Premier Futsal: Mumbai qualify for semis; Kolkata 5s settle for a draw against Goa 5s

Mapusa: Goa 5s Vampeta scored two quick goals in the third quarter as his side held Kolkata 5s to a 2-2 draw in a Premier Futsal match played at the Peddem Sports Complex in Goa on Tuesday. Kolkats 5s were strong on both attack and defence in the first two quarters as they took an lead of 2-0 at the the half time. It was Kolkata 5s Pula who scored for the first time in the game in the fifth minute as the crowd cheered. His team-mate Carioca extended the lead to 2-0 in the ninth minute. Goa had opportunities to score but missed several chances in the first two quarters, giving their opponents the edge.

Also, it was a spectacular performance and show of skills by Kolkata 5’s goalkeeper Cidao who saved several of Goa 5’s shot from hitting the net. The Kolkata 5’s players had a better understanding and coordination in the first two quarters even as Goa missed their marquee player Ronaldino for the contest. Goa were unable to score in the second quarter. Equally outstanding was Goa 5’s goalkeeper Bebe who made some extraordinary saves, sometimes even diving to make sure that the Kolkata side did not extend the lead. Futsal is known for speed, passes and counter-attacks. This very nature of the game was displayed in third quarter as the tables turned in Goa 5’s favour with the experienced Brazilian born Italian national Vampeta took on the keeper alone on two occasions and scored both the times. Vampeta scored from counter-attacks in the 24th and 27th minutes. In the fourth quarter, Kolkata seemed to have changed their strategy with a one-on-one marking for their opposition players. The quarter also saw aggressive play by the players of both sides. At the end of the scheduled time, the sides settled for a draw with both gaining a point each.

In the second match of the day, where former Manchester United assistant manager Ryan Giggs was the star attraction, a double strike by Brazilian Foglia helped Mumbai book a semi-final spot as they outclassed Chennai 4-3 in the Premier Futsal. In a keenly contested game, with several twists and turns, Mumbai, which was down twice in the game, bounced back to cross over the line. Giggs, the marquee player for Mumbai, who was cheered by the crazy crowd, did not disappoint them as he netted the ball in the 26th minute. For Mumbai, it was an amalgamation of good passes and counter attacks that did the trick. Fogila opened Mumbai’s account in the seventh minute only to be leveled two minutes later by Chennai’s Sean Garnier. Romulo made it 2-1 in the 16th minute. Just four minutes later Angellot equaled it to 2-2 in the 20th minutes. Three minutes in the third quarter, Chennai again raced ahead 3-2 as Camilo scored from a deflection. Mumbai levelled it again thanks to Giggs. It all boiled down to the fourth quarter even as the audience held their nerves. Then the master-class came from Fogila in the 34th minute which made 4-3 in his team’s favour. Chennai then tried their best to level, but could not complete the task and gave away three points to them. On Wednesday, two exciting contests are on the cards as Bengaluru face Kolkata, while Mumbai take on Kochi at the same venue.