Vladislav Shayakhmetov stands in the changing room entrance at the Coliseo el Pueblo in Cali, saddened and with his head bowed. He has just suffered a 5-4 defeat to Argentina in the final of the FIFA Futsal World Cup Colombia 2016, missing the chance to help Russia win a first-ever title.
"Unfortunately it's not the first final I've lost," the Russian captain told FIFA.com after the final whistle. "I've played in several but have always lost." Just a few months ago, for instance, the 35-year-old experienced defeat to Spain in the UEFA EURO 2016 title-decider.
This time the loss was a very narrow one and his side even took the lead, only to let in an equaliser 26 seconds later. In the second half Russia managed to pull level after going behind, but once again conceded within 17 seconds through Alan Brandi's strike for Argentina. "We probably lacked concentration both times," said the defender. "The match was decided by poor concentration."
It was also thanks to Brandi extending the lead with his second goal less than a minute later. "We didn't learn from the mistakes Portugal made in the semi-final," said Shayakhmetov, frustrated. "They conceded several goals in a short space of time against Argentina. And the same thing happened to us today."
Pride in performances As aggravating as that may be, the defeat should in no way diminish Russia's achievements in Colombia. They reached a Futsal World Cup final for the first time ever, scored more goals (40) than any other team – Brazil were the closest challengers in this regard with 33 – and provided quite the spectacle for spectators. Although it is difficult to find the positives in the immediate aftermath of the game, the 5'10" (1.78 m) defender can look back on the past few weeks fondly.
"We need to settle down a bit now and then I'm sure it'll dawn on us what we've achieved," he said. "It was a fantastic success for Russian futsal. Not many teams manage to finish second at a World Cup. We reached the final, which is great." A hint of a smile even appeared on his face as he said this.
Next on the agenda is a return to the hotel, where the team will have dinner together before trying to get some rest. Shayakhmetov will be able to take consolation from speaking to his wife back home, as he will call her in a few minutes.
Yet the MFK Gazprom-Ugra player, who scored three goals at the tournament, already appears to have overcome the worst and is eager to look forwards: "We have to digest this, but we can't think about it for too long. We definitely shouldn't stick our heads in the sand."
Shayakhmetov is determined not to step down from international duty on the back of losing a final. Asked if he will represent Russia at another World Cup, his response is short and assertive: "Yes, of course." As he departs the Coliseo, his shoulders are still drooping a little but his body language is confident once more.
In the jubilant scenes that followed Argentina’s victory at the FIFA Futsal World Cup Colombia 2016, certain images stood out above all others. Among them was the sight of coach Diego Guistozzi being thrown into the air by his players, some of whom had been his team-mates only four years previously at Thailand 2012.
“Not in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine experiencing something like this at 38 years of age, and after only three years as a coach,” admitted Guistozzi who, despite being soaked with water from the celebrations, still found a moment to speak with FIFA.com. “I’m over the moon! Not so long ago, this was unimaginable. But little by little, we brought in the right people, the right ideas… Then we arrived in Colombia, we grew in confidence, and now we’re on top of the world. It’s impossible to put such an achievement into words.”
Another enduring image was that of a bewildered looking Fernando Wilhelm, heading up to collect his trophy as winner of the adidas Golden Ball. This 34-year-old veteran of four World Cups was to rejoin his team-mates before climbing the podium once more and, as captain, enjoying the privilege of being the first to hold the World Cup trophy aloft.
“I still don’t believe it, it’s like I can’t put it into words,” confessed Wilhelm, still wearing the No6 shirt, to FIFA.com. “Beforehand I was asked how I would celebrate if we won, but I didn’t even want to think about that because it was going to be so difficult. That idea was so engrained in me that, when the time ran out, I didn’t know what to do. It’s so huge, I’m overcome by it all.”
A little further away, and also waiting to collect the winner’s trophy, Maximiliano Rescia was seated next to Russia’s Brazilian-born star Robinho. “He told me that we deserved the title,” Rescia confided to FIFA.com. “Why did we win? Because we added technique and, above all, tactical know-how to our courage and heart. The arrival of Giustozzi was crucial,” added the 28 year-old midfielder.
Reactions and conclusions Giustozzi himself then took the time to analyse the victory over a Russian team who, when the match seemed lost to them, scored two goals in 45 seconds to put themselves only one down with 19 seconds to play. “They focused on the physical side and individual skill, but we won as a team. We had the game under control, until nerves came into play towards the end. The climax was just the result of our nerves.”
Compared with his coach, Rescia offered a more visceral account of those final few moments. “When they scored the fourth goal I looked at the scoreboard, and I saw that there were still 19 seconds to go, and it felt like the ground was being pulled from beneath my feet. But then I focused again, because I knew that it was all that stood between me and glory.”
Wilhelm, meanwhile, saw things from a more rational perspective: “It just goes to show that, in this sport, anything can happen until the time runs out. In fact, if the last rebound had gone in rather than staying out, we may have been back at square one again. You could say we were a bit lucky, but any luck we did get we worked really hard for.”
So what now? “I just spoke about it with [Pablo] Taborda and [Leandro] Cuzzolino - we’ve been slugging away for 10 years now, so we could retire in peace! But over the coming days we’ll take stock of it all, and no doubt we’ll set new goals and targets moving ahead.”
Wilhelm was aware that any triumphalism could be dangerous. “In sport, you become a slave to results. Personally, I didn’t need this title to be proud of this team, I’ve been proud of it since we arrived in Colombia. More generally, I hope that futsal in Argentina benefits from this across the board. Now is the time to grow the sport.”
And although such a significant success was so fresh in the memory, Giustozzi could also still see the bigger picture. “The impact for us is big, but it’s a lot bigger for those in futsal who have it tougher than we do. There are a lot of people here - people who are not professionals, who don’t get seen - who were waiting for this message to prove that we could do it. And quite simply, we could.”
The FIFA Futsal World Cup Colombia 2016 saw some superb strikes that will live long in the memory of all who witnessed them. The goals that got fans out of their seats in Bucaramanga, Medellin and Cali are ones that will go down in the annals of history as some of the best ever seen on the global stage. There were close to seven goals per game scored in a thrilling tournament, but there must be one effort that stands out above all others ...
Which goal was the most outstanding, in your view? FIFA.com has shortlisted ten of the top goals seen in Colombia, including strikes from debutants Vietnam and Futsal legends Falcao and Ricardinho, and now the power is in your hands. Voting is now open, and you have until Monday 10 October at 10.00am CET to select your favourite.
View the ten nominees and vote for which one you reckon should be the Goal of the Tournament!
