Yesterday marked the return of the prestigious Futsal Week tournament after a forceful break caused by Covid. The tournament, which is traditionally held in the Croatian city of Poreč, hosted eight U19 national teams from across Europe.
The tournament will last until this Sunday (20 June), and all teams will play until then. Although every tournament needs a winner, the futsal itself is a winner already as all of these teams finally met up and held a tournament after a long break.
Some of the teams have made their first-ever U19 national selection, so this is another aspect that needs emphasizing.
Eight teams are divided into two groups, and Group A consists of: Spain, France, Serbia, and Moldova.
Croatia, Ukraine, Montenegro, and Poland make Group B.
The first day of the tournament is behind. Young futsal players showcased their skills as they gave their best to record first points in this competition
The honor to open the tournament was given to the national teams of France and Serbia. France defeated Serbia 6:2 in an interesting match that was only resolved in its later stages.
Spain and Moldova then took the stage. Spain took an early lead, but Moldova was fast to equalize and was 'in the game' until the second half. After the break, Spain has put more pressure in and cruised afterward to the 8:2 victory.
These two matches completed Group A and in the afternoon, Group B started with a close match between Ukraine and Poland. Ukraine won eventually 5:3, with a crucial moment being their fast breakaway by the middle of the second half. Poland scored two goals at the end of the match to soften the blow.
The final match of the day was reserved for Croatia and Montenegro and it was truly a futsal spectacle. Montenegro was in the lead for most of the match, breaking away to 4:2 by the middle of the second half.
But when Croatia implemented a 'flying goalkeeper' some big five minutes before full time, they scored three quick goals to take the lead. The match saw a number of 10-meter penalty kicks in both halves, especially by the end of the match, but it was Croatians who eventually took the 5:4 victory and three points to open the tournament.
Futsal Week U19 Spring Cup continues today. Moldova will face Serbia, while France will play against Spain to complete Round 2 of Group B.
In Group B, Montenegro and Poland will try and get their first three points in a duel of their own, while the final match today will be between Croatia and Ukraine.
All matches are broadcasted live on Futsal Week's Facebook page.
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