Courtesy: FIFA.com

Abril: Colombia need more cunning

13 Sep 2016

With just six seconds remaining, hosts Colombia were on the verge of clinching a vital win over Portugal in their opening match at their FIFA Futsal World Cup. Awarded a free-kick in their own half, all that was required was to run down the clock in order to unleash wild celebrations in the packed-out sports hall.

Yet the set piece did not go to plan, ending in a kick-in for the Portuguese and three seconds still on the clock, enough for the Lusitanians’ pivot Cardinal to receive the ball with his back to goal and fire home on the half-turn – clinching a final score of 1-1. A goal that left the fans thinking, ‘What just happened?’

“We were lacking a bit of what we call 'viveza indígena',” said Jorge Abril, one of the heroes of a valiant display by the hosts, in conversation with FIFA.com. The expression, loosely translated as ‘native smarts’, refers to the manner in which Colombians are said to have inherited their indigenous ancestors’ way of solving problems, generally through ingenuity and cunning.

That is a characteristic that, in Abril’s case, he further honed in informal futsal tournaments, dubbed ‘retochas’, played for cash prizes at neighbourhood level in his home city Bogota and around Colombia, and which help the now 29-year-old defender to “pocket a bit more cash to take home” when his club Real Bucaramanga do not have a game in Colombia’s Liga Argos futsal league.

Life choices
“Playing in the retochas is a normal part of our lives,” added Abril, married with one son, three, who his dad proudly says is – like him – the possessor of a fine right foot. “The local mayors’ offices put on tournaments and invite us to play. We’re a group of eight or ten friends and we’ve got a sponsor. Sometimes we play Wednesday through to Sunday, and the championship lasts around seven weeks. Of course people get stuck in, but there’s not normally nastiness,” added Los Cafeteros’ No8.

“I’d like to be a 100 per cent professional futsal player, but the league is only recently emerging and without offers from abroad, you have to find another way,” said the player, who has had brief spells away from Colombia, playing futsal in Kuwait and Venezuela.

Abril is aware, however, that a player's career can be short, and it is for that reason that he is studying to be a public-sector accountant. “I’m in my third year and I’ve two left. When I stop playing, I’ll have a profession to fall back on.”

Magical moments
Before all that, however, Abril is revelling in the opportunity to contest a Futsal World Cup on home territory, his second participation in the global finals after Thailand 2012. “It’s a dream come true playing in front of family and friends,” said Abril, who decided to prioritise futsal over the 11-a-side game at 16. “The atmosphere was incredible, and I think that we put on a good show for the fans.”

And that in spite of the blow to morale struck by Cardinal’s late goal. “We didn’t have enough composure or that cleverness you get with experience: we didn’t know how to handle that last passage of play. But it won’t happen again, we’ve learned the lesson.”

Nor should a draw against European heavyweights be seen as a bad result, Abril underlined, as our conversation drew to a close: “At a World Cup it’s important to get something [from your first game], and the point makes us better placed for our second game than if we’d lost.

"And we’re not going to underestimate Uzbekistan. On the court it’s always five versus five and the primary objective hasn’t altered: to get through the group phase”.



Courtesy: FIFA.com

Spain lead Latin charge

13 Sep 2016

THE DAY REPLAYED – There was a Hispanic flavour to day three of the FIFA Futsal World Cup Colombia 2016, as Spain, Argentina and Costa Rica all won their opening games of the competition.

In recording an emphatic defeat of the ever-awkward Iran in Group F, two-time world champions Spain issued a very clear message to their rivals. In the other game in the section, Azerbaijan recorded an equally convincing win over Morocco to get their campaign off to the best possible start.

The results were altogether tighter in Group E, where Argentina earned a potentially vital and hard-fought win over Kazakhstan, and Costa Rica picked up three points as expected against Solomon Islands.

Results

Group E
Solomon Islands 2-4 Costa Rica
Argentina 1-0 Kazakhstan

Group F
Morocco 0-5 Azerbaijan
Iran 1-5 Spain

Memorable moments

Brushed aside
Azerbaijan’s naturalised Brazilian Vassoura had a Futsal World Cup debut to remember, scoring three of his side’s five goals as they registered their first ever win in the competition. The 31-year old defender lived up to his name, which is the Portuguese for “broom”, sweeping past the Moroccan defence with ease.

A cunning plan
Solomon Islands coach Miltinho’s (Futsalplanet note: Miltinho is Azerbaijan coach, Kurukuru coach is Juliano Schmeling) tactic of switching keepers on the two occasions Costa Rica were awarded an unopposed ten-metre penalty worked to perfection, with Los Ticos failing to convert either of them. While Paul Huia was a spectator as Alejandro Paniagua’s shot flashed wide from the first of those dead-ball opportunities, he excelled himself on the second, sticking a right foot out to divert Edgar Cubillo’s effort.

Shotstoppers in the crowd
Spain’s meeting with Iran saw some impromptu goalkeeping in the stands, with first a Roja fan and then a policeman both expertly fielding wayward shots from the court and receiving a round of applause for their efforts. While the Spain supporter responded to the plaudits by dancing and waving his flag around, the officer of the law maintained his composure and kept a very straight face.

Third time lucky
Held to respective 2-2 and 3-3 draws by Iran in their opening matches at Brazil 2008 and Thailand 2012, Spain finally got the better of Team Melli in their Colombia 2016 debut. In doing so, they extended their unbeaten run against the Iranians, which stretches back to a 4-2 defeat at Hong Kong 1992.

The stat
100 per cent - in beating Kazakhstan, Argentina maintained their record of winning all of their opening matches at the Futsal World Cup, which now stretches to eight games in as many tournaments.

The words
“It goes without saying that there was a big difference between the teams. It’s always a challenge for a coach to find solutions when you miss so many chances. Despite the result, though, I’m not disappointed with the players.”
Morocco coach Hicham Dguig

“It was a big challenge for us to face Costa Rica and to be playing at this level. We know we made mistakes, but we had our chances and I think the match could have gone either way. Even so, I’m proud of my boys.”
Solomon Islands coach Juliano Schmeling

“Iran showed how well they can play. If they keep performing like that, they’ll be contenders for the title. They forced us to change tactics, and it was thanks to that switch and our quality that we managed to make the difference.”
Spain coach Venancio Lopez

“We’re fairly pleased because the World Cup has only just started and we expected to have a few teething problems. The team didn’t play as well as I would have liked, but keeping a clean sheet was crucial to our winning the game.”
Argentina coach Diego Giustozzi

Next matchday
Tuesday 13 September (all times local)

Group A
Panama-Portugal (18:00)
Colombia-Uzbekistan (20:00)

Group B
Egypt-Russia (18:00)
Thailand-Cuba (20:00)




Courtesy: FIFA.com

Vassoura sweeps Morocco aside

13 Sep 2016

He was here, there and everywhere. The star man in Azerbaijan's 5-0 win against Morocco in their FIFA Futsal World Cup Colombia 2016 opener, Vassoura was in the thick of the action throughout, regularly mopping up in defence and brushing aside all before him when going forward. Fittingly so, because the No10's nickname translates as 'broom' in Portuguese.

"When I was a little kid, I was always playing with the ball in the street and I used to clear up all the rubbish – a bit like a broom – and leave the place practically immaculate," a beaming Williams Oliveira do Nascimento told FIFA.com after the final whistle.

Another thing that was virtually immaculate was Vassoura's performance. Indeed, he hardly put a foot wrong at the back and played a big part in ensuring Azerbaijan clinched a clean sheet, including conjuring up one acrobatic goalline clearance, while being neat and tidy in possession.

Goals for his son
Vassoura was equally effective up front, repeatedly leaving opposition defenders in the dust en route to notching a famous hat-trick. Furthermore, not only did he inspire his side to victory, he also earned himself a place in the history books by scoring Azerbaijan's first-ever goal at the Futsal World Cup - this being his adopted country's maiden campaign at the tournament.

As soon as the ball crossed the line, he raced over to the cameras, raised his right arm and kissed his tattoo. "It's my son's name, Erick," he explained, giving us another glimpse of the tat in question, a tribute to the light of his life, as shown by the words 'Minha vida' visible beneath the name. Aged eight, Vassoura's child is old enough to understand what is going on in the competition and the Azerbaijani attacker undoubtedly did him proud with his treble, even surpassing the target his biggest fan had set him.

"He sent me a video message before the match to tell me that I had to score two goals. In the end I got three, so I can't wait to hear what he'll have to say. I'm going to call him right away," said the 31-year-old.

A long way to go
Unfortunately, the pair do not get to see each other very often. Vassoura earns his living in Azerbaijan, where he plies his trade for Araz Naxcivan, while Erick lives with his mother – from whom the star is separated – back in Brazil. Nevertheless, they remain close in spite of the distance. "Whenever I have a bit of time off, I go back to Brazil to be with him. He's a chip off the old block – he wants to be just like me and loves playing futsal."

For the time being, though, the youngster will have to keep following his father's fortunes from afar. Judging by their opening outing, there is no telling how far Azerbaijan might go in the World Cup and so how long they will be in Colombia for. Asked for his opinion, Vassoura simply said that there is a long way to go and that he is fully focused on making the most of every moment.

Despite his focus, at one point in our interview Vassoura was suddenly distracted by his team-mates, who had no qualms about calling out to him loudly while he was mid-answer. Just minutes earlier, it was the crowd at the Coliseo Ivan de Bedout in Medellin who had been shouting his name. Perhaps aided by his catchy nickname, the forward wasted no time in sweeping the local fans off their feet and they roared with approval every time he made his presence felt.

Eager to head off to talk to his son, it was almost time for the night's outstanding performer to take his leave. First, though, he offered a few thoughts on Azerbaijan's next match and expressed his hope that – God willing, in his own words – he will be able to reproduce the same sort of form to help his team brush Spain aside too.



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