All reports below are courtesy: FIFA.com


Stylish Spain top Group D

A 3-0 win over Uruguay ensured that Spain pipped Iran to top spot in Group D on goal difference and avoid Brazil in the second group phase.

Spain coach Venancio Lopez must have felt confident going into this match as he rested key men Luis Amado and Kike. His decision paid off as La Furia Roja were good value for their victory over a stubborn and hardworking Uruguayan outfit.

Two goals either side of half-time effectively sealed the outcome of this match. Javi Rodriguez turned the ball in from a corner in the 19th minute for his third goal of the tournament, while Fernando doubled Spain's advantage in the 21st minute, again from a corner kick.

Spain saw the opportunity to kill the game off with a knockout blow and that came just a minute later when Fernando's shot from close range flew past Diego.

Despite Uruguay pressing forward for a consolation, it was not to be and the South Americans head home with just one point to show for their efforts. Spain, on the other hand, who have not conceded a goal in over three and a half games now have their attentions on the next round.




Iran seal progression

Iran booked their place in the second round of the FIFA Futsal World Cup with a 3-2 victory over Czech Republic at the Gimnasio Nilson Nelsen.

The Czechs needed a victory to ensure their place in the last eight, but they faced an in-form Iran side who fully deserved their win. Prompted by the lively Vahid Shamsaee and Mostafa Tayyebi, the west Asians dominated play from the outset, forcing opposing goalkeeper Tomas Meller into some early action.

The deadlock was broken after 17 minutes when Ali Hassanzadeh turned the ball in from a corner kick. Czech Republic's best chance of the half came with seconds of the first half remaining when Robert Mares brought a stunning reflex save from Mostafa Nazari.

Somewhat against the run of play, the Europeans found themselves level in the 28th minute when Lukas Resetar supplied Jan Janovsky who made no mistake. They could have found themselves ahead a minute later, but Martin Dlouhy fluffed his chance with only Nazari to beat.

Arguably the man of the match, Shamsaee put Iran ahead with nine minutes to play, but parity was restored just seconds later when Dlouhy made amends for his earlier miss.

The Czechs needed a win to advance to the next stage and so substituted their goalkeeper to pile more pressure on the Iranians. However, the plan backfired when Hassanzadeh fired the ball into the empty net to sent his team through and his opponents out.




Argentines roll on

Argentina booked passage to the second round of the FIFA Futsal World Cup Brazil 2008 with a 2-1 win over Guatemala in their final Group C game in Brasilia on Thursday.

In a tense and exciting encounter the South Americans made their scoring chances count. Matias Luciux hit home in the second minute with an opportunistic strike, and the scoreline remained 1-0 for the Argentines through to the half.

Nine minutes into the second period, Fernando Wilhelm added a second as Argentina looked well on their way to a victory over the Central Americans, who were - in fairness - the better team in the second half. Although Manuel Aristondo pulled one back for the Guatemalans in the fading moments, the end result saw Argentina cruise through 2-1.

Argentina finish second in Group C and move on to the knockout rounds alongside Ukraine, who won the section with a victory over China PR. Guatemala, despite picking up four points from their games, head out of the competition.

Argentina will meet Paraguay in an all-South American second-round showdown on Saturday.




Ukraine reign in Group C

Ukraine qualified for the second round of the FIFA Futsal World Cup Brazil 2008 as group winners after a 4-1 defeat of China in Rio de Janeiro.

Although Ukraine dominated the match in the first half in terms of possession and chances, they had little to show for their efforts, having been frustrated time and time again by China's goalkeeper Zheng Tao who stopped everything aimed at his goal, including a superb save from Valeriy Legchanov's effort from the second penalty spot.

China, although outplayed, never gave up and had chances of their own which forced Yevgen Ivanyak into some fine saves. However, everyone in the Maracanazinho was still shocked in the 19th minute when after a quick break from Liu Xinyi, Hu Jie fired the Asians ahead.

The lead was shortlived when Ukraine equalised with just 13.6 seconds of the half remaining through Valeriy Zamyatin. Zamyatin was also on hand to score Ukraine's second in the 33rd minute.

After taking the lead, Ukraine produced their best football of the end and sealed the final result with goals from Ildar Makayev and Dmytro Silchenko. They now enter a group which contains Brazil, Iran and Italy in the next group phase.




Iran join the big boys

Thursday 9 October 2008

The first phase of the FIFA Futsal World Cup Brazil 2008 came to a conclusion on Thursday with the final round of games in groups C and D. Reigning world champions Spain held their nerve to record a 3-0 defeat of Uruguay and confirm top spot in their section.

In the battle to see who would join them, Czech Republic fought till the very end against Iran but missed out on the win they needed to advance. The eager eastern Europeans came back twice, but the Asian champions stood firm to book their spot among the best eight teams in the world.

In Group C, meanwhile, Ukraine failed to impress against the already eliminated China PR but did just enough to claim a 4-2 victory and with it first place. Argentina qualified behind them after beating a gutsy Guatemala 2-1.

The big game
Czech Republic 2-3 Iran
Goals: Jan Janovsky 27, Martin Dlouhy 31 (Czech Republic); Ali Hassanzadeh 16, 39, Vahid Shamsaee 30 (Iran)
With both outfits nursing hopes of a place in the next round, the tension was palpable as the match kicked off. And although the Czechs needed the three points to go through, it was the Iranians who dominated proceedings, Tomas Neumann's men only reacting after they had fallen behind to Ali Hassanzadeh's first-half goal.

The pace quickened in the first five minutes of the second half, Jan Janovsky breathing new life into the Czech challenge with an equaliser before Iran skipper Vahid Shamsaee promptly restored his side's lead. Martin Dlouhy hit back a minute later to make it 2-2 and set up a thrilling finale. The men in red dispensed with their goalkeeper in a desperate bid to conjure up a winner, but saw their hopes extinguished when Hassanzadeh scored a second time to secure Iran's place in the next round for the first time since Hong Kong 1992.

The other games
Spain have improved as the tournament has gone on and maintained their upward curve with a well-earned win against an Uruguay side that refused to buckle at the back. The holders struggled to break down their opponents in the opening exchanges and it was not until half-time approached that they went ahead, Javi Rodriguez firing home after a well-worked set-piece. La Roja moved in for the kill after the break, with Fernando getting round the back of the Celeste defence to put the Spanish 2-0 up and then outfoxing his marker to add a third as the clock ran down.

Argentina and Guatemala played out an entertaining encounter in Brasilia, with the Albiceleste taking an early lead through young Matias Lucuix. The Central Americans kept pushing forward in search of the win that would take them into the next phase, but with the Argentinians controlling possession, their attacking play failed to pay dividends. It was no surprise when Fernando Wilhem sealed the game, although Manuel Aristondo managed to grab a consolation goal for the departing Guatemalans in the dying stages.

Ukraine confirmed their ticket to the last eight with a tougher-than-expected 4-2 win over China PR. Dominant throughout, the Europeans struggled to convert their superiority into goals, thanks in no small part to goalkeeper Zheng Tao. Hu Jie dented Ukrainian pride with the opening goal, and it was not until the final minutes of the game that Gennadiy Lisenchuk's men made sure of the result they needed to top the section.

The player
Vahid Shamsaee (IRN)
The Iranian captain led by example in his team's crucial win over Czech Republic. As well as scoring the goal that put Iran ahead 2-1, he posed a consistent threat up front, pushing himself to the limit to keep the Asian side's Brazil 2008 challenge alive.

The stat
5 - The number of times Argentina have reached the second group phase, missing out only at Spain 1996. The South Americans' best finish was fourth place at Chinese Taipei 2004.

What they said
"Scoring the goals doesn't really matter because that's something the whole team contributes to. World Cup matches aren't like league matches. It's not just about the three points - there are four years of work at stake here too." Fernandao, Spain player.

All the results
Argentina 2-1 Guatemala
Ukraine 4-2 China
Spain 3-0 Uruguay
Czech Republic 2-3 Iran





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