Eight teams are preparing for the UEFA Futsal EURO 2022 quarter-finals at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam on Monday and Tuesday, with three former champions and a trio of debutants still in contention.
We preview the action.
Road to the final
QUARTER-FINALS
Monday, January 31:
Portugal vs Finland (5:00 p.m.)
Kazakhstan v Ukraine (8:00 p.m.)
Tuesday, February 1:
Russia vs Georgia (5:00 p.m.)
Spain vs Slovakia (8:00 p.m.)
SEMI-FINALS
Friday, February 4:
Portugal/Finland vs Spain/Slovakia (KO TBC)
Kazakhstan/Ukraine vs Russia/Georgia (KO TBC)
FINAL MATCH/THIRD PLACE
Sunday February 6:
Match for third place (2:30 p.m.)
Final (5:30 p.m.)
All CET kick-offs
Monday
Portugal v Finland
It’s the starters against the starters who will start the quarter-finals, but despite winning all three Group A games to progress in relative comfort, there is reason for World and European champions Portugal to be nervous.
The last time these sides played, in a FIFA Futsal World Cup qualifier exactly two years to the day before meeting here, Finland led the group hosts 2-0 thanks to Juhana Jyrkiäinen and Miika Hosio with less than two minutes left. However, Bruno Coelho and Cardinal then scored for a draw that proved crucial in securing Portugal an automatic place in Lithuania, where they won the title last fall.
Finland, who will miss the suspended Jani Korpela, showed tactics and courage as they edged Slovenia 2-1 in Friday’s decisive Group B game after holding Italy 3-3 before losing 6-2 against Kazakhstan despite two leads. Victory would go down in history: no Finnish team has ever won a knockout game in a UEFA national team finals.
Jorge Braz, Portugal coach: “We will have to be a very strong Portugal if we want to beat Finland. They are a team that know how to stay in the game. They are never out of the game. They know what they have to do to fight for the result until the end. Tomorrow will be no different. The simple things like no one else. They don’t do the difficult things, they do the simple things perfectly. Their evolution has been fantastic.”
Mićo Martić, Finland coach: “We are sportsmen and we believe that futsal miracles are possible. We know how difficult it was against them. But it ended 2-2. We believe that whoever is on the other side , we can win. They miss Ricardinho but it’s amazing how much experience their young players have, they are more powerful than ever. They are champions and it’s a great honor for us to face them. I just hope they’re a little tired of winning all these titles!”
Key stat: Portugal are unbeaten in 30 competitive games since a penalty shootout loss to Iran for third place at the 2016 World Cup, and 31 in 40 minutes since losing the last four to Argentina in this tournament.
Kazakhstan vs Ukraine
Kazakhstan have a very good record in the quarter-finals, having won the last eight matches in their last two EURO futsal appearances (2016 and 2018) as well as last year’s World Cup, although suffered a penalty shoot-out loss to Japan in the 2001 AFC Futsal Championship before their move to UEFA.
Their group form suggests goalscoring: they drew 4-4 with Slovenia despite being three behind, beat Finland 6-2 after falling behind twice, then beat Italy 4-1. However, Taynan and Edson picked up costly suspensions against Italy, while Azat Valiullin is now ruled out with injuries. However, Albert Akbalikov is back from suspension and Chingiz Yesenamanov is also featured in these finals for the first time.
Two-time runners-up Ukraine were narrowly beaten by the Netherlands and Portugal in Group A but a 6-1 loss to Serbia prevented them from progressing to the last eight in ten consecutive futsal EUROs in different formats.
That said, they were down to just ten players by the time they met Portugal due to the absences of Volodymyr Razuvanov, Vitaliy Radevych, Oleksandr Pediash and Artem Fareniuk – and, to make matters worse, Mykhailo Zvarych picked up a chest injury. finger. They hope to be closer to full strength on Monday.
Kaká, coach of Kazakhstan“We know that Ukraine never give up and they haven’t conceded many goals. They are a very physical team and it will not be easy for us or for them.”
Oleksandr Kosenko, Ukraine coach“It’s a knockout game so only one team can qualify. We are prepared for a very difficult game. Kazakhstan is a very strong oar, collectively and individually. Of course, it will help Kazakhstan to be three players short, but while we were four players short, we managed to get even stronger, so it will depend on their preparation and response. Maybe they can change their strategy to surprise us. They are not their only strong players.”
Key stat: Ukraine have been in the quarter-finals in every edition since the round was introduced in 2010 and have lost all five times.
Tuesday
Russia vs Georgia
Russia was perhaps the team’s choice in the group stage, scoring 16 goals as they beat Slovakia 7-1, Croatia 4-0 and Poland 5-1. The team almost so often since their only major title at EURO Futsal 1999, they look out of sorts and have even overcome the injury that cost them prolific pivot Eder Lima, with Artem Antoshkin currently leading the race at top scorer with five goals and three assists. .
Georgia, like Russia, finished with two games to spare after comebacks to beat Azerbaijan 3-2 and Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-1 – making them the first debutants to start with a pair of wins since 2010 Their style of play led to some thrilling action, although their 8-0 loss to Spain on Saturday left them facing Russia, who beat them 4-0 in Tbilisi and 3-0 at Schelkovo. last year during qualifying.
Sergei Skorovich, Russia coach: “We have unity in the team, and our objective is ambitious and concrete. We must work hand in hand.”
Chaguinha, Georgia player“It was a hard lesson for all of us [against Spain] and we will have to be fully focused against Russia to make sure nothing like this happens again. I don’t think this result will affect us psychologically because many of our players have a lot of experience at the highest level and can handle all the side effects of a result like this.”
Key stat: Russia have won four EURO Futsal quarter-finals in a row since losing on penalties to Spain in 2010.
Spain vs Slovakia
Spain slipped under the radar a bit when they started Group D beating Bosnia and Herzegovina 5-1 before being held 2-2 by Azerbaijan. However, Georgia’s 8-0 loss, equaling their own tournament-record winning margin, was a signal of intent from a side that have never gone to back-to-back Futsal EUROs without lifting the trophy.
A total of nine different players scored for the seven-time winner, including a late contribution from Adolfo against Georgia upon his return to the team, and another from Solano, freshly called up to replace injured Esteban Cejudo.
As for Slovakia, they recovered from a 7-1 loss to Russia and a 2-2 draw with Poland to progress by beating Croatia 5-3. In doing so, they ensured that three of the four debutants made it out of the group stage, more than in all previous post-1999 editions combined.
Their chances of going further may well hinge on Tomáš Drahovský, the Santa Coloma player who was the Spanish league’s top scorer last season and is only behind Ferrao and Adolfo this term.
Fede Vidal, Spain coach: “Slovakia is going to be a very difficult match, like everyone else. There are no favorites in the tournament or in the matches. If we want to win, we have to play a great match.”
Key stat: Spain did not fail to appear among the last four of the last 11 Futsal EUROs.
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