Courtesy: FIFA.com


Plata, Mexico’s man for all terrains

Thursday 1 November 2012

Versatility is a much valued trait in modern football, with players increasingly expected to be able to excel in multiple positions. When it comes to adaptability, however, there are few who can match Mexico’s Morgan Plata.

In 2007, Plata was part of the Mexico side that pulled off a major surprise by reaching the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup final. El Tri were ultimately denied glory after losing to hosts Brazil, but the diminutive forward still managed to take home the adidas Silver Shoe and Bronze Ball awards as the second highest scorer and third-best player of the tournament.

Now, five years on, Plata is hoping to make another strong impression for Mexico – this time for the country’s national futsal team, who are poised to compete in a FIFA Futsal World Cup for the very first time at Thailand 2012.

“It all began when Ramon Raya, who also coaches the national beach soccer team, told me he was going to try me out in the team for the qualifying tournament,” he told FIFA.com. “It seemed very strange to me at first, as I had never played futsal before. But I adapted quickly, we managed to qualify and now here we are, ready for the great challenge ahead of us.”

Plata is, in fact, one of seven players in Mexico’s Thailand 2012 squad with experience of playing in a FIFA Beach Soccer World Club. However, he is the only one to have also played professional 11-a-side football. “That was in 2008 and 2009, when I was with Dorados de Sinaloa,” the 30-year-old explained. “After that experience I decided to go back to the sand, but there’s no way I could have imagined that I would go on to experience a third form of the game.”

For Plata, the main difference between futsal and beach soccer is the speed of play. “Futsal is faster and more dynamic,” said the forward, who found the net three times in the Thailand 2012 qualifying tournament in Guatemala. “Here [in futsal] you receive the ball and pass it; you have it for even less time than you do in beach soccer. And as a striker you have to convert your chances, which is something that doesn’t change. In the end it’s all just football, right?”

From speaking with Plata, it is clear that he has been bitten by the futsal bug. “I did not realise the scale of the game or the World Cup itself, and I’m anxious for it to start,” he said. “It’s true that I’ll be up against players with many more years of experience in the game than me, but I don’t feel inferior. I now have a double challenge: to compete with them and to win.”

Plata is keen to continue playing on both sand and parquet, but for now his sole focus is on Thailand 2012. “We’re in a difficult group: Argentina and Italy are both forces to be reckoned with, and what we’ve seen of Australia suggests that they’re also going to be tough opponents. But we know most of the teams well and have experience of World Cups, and that could work in our favour.”

“We’ve prepared thoroughly and we’re going to fight hard. Our dream is to reach the final, but our goal is to perform well,” he added, concluding the interview on a note of realistic optimism.




Courtesy: FIFA.com


Serial continental champions collide

Thursday 1 November 2012

Record European champions Spain get their first taste of the action on the second day of the FIFA Futsal World Cup Thailand 2012. The Iberians face a tough opening encounter against ten-time AFC Championship winners Iran in Group B, while the meeting of tournament newcomers Panama and Morocco promises to be an equally fascinating spectacle.

In Group D, South American champions Argentina go up against debutants Mexico, while Italy, who finished third at Brazil 2008, play Australia.

Match of the day
Spain - Iran, Bangkok, Indoor Stadium Huamark, 2 November 2012, 21:00 (local time)
A veritable futsal classic will be on offer when six-time European champions Spain lock horns with Asian heavyweights Iran. Given the countries' relatively balanced record from their four previous meetings at FIFA Futsal World Cups, it is sure to be another hard-fought battle.

In 1992 they played each other twice, with Iran winning the second-round fixture before Spain exacted revenge in the match for third place. Eight years later, La Roja once again came out on top, but in Brazil 2008 the sides drew. The fifth contest between the two historically strong futsal nations is not to be missed.

Other highlights
Argentina arrived in Thailand riding a wave of euphoria following their triumph at the South American qualifying tournament. La Albiceleste are looking to start their campaign with a win for the seventh successive time. They will do battle with a Mexico side participating at a FIFA Futsal World Cup for the first time. Nevertheless, the North Americans are not be underestimated, as seven of Mexico’s squad have plenty of top-level experience, having participated at one or more FIFA Beach Soccer World Cups.

Elsewhere in the group, Italy meet Australia. The Squadra Azzurra finished third at Brazil 2008 and are likely to have loftier ambitions than the Futsalroos, who are back among the world’s elite after failing to reach the showpiece four years ago.

The second matchday in Bangkok is rounded off by Panama and Morocco. Both nations will be hoping for a positive start to their futsal adventure, in order to carry the momentum of reaching Thailand 2012 into their subsequent matches.

Player to watch
Saad Assis is one of only two players in the Italy squad to have featured at Brazil 2008. Given the lasting impression he made there, it is little wonder he is still around. In the match for third place against Russia, Assis scored the decisive goal to put his country 2-1 up with just 13 seconds left. He will be using all his experience to ensure Italy are once again involved at the business end of proceedings this time around.

The stat
0 - Argentina and Mexico have never met on a futsal court before, making Friday evening's game in the Nimibutr Stadium in the Thai capital Bangkok a world first.

The words
“I’m not sure they can win the title, but Iran are the kind of team who can knock out one of the big favourites,” Kike, a veteran of three FIFA Futsal World Cups with Spain.

The schedule
Italy-Australia (Bangkok, Nimibutr Stadium, 17:00)
Argentina-Mexico (Bangkok, Nimibutr Stadium, 19:00)
Panama-Morocco (Bangkok, Indoor Stadium Huamark, 19:00)
Spain-Iran (Bangkok, Indoor Stadium Huamark, 21:00)
(All kick-off times are local)



Courtesy: FIFA.com


Giovenali: Friendships will be forgotten

Thursday 1 November 2012

There will not be a prouder Aussie tomorrow than Greg Giovenali. This, after all, is a man who will be representing his country at a FIFA Futsal World Cup for the first time, and will be doing so wearing the captain’s armband.

It wasn’t so long ago, however, that Giovenali was lining up not in the green and gold of the Futsalroos, but in the distinctive Azzurri of their opponents. Indeed, some of the players he will be doing battle with in Bangkok were once team-mates in Italy’s U-21 side, and remain good friends. There are others, too, that the 25-year-old played alongside during a six-year spell with the futsal division of Serie A giants Lazio.

Yet despite the alliances involved, and his strong ties to Italy, Giovenali has warned his old colleagues not to expect any favours. As he told FIFA.com: “It’s going to be a special game for me because I played with quite a few of the Italian boys and am still friendly with the likes of Sergio Romano and Gabriel Lima.

"We’re actually staying in the same hotel as Italy here in Thailand, so I met some of the guys in the corridor the other day and we were talking and laughing, remembering some old stories. But those friendships will go out of the window when we play each other, and I told them that too. There will be no avoiding contact and taking it easy when we’re out there on the court.”

Though born and raised in Australia, the country to which his grandparents emigrated, Giovenali admits that – as a futsal player – he should be stamped with ‘Made in Italy’. It was in Rome, after all, that he learned his trade in the competitive environment of the Italian top flight, and enjoyed his first taste of international action. Not that there was any question of him turning down Australia when the Futsalroos came calling.

“It wasn’t ever a dilemma, choosing which national team to play for” he said. “Australia were the first to get in contact about me playing for the senior team and, having been born and brought up in Australia, that was where my strongest loyalties lay anyway.

“But I loved my time in Italy, was made to feel very welcome in the U-21s, and I’ve no doubts at all that my experiences there improved me massively. Playing for a famous club like Lazio in a professional league was totally different to what I’d been used to in terms of the standard of play and the level of competitiveness. It’s only since I’ve come back to Australia that I’ve realised some of the things I was taking for granted.

“I had a feeling we might get Italy in the draw and was happy that we did, although we know we’re not at the same level as them. We’re all amateur players, whereas their team is full of professionals. But we’re not here just to make up the numbers. The tournament is being shown live on TV back home and it’s very rare for futsal to be given that kind of profile. We want to give everyone watching the best possible impression.”






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