Portugal beat Kazakhstan on penalties and are in the World Cup final for the first time – Observer
Some of the best players, starting with the best for several years. Some of the best coaches, awarded with international distinctions. Some of the best talent in the squad, many rising naturally to the A team. Some of the best clubs, with two chronically battling for the Champions League title. Portugal had everything to assert itself definitively in futsal and the victory in the final of the European Championship in 2018, against Spain, turned out to be the last hurdle for this emancipation that was more than definitive in an international context. What has changed? Just that “little bit like that”.
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In the last time-out requested in the electrifying meeting of the World Cup quarters against Spain (again Spain, leader of the classification and a Cabo das Tormentas that stopped being him), Jorge Braz had an outburst that explains much of the secret to a national affirmation in decisive moments: “I’ve been saying for 20 years that we’re better than them”. It could be just a phrase of motivation, confidence, encouragement for a final defender in 5 × 4. It was more than that. this mentality of always maintaining humility but not looking down on any opponent was the “little bit like that” that was needed to go further. The “little bit like this” to eat that, at a disadvantage by two goals 12 minutes from time, against one of the best teams in the world, a turnaround was written.
Portugal reached its third-ever semi-final at World Championships but I wanted one more historic achievement to consolidate this turnaround. Ahead would be Kazakhstan, who made their debut in 2016 with a trip to the round of 16 where they lost to Spain and which was also now one step away from the final.
????????? Inappropriate for the cardiac. A night for history in Vilnius!
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– Portugal (@selecaoportugal) September 27, 2021
It wasn’t exactly an unknown team, or it wasn’t half of the Kairat Almaty team, another of the chronic candidates to reach the Final Four (now Final Eight) of the Champions League. With Higuita in goal, with Douglas Junior, Orazov and Tursagulov as references, with the former Sporting Taynan player, already linked to the Spanish side of El Pozo, as an unbalancer on the wing. All guided by Kaká, Brazilian coach with several years of experience in the country and in the national team. Despite the last-minute draw against Venezuela when they were already through, a Kazakh team made a safe route before defeating Iran in the quarters in what was your big test, unlike Portugal which, after the draw with Morocco, only beat Serbia in the last 16 after extra time.
Shine, suffer and shine again to suffer: Portugal beat Serbia in extra time and are in the quarters of the World Cup
“Our objective is very clear: we have come this far and this is not where we want to stop. To achieve this, we now have another very important game. I feel everyone with great desire and gigantic ambition. At this level, anything can happen but we go after what we really want. We know Kazakhstan and its potential very well, the work is still being done, they fully deserve to be in the semi-finals but we’re just worried about ourselves. See me that Kazakhstan is the least favorite by statistics and history, OK, but, for the moment, it doesn’t seem to me ”, commented the coach Jorge Braz before the meeting at Zalgiris Arena, in Kaunas, which would once again have strong support for the national team. In the end, after Argentina’s victory over Brazil in the other semi-final, everything was decided in extra time.
Portugal started better, with pressure zones that depended on the holder and the shot a lot at goal by Higuita, who still had to make a tighter intervention with an André Coelho free-kick. However, and against this current of the game, it was Kazakhstan that scored in a good exit completed by Orazov. Something strange had happened, the Selection asked for VAR and for the first time the decision was positive, with the images showing that the ball had gone out before the long pass in front. The excitement was running high and Higuita rose for the first time to make a 5 × 4, which ended with a shot from Taynan to the side nets (5 ′).
The team was better most of the time, the Kazakhs shooting even were more goals that they also had on Bebé’s goal. In fact, the best chances until half-time were for the opposing team, with Taynan hitting the crossbar with a bang and Orazov hitting the post (17 ′). Before, the aim or Higuita were avoiding the goal of Portugal – it was like that in a combination between Zicky and Pany Varela with a great defense by the goalkeeper (9 ′), it was like that with a shot by Miguel Ângelo over the top after another fantastic assist from Ricardinho (10 ′), it was like that with an attempt by Afonso after a great job by Erick for a new stop by Higuita (12 ′), it was like that with a “beak” by Bruno Coelho that ended up in the side nets. The opportunities deserved a goal but the null stayed until rest.
The second half brought the desired right to open, with Miguel Ângelo finding Pany Varela alone on the left for a shot from the first that hit the post and entered (22 ′). Portugal went ahead of the marker and could. to have that advantage increased twice with the same player, Zicky, working well in the pivot position and shooting for Higuita’s defense. Then, it was time to suffer with the insistence of Kazakhstan, who started playing more often with the 5 × 4 forward goalkeeper who also hit the long post (27 ′). The diamond was really golden, Bebé was at the best level but in the last minute Nurghozin, in a ball that João Matos couldn’t relieve, made the tie.
The game was even for extra time, Portugal’s third knockout at this stage. The physical part would be a problem to take into account and worse was with the 2-1 of Kazakhstan in a free-kick from Douglas Junior right at the start (42 ′). The Seleção had to run against time, had several shots blocked by Higuita de Bruno Coelho, Miguel Ângelo, Zicky and Pany Varela and was freezing the 5 × 4 for five fouls that the Kazakhs obtained in the meantime. With 1.38 minutes to go, this pressure was really rewarded: Pany Varela won in a left-hand split, a ball was left for Bruno Coelho and number 7 actually scored 2-2. “Guys, we’re going to win!”, said Jorge Braz as the penalties markers were chosen, with Bebé a defender as the first two and Vítor Hugo prepared to go next. Douglas Júnior failed, Pany Varela failed and it was Vitor Hugo who made a fifth attempt before Tiago Brito made the 4-3 and stamped a historic moment in futsal and national sport.