Courtesy: FIFA.com


Fortino: A natural Italian

17 Sep 2016

While anything but cold and blank-faced, Rodolfo Fortino of Italy's accurate shooting against Guatemala was certainly one thing that links him to his nickname – Robocop.

“I don’t know exactly where the name came from,” he told FIFA.com after arriving in Bucaramanga ahead of their final group clash with Vietnam, “but I think it came up in an interview when one of my team-mates, Lima, just called me Robocop.”

Not that it’s in any way a drag to be associated with the cinematic cyborg for the Sao Paulo-born pivot. “I’m very happy with it,” he insisted, “I use it on my Facebook page!” That’s as far as the name goes though, with certainly no intention of bringing a passionless streak into his game. That’s even if his third strike against the Central American side, bringing up his first World Cup hat-trick as he surpassed 50 for his country, was laser-guided.

One thing for sure is that Fortino’s style is anything but robotic and predictable, combining pace and athleticism with the ability to score with both feet. Another is his comfort in the side, a factor he puts down to his own personality melding so effortlessly with the Italian mentality, a place that is very much a part of him after relocating back in 2007.

“Now, I consider Italy my first home, not just a second one,” he said, having just spent his first season away from the Mediterranean nation – at Sporting in Portugal – since his initial arrival. “They’re totally different cultures. Brazilian people are very open, always up for a party, whereas in Italy they are more closed off, which might be because of the cold!

“For me the transition was actually quite easy, as I am a little bit shy, with something of a more introverted, reserved character. But I’ve found plenty of people can find this transition a bit more difficult,” he said, pointing to another Azzurri-clad figure across the hotel lobby with a laugh, “like [fellow Paulista Humberto] Honorio, for example.”

Those characteristics manifest themselves in futsal too. “In my eyes, both cultures are reflected on the court. In Italy people are a little more focused, while for Brazil there was always partying with music even before a match.”


Climbing the ladder
Now 33 years old, there was a time when that approach to the game was all he knew. Like so many Sao Paulo boys around him, whenever he wasn’t in school he was investing his time on the pitch. But he had to cut his own path through the competitive world of amateur Brazilian football.

His mother, working in a bank, and father, a dentist, with little time outside their jobs, gave him their blessings to pursue his sporting career – once his studies were wrapped up, of course – and he started out on a road that would eventually see him transported across the Atlantic to Italy.

Getting picked up by a newly-formed Sao Paulo side after showing off his talents on the pitches around his neighbourhood, Fortino rose to represent his state in nation-wide futsal tournaments, before crossing paths with the likes of then-Brazilian internationals Leandrinho and Marinho. “I learned so much, analyzing every movement they made has helped me hugely in arriving at this point in my career.”

Another player he crossed paths with – a goalkeeper named Rogerio Santana while at Sao Paulo’s Santa Fe – was also crucial. Talking up Fortino’s talents at Sicilian side Augusto (Futsalplanet note: Augusta), Santana helped instigate his move from a futbol-mad country to a calcio-mad one. It was a move that has brought about a third-placed finish, and adidas Silver Boot, at Thailand 2012, as well as the UEFA Futsal EURO title in 2014.

Now, already guaranteed a place in Colombia’s last 16 ahead of facing Vietnam, besides the consistent pressure for results Gli Azzurri have, the chance to ensure they don’t cross swords with the hosts is an added incentive as Fortino sets his sights on bettering their last World Cup outing.

“They’re playing with the crowd behind them,” Fortino concluded, “so we can’t risk facing them purely through taking our foot off the gas.” One thing is for sure in both Italian and Brazilian cultures: playing to win is the only way.



Courtesy: FIFA.com


Uzbekistan's gymnast-turned-keeper vows to bounce back

17 Sep 2016

There were eight minutes left to play at the Coliseo Ivan de Bedout when Jose Maria Pazos Mendes, better known as Pulpis, decided to substitute goalkeeper Rustam Umarov. The Uzbekistan No1 took his seat on the bench and hung his head, clasping his hands behind it. With the clock fast ticking down, the Uzbeks trailed Portugal 4-1 in their third and final group-stage fixture. For all intents and purposes, their FIFA Futsal World Cup Colombia 2016 adventure was over and Umarov knew it.

"I was really angry about conceding those four goals. I wasn't able to help the team when I wanted to make the difference," the Almalyk shot-stopper told FIFA.com after the game. Considering these harsh words about his own display, the 31-year-old was obviously still reeling from what eventually ended as a 5-1 defeat. In the cold light of day, perhaps he will recognise that it was only his numerous saves – throughout the competition and their parting match – that allowed his country to cling to the hope of qualifying for the next round for such a long time.

Despite his anguish at the heavy loss, Umarov was not at all annoyed with his coach for having taken him off before the final whistle. The fact is that his withdrawal was certainly not down to any dissatisfaction with his performance, but rather to give his understudy Akmaljon Khazratkulov the chance to get his first taste of Futsal World Cup action.

Uzbekistan's Colombian campaign was the country's first at the global showpiece. This was something that Umarov, like all players, had dreamed of as a child and he will never forget the feeling of joy that came with achieving this dream "at the fourth time of asking, after three failed attempts to qualify." "Of course I'd have liked to have done better [at the tournament]," he went on, "but ultimately a point wasn't enough to go further."


An exceptional experience
This point was secured against none other than the hosts and it owed a lot to the man whose team-mates call him Spider-Man on account of his agility and remarkable reflexes. The Uzbeks enjoyed a lot of great firsts in Colombia, but it is that 3-3 draw that will undoubtedly be remembered most fondly and vividly. "It was a wonderful moment for us. Personally speaking, I think I had a really good match," said the keeper, flashing his first smile of our interview.

The former CSKA Moscow custodian's memory was not deceiving him. A string of superb saves had Los Cafeteros on the brink of despair at times during that encounter and served to earn his side a share of the spoils. He was in equally inspired form for a long stretch against the Portuguese, as exemplified by the acrobatic way in which he denied Fabio Cecilio in a one-on-one after ten minutes.

In order to change direction so swiftly and pull off that save, Umarov first had to do the splits. This is a move he performs often and it is no coincidence, but rather a legacy from the years he spent doing artistic gymnastics during his childhood. The combination of the skills he learnt from that sport and his other passion has taken him extremely far – all the way to the finals of the Futsal World Cup.

The 5'9 (1.76m) keeper still has a photo of himself taking his first steps on a futsal court as a kid. He will take away several handfuls of equally symbolic snapshots from Colombia, but sadly not any conventional souvenirs: "We simply didn't have the time." Nevertheless, Umarov feels that he does have time on his side in terms of his prospects of gracing the biggest stage again. As he put it: "I'm 32, but I'm not ready to hang up my gloves just yet. I'm going to carry on giving my all in order to keep my place in the national team and feature at more tournaments like this one."



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