All reports below are courtesy: FIFA.com


Falcao treble downs Ukraine

Brazil marched into the semi-finals having won all of their six games today, but their Ukrainian opponents bowed out with their heads held high following a 5-3 defeat by the formidable hosts.

Gennadiy Lisenchuk's side even silenced the Maracanazinho crowd with an early opener, Valeriy Zamyatin pouncing on a defensive error with just 64 seconds on the clock.

However, they found Falcao in irrepressible mood. By the interval, the No12 had scored three goals and created another for Lenisio to send Brazil in at a 4-1 lead.

Mykhaylo Romanov scored Ukraine's second goal of the first half and, after Marquinho had improved A Seleção's advantage to three goals, his second of the game made the final score 5-3. Brazil may have won, but Ukraine can certainly be proud of their final performance of this year's competition.




Italy seal semi spot

Edgar Bertoni struck a last-gasp equaliser to secure a place in the last four for Italy as the Azzurri came from behind to clinch a thrilling 5-5 draw with Iran.

The stakes could hardly have been higher at the Gimnasia Nilson Nelson in Brasilia, with both sides knowing that a semi-final place rested within their grasp. Italy struck first, captain Grana sending a stunning shot into the top corner after just two minutes play to leave Mostafa Nazari without an earthly.

Within seven minutes, it looked as if Italy were all but assured of their spot in the last four when Grana doubled his and his side's tally, converting an exquisite pass from Adriana Foglia. The two-goal lead was no more than Italy deserved at this stage, and it was against the run of play that Iran pulled themselves back into contention two minutes later, Ali Hassanzadeh Masoud Daneshvar diving in to head home.

Within another two minutes, however, Iran were level, as a static Italian defence watched Ebrahim Masoudi waltz through their ranks to equalise. Patrick Nora did restore the Europeans' advantage from a 14th-minute Grana corner but, once again, the Asian champions came roaring back, with Mohammad Hashemzadeh slotting home after great set-up play by Taheri.

That was how it stayed until, with 11 minutes remaining and for the first time in the match, Iran pulled in front, Ali Hassanzadeh directing a shot past Alexandre Feller from 12 metres. Even when Italy equalised a couple of minutes later through Fabiano, Iran seemed to sense that history was in the making and, with just four minutes remaining, Masoud Daneshvar struck what looked at the time to be a decisive blow.

That, however, was until Bertoni popped up with all of 50 seconds left on the clock to seal a remarkable victory that sends Italy on to the semi-finals and Iran on the next plane home.




Fernandao fires Spain to win

Spain made sure of top spot in Group F with a comfortable 4-1 victory in the Gimnasio Nilson Nelsen in Brasilia on Tuesday afternoon.

The current world champions were on form from the off and took the lead in the fourth minute when Alvaro capitalised on a defensive error. From then on Spain appeared to be determined to play keep-ball, limiting Paraguay to a handful of opportunities, but also creating few of their own.

Two minutes after the restart it was effectively game over when Fernando scored. Fabio Alcaraz's 34th minute penalty offered Paraguay some brief hope, but this was soon extinguished when Fernandao completed a second half hat-trick with goals in the 37th and 38th minutes respectively.

Spain now meet Italy in the semi-finals, just as they did in continental competition last year and at the FIFA Futsal World Cup in 2004.




Russia hold nerve to advance

A 2-2 draw with Argentina was enough to see Russia through to the semi-finals and set-up a rematch with hosts Brazil in the process.

Although the Russians dominated possession in the early stages, it was Argentina who opened the scoring in the fifth minute when Martin Amas turned the ball in from Leandro Planas' right-wing cross.

However, a poor clearance from the Albiceleste's defence allowed Konstantin Dushkevich to equalize with three minutes of the first-half remaining. Amas and Matias Lucuix both had chances to score in the final seconds of the half, but both sides went in level at the break.

Despite it being a must-win game for Argentina, they played patient football at the beginning of the second half. That changed when Dmitry Prudnikov put Russia 2-1 ahead with eight minutes to go. Argentina poured people upfront and got their reward when Esteban Gonzalez netted with four minutes to go.

But try as the South Americans did, Russia hung on for the point which sees them reach the final four for the first time since Guatemala 2000.




Italy and Russia sneak through

Tuesday 14 October 2008

As expected, the tussles for second place in Groups E and F went right down to the wire. Iran and Italy played out a thrilling 5-5 stalemate in the former section while Argentina and Russia drew 2-2 in the latter, but those results ultimately meant joy for the European teams. FIFA.com looks back at all four games from the FIFA Futsal World Cup Brazil 2008 on Tuesday.

The big game
Iran 5-5 Italy
Goals: Masoud Daneshvar 11, 36 Ebrahim Masoudi 13, Mohammad Hashemzadeh 27, Ali Hassanzadeh 29 (Iran) ; Grana 2, 9, Patrick Nora 14, Fabiano 31, Edgar Bertoni 40 (Italy)
The spectators in Brasilia knew they were in for a quarter-final in all but name and they did not go home disappointed. Despite building an early two-goal advantage thanks to Grana's double, the Azzurri eventually found themselves battling to stay in the competition. Team Melli took time to settle but were soon competing with impressive determination, twice bringing themselves level before taking a 4-3 lead. They also led 5-4 moments before the end, but with just 50 seconds on the clock Edgar Bertoni struck the decisive blow, knocking the Iranians out in the cruellest of twists.

The other games
Already qualified, Brazil opted to round off Group E duties in style, putting together their seventh consecutive win. With Falcao scoring a hat trick, the Auriverde shook off their early-match rust to sweep Uruguay aside 5-3.

Spain had life even easier, meanwhile, seeing off Paraguay 4-1 to guarantee themselves top spot in Group F. Alvaro's first-half effort and a hat-trick from Fernandao after the break put the match beyond the South Americans. Venancio Lopez's men can now look forward to facing Italy in Thursday's semi-final, effectively a rematch of the 2004 showpiece game.

Russia must have hoped for an equally comfortable result but they were made to suffer right up until the final moments of their encounter with Argentina. A goal behind almost immediately, they battled back to give themselves a 2-1 advantage heading into the last ten minutes, only for Argentina to draw level with the scoreboard reading 35'46''. The Russians just about held on, however, earning themselves a precious berth in the last four.

The player
Grana (Italy)
Italy's captain has lived up to his billing ever since the tournament began and weighed in with another two goals against Iran. The No2 can pride himself on being the major reason his team are through to the semi-finals.

The stat
3 - The number of semi-finalists who reached the same stage four years ago. Russia are the only newcomers, having supplanted Argentina to take their place in the last four for the second time in their history after Guatemala 2000.

What they said
"It's just marvellous to score two goals against Brazil! I can't describe what I'm feeling. I dedicate these goals to my wife, Cristina, and Ksenia, my daughter. I miss my family," Mykhaylo Romanov, Ukraine defender

The results
Brazil 5-3 Ukraine
Iran 5-5 Italy
Argentina 2-2 Russia
Paraguay 1-4 Spain





Euro big guns head-to-head

Wednesday 15 October 2008

Thursday’s second semi-final at the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2008 pairs world champions Spain with Italy, the side the Iberians beat to claim the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2004 and the European Futsal championship in 2007. The long-running and deep rivalry between the sides came to a climax in the two major finals, with the Spanish holding the upper hand on both occasions, 2-1 in Chinese Taipei four years ago, and 3-1 in the continental showdown last November. Ahead of the latest titanic all-European clash, FIFA.com spoke exclusively to the teams’ goalkeepers.

Learning from past mistakes
"It was incredibly hard work. We were outstanding in the first half against Iran, but we started making mistakes and conceded goals from set plays, which isn’t normal for us. We’re learning with every match, and we won’t be making the same mistakes again in the semi against Spain," Italy keeper Alexandre Feller predicted.

But the Spanish have also been analysing their past performances, and have concluded that the best is yet to come, if shot-stopper Luis Amado is to be believed. "The team’s taking a step forward with every game. We’re getting better all the time. I think the draw with Iran in our first match was a wake-up call. We’re still undefeated, and we’re ready for the semi-final," declared Amado, who was rested for the final group match against Paraguay.

Brazil on the horizon
The goalkeeping twosome say they cannot wait for the shuddering European showdown in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday. "It’ll be a tricky task. Spain are joint favourites with Brazil, and they’ve won the trophy twice before. It’s always hard against Spain, but we know we’re capable of matching them. We respect them," the 38-year-old Italian keeper confided to FIFA.com.

Luis Amado took a different view, rejecting the notion that he and his team-mates were odds-on to reach the Final: "There are no favourites at a World Cup. Italy, Russia, Brazil and Spain deserve to be in the last four. These are four strong teams, but unfortunately, only two can survive the semi-finals." However, that did not stop the 1.86m star thinking ahead to a date in the Final. "If we get past Italy, I’d rather play the Russians. Brazil have home advantage on their side, which would make it that much more difficult," the player reflected.

His Italy counterpart regards the FIFA Futsal World Cup hosts as clear favourites for the trophy: "If we’re talking about the title, Brazil are favourites, especially because they’re in front of their home crowd. But we’re concentrating on Spain. We’ll worry about Brazil once we’ve won our next match."

Mutual respect
Great mutual respect characterised the remarks made by both men, never more so than when talking about each other. "Feller is a superb goalkeeper, one of the best in the world. Even though he’s been around for ages, he’s at the peak of his game right now," the Spaniard said of the Italian.

Feller expressed similar praise for Amado’s ability, although he never took his eyes off the prize of a place in the Final. "We’ve stood opposite each other in some great matches, he on the one side, and me on the other. It’ll be difficult because he’s a great goalkeeper, the best in the world. But we’ll put our personal duel to one side, do our jobs, and I’m hoping for a happy end for us this time," Feller declared.

Following Thursday’s clash, one of the keepers will be resigned to the match for third place, while the other will be looking ahead to the FIFA Futsal World Cup final. Until then, Alexandre Feller and Luis Amado are focusing on the latest instalment in the greatest of all European rivalries, the Italians desperate to shake off their tag as perennial runners-up, the Spaniards seeking to retain the chance of a third successive world title.




Marquinho plays it cool

Wednesday 15 October 2008

Brazil's semi-final clash with Russia might be just around the corner, but judging by the relaxed mindset of Auriverde wideman Marquinho you would think it was just another game. Despite being the oldest member of the Brazil squad at 34, this is Marquinho's first appearance at the FIFA Futsal World Cup finals, which makes his phlegmatic approach to tomorrow's high-stakes clash all the more remarkable.

Gaining the confidence of coach Paulo Cesar de Oliveira has been no easy task for the man who plays his club futsal for Inter Movistar in Spain. But after establishing himself as a key component in the Brazil set-up, he has run out in six of the host nation's seven games at the tournament to date.

All of which makes the No11 well qualified to tell FIFA.com the secret behind Brazil's implacable march to the last four. "It's the defence," he reveals. "Brazilian players like to attack and score goals, but now they know how to mark opponents and play a tactical game. And that means we can strike the perfect balance."

The Brazilian rearguard had been pierced just once before their defeat of Ukraine in the final group game, with Valeriy Zamyatin's opening goal ending a record of 227 minutes without conceding. And although the Ukrainians went on to score twice more, Marquinho does not believe Brazil will be dropping their guard.

"We played a pretty relaxed game but that was only to be expected," he says. "We were surprised to go a goal down and we had to work a little harder than we thought we would. The good thing was it showed we can come from behind, which we haven't had to do at the tournament before yesterday."

Russia back for more
Despite Russia's 7-0 reverse to the Brazilians in the group phase, the veteran is not surprised to see them in the semis. "They're a tough side who've shown a lot of class at this World Cup and in the matches leading up to it. They did very well at the European Championships last year too."

And when asked if that win will serve as a benchmark for the Brazilians, Marquinho is adamant. "Of course it does. You're always learning. We need to go back over that game and see how they have improved since then. All the same, if we can produce the same kind of performance, we'll have a great chance of going through to the final."

Should the hosts go through, the winger is reluctant to say whom the hosts might meet there. "Spain and Italy know each other inside out and there won't be much between them. We need to analyse that game very closely but no matter which of them gets to the final they will have deserved it."

For the time being, though, Marquinho has Russia on his mind and is anxious to play down Brazil's status as favourites. "We are well aware of the pressure that's on us. We're at home, after all, and our fans are very demanding. But they know as well as we do that matches are won and lost on the pitch, not in the build-up, and that once the referee blows his whistle you have to run hard to win. We need to stay calm and play at our own pace, not the pace people want us to play at."




Four candidates, two places

Wednesday 15 October 2008

The Maracanazinho in Rio de Janeiro provides the setting for Thursday's semi-finals at the FIFA Futsal World Cup Brazil 2008. First up are the tournament hosts and Russia, with Spain and Italy following them onto the court. Setting the scene as usual is FIFA.com.

Brazil-Russia, 10.30 (local time)
The two sides met in the opening phase but with a place in Sunday's final up for grabs, the stakes are much higher this time around. Russian confidence was dented by the 7-0 hammering they received in that first meeting, although Oleg Ivanov's men quickly recovered their poise to advance to the business end of the tournament.

Once again the Auriverde are the clear favourites. While their opponents will be hoping that leads to complacency, the yellow and green machine has kept its focus in every outing to date. History is also on their side. As well as that 7-0 group win, they also beat the Russians 6-2 at Spain 1996 and again at Guatemala 2000.

The key
The Russian defence. Both teams have already demonstrated their potency in front of goal, but only Brazil have been able to combine flawless finishing with defensive solidity, shutting out the eastern Europeans when the two met in the first phase. If the Russians try to match the hosts blow for blow, they could well pay for it.

Players to watch
Schumacher and Cirilo are the go-to men in both sides, the gifted schemers their team-mates will look to during key phases. If fully fit, the Russian playmaker could play a decisive role. The duel between adidas Golden Ball candidates Pula and Falcao, with 15 and 11 goals to their name respectively, should also prove absorbing.

The stat
117 - The number of goals Russia and Brazil have scored between them, 59 and 58 respectively, almost 34 per cent of the 369 goals scored in the tournament so far.

What they said
"We played badly the first time we faced Brazil, but now we're going to show some real Russian spirit and give them a battle." Russia player Konstantin Dushkevich.

Italy-Spain, 12:30 (local time)
Spain seem to have the edge in terms of form and morale going into the game, having racked up six straight wins to qualify for the semis with a match in hand. The Italians have already tasted defeat twice and needed a last-minute goal against Iran to sneak into the last four. But just as in any derby, there are no favourites in this clash.

With both teams so well acquainted with each other, it will be no surprise to see another tight, combative duel on Thursday. La Furia Roja edged home 3-1 when they met in the UEFA Futsal Championship final last year, and the two duels between the European adversaries at Chinese Taipei 2004 ended with honours even, Italy winning 3-2 in the group phase and Spain gaining revenge with a 2-1 victory in the final.

The key
The details. Both sides are known for their tactical astuteness and the match could well hinge on the slightest loss of concentration or merest flash of brilliance. Keeping mistakes to a minimum and knowing when to gamble will be vital.

Players to watch
Javi Rodriguez and Sandro Zanetti have the necessary experience for the big occasion. While the Spanish linchpin has shown the better form so far, there is no question the Italian has what it takes to make the difference.

The stat
34 - The number of matches Spain have won in the history of the competition. The Spanish are second only to Brazil, who have 40 wins, while Italy stand third with 17.

What they said
"Spain will be tough rivals and they're the favourites too. But we know we can match them and that's just what we'll do." Italy goalkeeper Alexandre Feller.






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