Courtesy: FIFA.com


An expert view on the state of futsal

Sunday 18 November 2012

The Argentinian Vicente de Luise certainly has an impressive CV, with having coached his homeland at the first two FIFA Futsal World Cups arguably taking pride of place among his many achievements.

What's more, De Luise is currently coach of the Chilean national futsal team and a member of the prestigious FIFA Technical Study Group – thus making him an ideal authority on Thailand 2012 and the sport he loves. Just hours before the tournament’s eagerly awaited final between Spain and Brazil, he sat down with FIFA.com.

FIFA.com: Sr. De Luise, what’s your overall impression of the tournament so far?
Vicente de Luise: On the whole very positive, as it’s been a very engrossing competition. Using a format in which you go directly from the first phase to the Round of 16 without the need for a second group phase has given us a lot of exciting games. We're seeing a great World Cup.

Compared to Brazil 2008, what are the biggest differences you’ve noticed in terms of playing styles and tactics?
I’ve noticed that most of the sides are playing a more attacking style. Since the ball can't keep going back to the goalkeeper, teams have had to put more work into their transitional play. The use of keepers playing outfield is also no longer an option just used in the dying minutes, and in terms of attacking systems, we are seeing the use of different systems within the same game. That’s why we’re seeing more vibrant matches.

And in defensive terms?
There has also been tangible progress in that area, resulting in fewer one-sided scorelines than in previous editions. What’s interesting in that you can see more and more teams alternating between man-to-man and zonal marking systems. As they’re able to do this during the course of a single game, that speaks volumes both for the flexibility of this sport and the standard of play that’s been reached. This makes matches more unpredictable and interesting for spectators.

The average number of goals scored is higher than Chinese Taipei 2004 and nearly as high as Brazil 2008. How positive is that for futsal and why?
A good goal average, when it’s accompanied by tactical developments, means that the quality of play has improved too. What I mean to say is: more goals are scored due to the work put in to force mistakes, rather than through unforced errors. And this, of course, makes the game better to watch.

Do you think that the gap between the established forces and emerging nations has narrowed?
Without a doubt! In addition to the support that FIFA provides via its training courses, it’s clear that football associations have decided to work professionally not just with their fledgling league competitions, but also with their national sides. There are countries that have long-term projects in place and the results are there for all to see.

On that note, were you surprised that three of the six sides making their tournament debuts reached the knockout stages, with one going as far as the semi-finals?
Not really. This tournament format, which allows four of the best third-placed teams to reach the Round of 16, is an incentive for those nations who, despite having pedigree in this sport, have not been involved in FIFA futsal for long. Serbia and Colombia are just two examples of that. What’s interesting is that they’ve been able to take advantage of the opportunity, in the process providing the best incentive that other up-and-coming nations, further back along the development trail, could have.



Courtesy: FIFA.com


Blatter: We'll continue with 24-team format

Sunday 18 November 2012

On the morning of the FIFA Futsal World Cup Thailand 2012 final, FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter held a press conference at FIFA’s tournament headquarters in Bangkok. FIFA.com was on hand to hear what was said, and can bring you a summary of the participants’ quotes.

Joseph S. Blatter, FIFA President
I would like to say a big thanks to Thailand. It is known as the land of smiles, and its hospitality is exceptional. The international FIFA family has been happy to be here for the last three weeks. As for the tournament itself, it’s the first time that we have played with 24 teams. That format is the right format, and we will continue with 24 teams in the future. I would also pass on my thanks to Suwat Liptapanlop and his local organising team; they had a big challenge and managed it well. Futsal is played everywhere in the world. Because there isn’t much space available in some countries to play outdoor football, there is a need to play indoors. I even remember in my childhood days that we would play futsal during the winter in Switzerland. It’s important that, in FIFA’s various member associations, futsal leagues and tournaments are organised to develop futsal further. We should start developing futsal at national and confederation level. This would be a first step in the development of futsal.

On the possible inclusion of futsal at the Olympics
We already tried to bring in beach soccer to the Olympics, as we could use the same stadia they are using for beach volleyball. In football, we already have a privileged position, with 28 teams – 12 women’s and 16 men’s – participating in two tournaments at the Olympics. The demand is increasing, and futsal is one of the disciplines we are trying to get in. But for the time being, we are on the waiting list.

Manilal Fernando, Chairman of the Futsal Committee

On women’s and youth futsal competitions:
A proposal has been made to the Futsal Committee to try and include women’s futsal competitions, and we will study this proposal thoroughly. So far, we have not yet looked at the youth structure; we will need a bit of time for this.

Suwat Liptapanlop, Chairman of the Local Organising Committee
It was a real high honour for us to host this FIFA Futsal World Cup. It has encouraged the development in Thailand, created a positive image of the country and brought happiness to the Thai people. We have learned our lessons from this competition and want to organise bigger events in the future.

Worawo Makudi, President of the Football Association of Thailand (FAT)
On behalf of FAT, I would like to thank the FIFA president for bringing a Football for Hope initiative to a politically disturbed area in southern Thailand (Pattani, Yala, Narathivas, Sonkhla), so that football can help to overcome the problems in this region and connect from the youth to the senior levels. It’s a very good sign for Thailand.






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