All reports below are courtesy: FIFA.com


Schumacher sneaks Brazil win

Brazil got their Group E campaign off with victory, but they were given their toughest test to date by a resolute Iran side. Schmacher's early goal proved the difference between the two sides.

A Seleção immediately took control and on two minutes, Schumacher arrowed a firm drive into the back of the net to give them the lead.

However, if the home fans in Rio de Janeiro expected the floodgates to open, Mostafa Nazari had other ideas. The Iran goalkeeper made a series of impressive saves to prevent Brazil extending their advantage before the interval.

Paulo Cesar de Oliveira's side were relentless in their assault after the break. However, the Iranian players got behind the ball in numbers, and when Brazil did find space to shoot, Nazari was equal to their efforts.

Schumacher had the last big chance to double the Brazilians' lead, but he was unable to make proper contact and the game finished 1-0.



Alcaraz equaliser denies Argentina

Fabio Alcaraz scored his second goal of the match in the 39th minute to salvage Paraguay a 3-3 draw with Argentina in their opening second-round game.

The Paraguayans enjoyed a 2-0 lead in the first half, before their opponents stormed back and went in front when Matias Lucuix scored in the 36th minute. Alcaraz managed to place his equaliser past Javier Guisande because the goalkeeper was screened by a player standing in front of him.

Paraguay, who relied on counter attacks while concentrating on defence, grabbed a 2-0 advantage by the 14th minute in a hard-fought opening half. Alcaraz struck for the Paraguayans with the game two minutes old, putting away his first goal from the middle of the box following a nice pass from Robson Fernandez. Rene Villalba took advantage of his speed in the 14th minute, beating Hernan Garcias and then Guisande.

Only three minutes later, the Argentinians sliced the lead in half. Esteban Gonzalez's shot hit the goal post, and Sebastian Corazza slotted home the rebound. After both keepers made a pair of vital saves, Argentina levelled the scores in the 35th minute. Esteban Gonzalez won possession, took on two opponents and fired home.

Only a minute later, Lucuix struck with a hard shot, before Alcaraz pulled off his 11th-hour heroics.



Spain ride second-half surge

Defending champions Spain struck for four unanswered goals during an eight-minute span in the second half to turn a one-goal deficit into a 5-2 Group F second round victory over Russia at the FIFA Futsal World Cup Brazil 2008 on Saturday.

Goalkeeper Sergey Zuev kept the Russians in the match with two key saves in the first half, but he proved mortal over the final 20 minutes. Zuev denied Javi Rodriguez and Borja in the second and 13th minutes respectively. Spain, however, beat him in the 13th minute as Marcelo set up Alvaro on a nice pass. The Russians equalised five minute later as Dmitry Prudnikov faked his way past a Spain defender and beat goalkeeper Luis Amado.

Amado gifted Russia a 2-1 lead in the 27th minute when he lost the ball in the corner to Cirilo. He passed the ball to skipper Konstantin Maeskiy, who had little problems shooting into an empty net. But Spain did not put their heads down. Instead, they pushed up. Zuev was up to his old tricks again in the 31st minute, saving a shot by Fernando. But seconds later he could not stop a Torras blast which levelled the scores at 2-2.

Only two minutes later Spain took the lead following a Daniel penalty kick. Trying for the equaliser, Russia replaced Zuev for an extra attacker. However, it was the world champions who took advantage of the move. After the Russians lost the ball, Rodriguez scored into an empty goal in the 39th minute. Seconds later, Amado, the goalkeeper, managed to get possession of the ball and sent a shot from his goal into the Russian net.




Four-star Italy cruise

Italy put four past Ukraine in a one-sided encounter at the Maracanazinho on Saturday at the FIFA Futsal World Cup Brazil 2008.

This meeting between two European sides saw a clash of similar styles. Both opted for man-to-man marking in the area, both displayed caution when handling the ball, but it was in attack when the differences game, with the Italians using more long-ball tactics.

Both goalkeepers were tested, but there were no real clear-cut chances created in a first-half that ended goalless. However, the second half was much improved and Patrick Nora put Italy ahead from a free kick within seven minutes of the restart.

Marcio Forte doubled the Italian's advantage in the 32nd minute and soon after Ukraine's Roman Vakhula lost his head, was awarded a red card and the following play, Nora scored the third. Forte, from midfield, sealed the 4-0 result in the closing seconds.




Italy cruise as Paraguay impress

Saturday 11 October 2008

There were no surprises in the opening round of games in phase two of the FIFA Futsal World Cup Brazil 2008. The tournament hosts saw off Iran 1-0, while Italy strolled to a 4-0 defeat of Ukraine. Spain made a strong start to their Group F challenge by downing Russia 5-2 and Paraguay confirmed their status as live contenders by holding Argentina to a 3-3 draw.

The big game
Paraguay 3-3 Argentina

This South American duel more than lived up to its pre-match billing, with Paraguay, the revelations of the first phase, thwarting an Albiceleste side that struggled to hit form until the second half. Ruben Subeldia's men controlled proceedings in the first period, Fabio Alcaraz and Rene Villalba sending them into a 2-0 lead after only 14 minutes. Caught cold, the Argentinians managed to pull a goal back quickly through Sebastian Corazza.

Still trailing at the break, Sergio Lopez's charges made a strong start to the second half, drawing level thanks to Esteban Gonzalez and taking the lead for the first time just 53 seconds later when Matias Lucuix fired home. Argentinian joy was short-lived, however, Alcaraz striking a second time just before the final whistle to secure a point for the Paraguayans.

The other games
Holders Spain have improved with each game in Brazil but found Russia a tough proposition on Saturday. Trailing 2-1 with ten minutes remaining, the Iberians managed to click up a gear, however, with Torras, Daniel, Javi Rodriguez and Luis Amada rattling in four late goals to kill off the Russians.

Brazil got off to a winning start in Group E as they edged out Asian champions Iran 1-0. Despite the narrow scoreline, it was one-way traffic throughout, as the statistics reveal. Enjoying 65 per cent of possession, the Auriverde rained in 49 shots to Iran's 13 but all they had to show for their domination was Schumacher's solitary goal just two minutes into the contest.

Italy took time get going against Ukraine, controlling the first half without ever putting their opponents under sustained pressure. Italian superiority soon showed after the restart, though, with Patrick Nora putting them ahead and Marcio Forte adding another five minutes later. The men in blue continued to surge forward in search of more goals, which duly came when Nora and Forte doubled their tallies for the day, leaving the eastern Europeans in desperate need of a win when they take on Iran on Sunday.

The player
Patrick Nora (ITA)
A scorer in his side's opening match against USA, the Italian was back on target against Ukraine today, slotting past goalkeeper Vladyslav Lysenko twice to set the Azzurri on the way to victory.

The stat
27 - The number of shots Brazil had on goal in their match against Iran. The Seleçao have had more strikes on target than any other team in the competition and have now taken their tournament total to 154, an average of 30.8 per game.

What they said
"Brazil are the best team in the world. It is a great honour to be playing here in Rio, and it's a privilege to have only conceded one goal against Brazil. Iran played an excellent match and we even received praise from Falcao, the best player in the world," Iran coach, Hossein Shams.

All the results
Brasilia
Paraguay 3-3 Argentina
Spain 5-2 Russia

Rio de Janeiro
Brazil 1-0 Iran
Ukraine 0-4 Italy




Italian job for on-fire hosts

Saturday 11 October 2008

Matchday 2 in the second round of the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2008 includes the titanic clash between 2004 runners-up Italy and tournament hosts Brazil, while the biggest game in Group F pairs Spain with Argentina. Russia meet Paraguay in the day’s second match in Brasilia, with Asian champions Iran taking on Ukraine in Rio to round off Sunday’s programme.

The big game
Italy-Brazil, Sunday 12 October, 10.30 local time, Rio de Janeiro
It is the clash between the 2004 runners-up and the on-fire FIFA Futsal World Cup hosts: Italy and Brazil go head-to-head in Rio de Janeiro on Matchday 2 in the second round of this year’s global showdown. Both teams started the second group stage with a win, and victory for either on Sunday would put the victors in a commanding position in the hunt for a semi-final berth.

The other games
On paper at least, the second game in Group E is a meeting between the section’s underdogs. Ukraine and Asian champions Iran have yet to put points on the board, but neither team has given up hope of making the last four. However, victory has now become essential for both in the match which kicks off at 12.30pm in Rio.

Over in Group F, the focus is on world champions Spain and their clash with Argentina. The Albiceleste were held to a 3-3 draw by Paraguay on Matchday 1, whereas Spain downed Russia to chalk up all three points. Sunday’s match promises to be an intriguing comparison between European discipline and South American flair.

Russia and Paraguay contest the day’s other game in the group. Paraguay’s draw with Argentina, who finished fourth at Chinese Taipei 2004, saw them off the mark in the standings, and they will be hoping for another successful outing against the eastern Europeans. For their part, the Russians have their backs to the wall and must win to retain a realistic shout of making the last four.

The player
Mostafa Nazari, Iran
The Iran keeper turned in a scintillating display against Brazil, restricting the highest-scoring team at this FIFA Futsal World Cup to just a single goal. The Iranians will again turn to their 1.78m (5 ft 10 in) shot-stopper to provide a rock-solid platform against Ukraine.

The stat
8 – The eight fairest teams at the event make up the field for the second round. World champions Spain currently top the Fair Play rankings in Brazil.

What they said
"Every game at a World Cup is important, but there’s none more important to us than the one against Iran. We mustn’t blow it," Fedir Pylypiv, Ukraine player

All the fixtures
Brasilia
Spain-Argentina (10.30)
Russia-Paraguay (12.30)

Rio de Janeiro
Italy-Brazil (10.30)
Ukraine-Iran (12.30)






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