2011 Brazil v. Holland match
You’ll
have to forgive the Dutch team for maybe feeling too much confidence after its
early goal … it happens so quickly, you’ll have to pay close attention not to miss it.
There are some textbook goals here … a quick turn and shot by Falcão, who’ll
still be scoring when he qualifies for Brazilian social security; a
well-executed diagonal run and goal on a kick-in play; an expert dummy by a
Brazilian who sensed a teammate behind him; a deflection on a hard shot that
freezes Holland’s keeper, and a simple far post run by a Dutchman. These
highlights are from the 2011 Grand Prix of Futsal in Brazil.
Paraguay burn Brazil’s fifth attacker, not once but twice
This
game sent me scurrying to Google to search the South American qualifiers for
the 2012 Futsal World Cup (Copa du Mundo) in Thailand. With Paraguay beating
Brazil 5-3, could it be that the game’s patron saint had been eliminated? Rest
easy, the game was a semifinal in South American qualifying, which meant Brazil
had already stamped its ticket for Thailand. That’s fortunate, considering how
it played. Two Paraguay goals resulted from less than sterling goalkeeping and
two more came late with Brazil using a fifth attacker. Paraguay had also
qualified, but it played as if beating Brazil mattered, which it did.
A game of cat and mouse in Croatia
You
can immediately pick out Croatia’s checkerboard unis in this one. If the
talented Croats played in the U.S., they could be sponsored by Purina. That
aside, the game was played in Croatia in April of this year, when the country
hosted the UEFA Futsal Championships. The host team, an automatic qualifier,
displays its collective foot skills early in the highlights, then exploits the
Czech Republic’s use of a fifth attacker. I think the proverb is that “the
fifth attacker giveth and the fifth attacker taketh away.” In this case,
Croatia’s No. 9 proves how accurate he is from three-quarter court.
Thailand’s about more than Pad Thai
Despite
its 6-1 finals loss to Japan in the AFC Championships, Thailand qualified for
the 2012 Futsal World Cup as the host. While most Americans and Canadians know
little about the nation other than ordering Pad Thai at the local Thai
restaurant, the country – and Far East, in general – are futsal crazy.
Thailand’s quickness and technical skill helps them dispose of a physical
Indonesian team in this AFC qualifier.
Spain: Fourpeat’s sake!
Russia
pushed Spain to the limit in the final game of European qualifying, not
conceding its 2-1 loss until Spain’s keeper turned away a shot with a second
left to play. The win marked the futsal-savvy Spaniards’ fourth-straight
European title, but both teams qualified for the World Cup in Thailand.
Deflected shots are a big part of futsal scoring, as these highlights
demonstrate. What’s the saying, “You can’t score if you don’t shoot”? Well-planned and executed set plays are also a big part of the game. Spain scores
what proves to be the winning goal on a shot directly off a kick-in/pass.Parting shot(s), nutmegs, shoulder traps and 70-foot bicycle goals
This
is from 2008, so for all we know Falcão has slowed down some. But what better
way to close a video section than with highlights from a master? It’s like
closing a concert with Beethoven.
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