Portugal beat Spain to qualify for World Cup semi-finals | futsal
In a very balanced game from start to finish, the Portuguese futsal team defeated the Spanish team by 4-2, after extra time in the quarter-finals of the World Cup.
After a first half with chances for both sides – the biggest of which was a free kick missed by the Spaniards 36 seconds before the break – only in the second half did the scoreboard work.
Spain came in very strong and took advantage of the Portuguese deconcentration in the best way. Raúl Campos hit the post on Bebé’s guard after a loss of the ball by Afonso, in what was a first warning for what was to come: a “hat” from Adolfo to Bebé, after a ball over the top of Ortiz. on the back of Bruno Coelho and João Matos.
A little later, with 17 minutes to go, Adri made it 2-0 for the Spaniards, in a free-kick in which Bebé didn’t look very good in the photo, as he let the barrier man pass between them.
The Portuguese reaction came in the last 10 minutes of the match. With nine minutes to go, André Coelho, from outside the area, reduced the disadvantage with a strong shot, with the Spanish goalkeeper Herrero to fail to stop the ball. The bid was also analyzed by the VAR for an alleged push by Ricardinho to an opponent at the beginning of the rally, but it was validated.
And four minutes from the end, in a laboratory play, Portugal reached a draw after taking a throw-in by Zicky, already inside the Spanish area.
Portugal were on top at this stage of the match and Panny Varela hit the left post of the Spanish goal in one of the best opportunities for Portugal to take the lead in the match for the first time – the other was a deflection by Ricardinho well stopped by the Spanish goalkeeper.
From that moment on, it was Spain that made the pressing final, with Portugal seeing their opponent send a ball to the post, literally, in the last second of the match.
The game then went to extra time, with the national team loaded with five fouls. But Ricardinho’s shot deflected by Spaniard Raya led the ball over the goalkeeper and put a national team ahead, for the first time, with 2’46 remaining in the first half of extra-time.
With just five minutes to go, Spain had no choice but to play the goalkeeper early. And it was with no one in goal that Panny Varela put Portugal ahead 4-2, after intercepting an opponent’s shot.
Portugal, European champion in title, goes to the semi-finals of the World Cup where they will have as opponent on the 30th of this month the winner of the clash between Kazakhstan and Iran, which will take place this Monday (18h). The other semi-final match will be between Brazil and Argentina.
Portugal’s best results in the World Cups are third place in 2000 and fourth in 2016.