing Estrada’s contribution, Guatemala’s agile, pacy and dangerous number six turned in a fine display as the Central Americans eased past China PR. The 21-year-old was one of the game's key players, helping himself to a brace and also supplying two inch-perfect assists.

The stat
3 – After defeating Egypt 10-3 in 1996 and 5-4 in 2004, Ukraine have now completed a hat-trick of wins over the Africans at the FIFA Futsal World Cup.

What they said
"We’ve proved we haven’t come to Brazil just for a holiday. We’re capable of matching anyone," Carlos Merida, Guatemala player

All the results
China PR - Guatemala 1-10
Czech Republic - Libya 4-2
Ukraine - Egypt 5-1
Iran - Uruguay 4-2



Goal king Villalba eyes shock

Tuesday 7 October 2008

The first phase of the FIFA Futsal World Cup Brazil 2008 is drawing to a close and, for those who wish to prolong their stay in the elite competition, slip-ups must be avoided at any cost. Paraguay knew just that prior to taking on tournament surprise packages Thailand, but the Albirroja kept their nerve to dole out an 8-0 futsal lesson, the most one-sided scoreline in Group B so far.

Starring for the Guaraníes was Rene Villalba, who racked up four goals and an assist against the Thais. "I think that I've scored four goals in a qualifying match before, but what matters is that the team won and qualification for the next phase is in our hands," the 27-year-old wide player said exclusively to FIFA.com.

Boasting six points from their three matches so far, Paraguay need a win over Chinese Taipei 2004 runners-up Italy to stay in the competition. The Azzurri, for their part, have taken maximum points from their three outings and have history in their favour.

Twice the two national teams have met in the first group phase at a FIFA Futsal World Cup, and on both occasions Italy emerged victorious, 7-5 at Hong Kong 1992 and 4-2 at Chinese Taipei 2004. Not that Villalba is unduly concerned: "The statistics also said we lost our two previous games against the United States, and yet we we beat them here (5-0)."

Sleeping with the enemy
Spice is also added to the forthcoming clash by the fact that half the Albirroja squad play their club futsal in Italy. Indeed, Villalba himself just won the Serie A1 title with Luparense, where he shares a dressing room with several players sure to line up against him on Wednesday.

"Yes, we know each other well and that's why it'll be a great game to play in. But they must be more anxious than we are," says Paraguay's top scorer with six goals so far. "We're going to approach the game in relaxed mood while staying totally focused, because whoever makes the most mistakes will lose."

The son of a former eleven-a-side footballer who played most of his professional career with Cerro Porteno, Rene is the third of four brothers, all of whom play futsal. In fact, the quartet even played together a few seasons ago in Italy for Reggio Calabria. And at Chinese Taipei 2004, he was part of the Paraguay squad alongside older brothers Carlos and Walter, with the latter also here in Brazil.

The free-scoring wide man feels that Italy will find the Guaraníes an altogether tougher prospect than in the 4-2 reverse four years ago. "Paraguay have made a lot of progress in recent years. At that moment in time, my team-mates and I had only just moved to Europe so we had less experience. Nowadays things have changed and that makes a difference."

That said, Villalba is aware the Albirroja are the underdogs going into tomorrow's game. "We've seen articles that have claimed Italy are already safely through, but I think they're going to find taking this last step very difficult," warns the Luparense man.

"That's because nowadays we capable of going toe-to-toe with any opponents. And what's more, if we do make it through, we're ready to spring more surprises."




Lisenchuk: We want the group

Tuesday 7 October 2008

The current leaders of Group C, Ukraine, are one of only six teams yet to taste defeat at FIFA Futsal World Cup Brazil 2008. And if there was any doubt about their credentials pre-tournament, these were quickly dispelled after a 2-2 draw against much–fancied Argentina.

This impressive display against the fourth-placed team from Chinese Taipei 2004, allied to emphatic victories against fellow Group C opponents Guatemala (6-2) and Egypt (5-1), has put the eastern Europeans in pole position for a place in the next round.

And though a draw in their final group game against bottom-placed China PR would ensure Gennadiy Lisenchuk’s team's progress, the coach has no intention of relinquishing top spot without a fight. "We’ll be going all out to keep hold of first place. It’s going to come down to goal difference so we’ll be looking to score as many goals as possible against China. That’s our aim going into the game in Rio. We want to win Group C," Lisenchuk told FIFA.com.

So far so good
Lisenchuk has every reason to be satisfied with his team’s performances to date. His charges have, after all, scored 13 times in their three games (averaging 4.3 goals a game) making them the fifth highest scorers at the elite tournament here in Brazil.

This positive balance is due in no small part to the contribution of 26-year-old Time Lviv striker Sergiy Cheporniuk - the squad’s leading marksman with three strikes to his name. "We’re very pleased with the way things have gone so far in the tournament, especially with the fact that we are top of the table," Lisenchuk told FIFA.com.

Lisenchuk believes that thorough pre-tournament preparation is one of the reasons behind his team's early success at Brazil 2008. "We worked very hard on improving areas such as attacking, defending and marking," said the Ukraine coach. " We studied our opponents and detected their strengths and weaknesses, which has proved very useful when we played them out here. Basically, the impressive results are all down to the hard work we put in."

Against China PR the aim is clear: win, and by as many goals as possible to avoid the Albiceleste pipping them to first place on goal difference. Argentina, though, will have their work cut out against a Guatemala team still in with a chance of making the second round.

Final four the target
"Our main goal at the moment is reaching the next round. If we get that far, then we’ll be looking to finish amongst the top four sides in the tournament. We always just take it one game at a time," said Lisenchuk.

Should Ukraine end up topping Group C, they would almost certainly be drawn with hosts Brazil in Group E of the second phase. It is a prospect that does not unduly worry Lisenchuk, though he freely admits the Seleção are the team to beat: "In my opinion, Brazil are the biggest favourites, followed by Spain, Italy, Russia, Argentina and ourselves."

Whoever their opponents might be, the dapper Ukraine coach will be hoping his charges continue the tournament as they have started - in emphatic fashion.



Tense climax in Groups A and B

Monday 6 October 2008

The final matchday in Groups A and B will settle the race for places in the next round. Russia and Japan, who have played in Brasilia up to now, go head-to-head in Rio de Janeiro. Although not facing each other directly, Portugal and Paraguay are contesting second spot in Group B, where Italy have yet to guarantee their place in the next round. Brazil and Cuba are the other nations in action on day 9 at the FIFA Futsal World Cup.

The big game
Italy - Paraguay, Wednesday 8 October, 12.30 pm, Rio de Janeiro
The best attack in Group B takes on the best defence. Paraguay and group leaders Italy meet on Wednesday in a clash destined to decide both nations’ immediate fate at the tournament. The South Americans must win to preserve their chances of a place in the next round, whereas 2004 FIFA Futsal World Cup runners-up Italy, on maximum points from three matches so far, require only a draw to win the section.

The other games
Portugal, who switch from Rio to the Nilson Nelson Sports Hall in Brasilia, are effectively embroiled in a battle with Paraguay for second spot in Group B. Coach Orlando Duarte’s men face Thailand, somewhat surprisingly thrashed 8-0 by Paraguay last time out. Victory would seal Portugal’s spot in the second round, as the South Europeans won their direct duel with the Albirroja 3-2.

Over in Group A, Russia and Japan meet in Rio de Janeiro with a place in the last eight on offer to the winners. The teams will not lack confidence going into the do-or-die fixture as both won their last matches.

Tournament hosts Brazil play in Brasilia for the last time, before the confirmed Group A winners travel to Rio for the second stage of the event. Coach Paulo de Oliveira will instruct his men to put on a decent show for the fans in Brasilia when they round off their group programme against Cuba.

The player
Ricardinho (Portugal)
The Portuguese number two is sure to be one of the men to watch when Portugal take on Thailand. The wide player boasts sublime technical skills, combined with a poacher’s nose for goal. However, he is nothing if not a team player with the knack of delivering killer passes to better-positioned team-mates.

The stat
0 - Paraguay have never defeated Italy at a FIFA Futsal World Cup, and have never reached the second stage when grouped with the Azzurri.

What they said
"The importance of the Russia match is clear to us all. We totally respect our opponents, but I’m sure we can count on the support of the Brazilian fans, and I think we’ll see a great match," Sergio Sapo, Japan coach

All the fixtures
Brasilia
Brazil - Cuba (10.30 am)
Portugal - Thailand (12.30 pm)

Rio de Janeiro
Russia - Japan (10.30 am)
Italy - Paraguay (12.30 pm)





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