Courtesy: The Nation


Coach Rodrigo happy after clinching last-16 berth in Futsal WC

September 18, 2016

National coach Miguel Rodrigo was a happy man after Thailand grinded out a 2-1 win over Egypt in the final Group B match to secure the runners-up spot and a berth in the last-16 round of the Fifa Futsal World Cup in Colombia yesterday.

The two sides were tied on three points before the decisive encounter that would determine the remaining automatic qualification spot, with Russia already assured of the top spot in the section that also included Cuba.

With so much at stake, tension appeared to get the better of the two teams in a scrappy first half in which neither was able to get going. Enjoying a rub of green, the Thais took a fortuitous lead despite failing to muster a single shot on target in the opening session when an unfortunate Ibrahim Eika deflected a ball into his own net.

Rodrigo's side improved after the break and Jirawat Sornwichain soon put them 2-0 ahead with a clinical finish. Abdelrahman Elashwal's late strike then set up a nervy finale but the Thais, ranked 13th, managed to hang on to the result, which secured them the runners-up spot in the group and a passage into the knockout rounds of the competition for the second consecutive time.

By clinching the last-16 spot, the Thai side matched their best result in the tournament they achieved four years ago at home. The six points they claimed also represented the highest point tally they have managed in the group stage since their debut in 2000.

Spaniard Rodrigo said the lethargic nature of Thailand's win over Egypt came as no surprise with so much riding on the game.

"It was a crucial game for both sides so we both looked nervous. We, though, started well. It differed a bit from the game against Russia, while in the second match [against Cuba] we tried to take the game to the opponents. Nevertheless, we managed to collect six points as targeted."

The 46-year-old said he wanted to savour the moment with the team first before thinking about the first knock-out round outing in the 24-team tournament.

"I don't want to talk about our next game now. When I was in charge of Japan, we drew with Portugal but then lost to Ukraine in the last-16. So, I don't want to think ahead. Let's enjoy our qualification first after all the hard work we did."


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