Neither pomace nor vodka: this was vintage Portugal
The arms of the Portuguese players, on the other hand, are very close to each other when, in the stereophony of the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam, “Conquistador”, by Da Vinci, began to sound, a song passes through Brazil, Praia, Bissau, Mozambique, Goa and Macau and Timor, but that this February 6, 2022 was in a straight line between Pune, India, and the Netherlands, those two places where Portugal was synonymous with happiness this Sunday.
It’s curious how we like things in pairs. When, in 2013, João Sousa, the conqueror of Guimarães, won his first ATP title, also there for the first ATP title, also in the east, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Rui Costa would, hours later, switch back to Spanish favorites Joaquim Rodriguez and Alejandro Valverde to win the cycling world title in beautiful Florence. This Sunday, the tennis player’s return to the great moments was answered again, with the national futsal team revalidating the European title won four years ago, four months after also being crowned world champion. And here, too, we exchanged turns with the Spaniards, in the semi-finals, so that in the final, Portugal could achieve another comeback, beating Russia by 4-2 in a game in which they started to lose by 2-0 – because there is no misfortune that stops this force that nobody can stop, a song that eventually also passed through there, as if avenging other situations in which Portugal was synonymous with disillusionment.
But we don’t remember sad days, something that this group of good guys hasn’t given us for a long time, in this epic journey that in four years brings to our country two European titles and a world title, in addition to a new generation of players, Zicky , Tomás, Tomás or Afon Jesus, all under 24 years old, who will not fail to forget Ricardinho, because he will leave Ricardinho is unique, but who continue to honor him with victories. And this European, even those who made their hearts racing, were also part of the games and everyone in the regular time of the costume, and they were also part, and a lot, mainly, in the head. fra.
Because the part, just as it was difficult to equip Spain, it was difficult for Jorge Braz, barren in attack and with difficulties in stopping the attacks of Sokolov or Antoshkin, the best in Russia. After a tight first few minutes, as all the beginnings of finals tend to be, Russia took better advantage of Portugal’s spaces and mistakes. After a few scares, Sokolov did the first with the clock almost ticking 10 minutes, in a great pivot work, fooling Pany on the half-turn. The shot still hit the Portuguese player, came out wrapped and misleading André Sousa.
As there was no dominance, the goal presented the most daring team so far and did not give reason to the improvisation in which a Portuguese wrote “Bagaço > vodka” evident and that made a poster a jocular appearance on the television broadcast – however, time would make him – it’s justice.
With no time-out, Jorge Braz asked for “tranquility”, which Portugal was lacking, which in addition reacted well to the goal, does not allow Afanasyev to increase the Russian advantage with seven minutes to go. The move was on the left, commanded by Antoshkin, with the Russian number 18 receiving with one foot and shooting with the other, taking advantage of the lack of Portuguese aggression.
Seeing themselves trailing by two and, worse, without any opportunity worthy of the name, Portugal finally gave an air of itself in the last minutes of the 1st half. Zicky was the first danger, after a beautiful simulation and the goal would create even before the horn: after the lateral substitution, Tom Paçó shot from distance, with Putilov helping.
On the return from the changing rooms, the game was more broken, with opportunities from both sides and the ball circling both areas. The growth of Portugal took place step by step, almost without being seen. But it happened and with 26 minutes on the scoreboard André Coelho equalized, once again with the collaboration of Putilov, who mishandled the Barcelona player’s lateral throw-in.
It would be André Coelho again, who didn’t even start well in the game, to put Portugal in front, there are seven minutes left for the final national team in the whole game: Zicky avoided approaching the shot and instead opened for Miguel Ângelo. The Sporting player gave the trivela and André Coelho was not posted to amend. Spain was repeated, the turnaround, because this isn’t bagasse or vodka, it’s really vintage Portugal.
Now it was necessary to suffer.
And Portugal did it with the facade in its teeth, safe and iron, with Tomás Paçó, at the age of 21, being the main wall of defence. Even so, there were sighs, with Abramov shooting post André Sousa holding the advantage and a couple of important saves, the last of the saves on the line, with 20 seconds to go. It was the phase in which the Russians risked everything in 5, playing in 4, trying their best to reach a draw. But the national team is known as one of the teams that can better hold or hold on to the front when it puts more men. His eyes filled with blood and no one passed by. The 4-2 in the final result came 1 second from the end, Pany Varela to designate once and for all the title presentation contract, in front of the empty goal of Russia.
What if the history of victory was an explosion, the certainty that there are few groups, with this cadence of victories, in the Portuguese sport. From a group that includes João Matos, in his thirties, but also Zicky and Tomás Paçó, who at the age of 20 and 21 has already won everything, Europeans, World Cups, Champions Leagues. What will be the ceiling of this team? That’s not what we’re going to know yet.