EID suffer defeat in UEFA Futsal Cup
Credit: Extratime Team (ETPhotos)
Ireland's Futsal champions EID (Eden College) suffered a shock 9-6 defeat in their second UEFA Futsal Cup preliminary round qualifying Group C game against Swiss champions Minerva in Vienna on Thursday evening.
A dreadful final minute cost the Irish side at least a share of the spoils as they conceded three goals in 33 seconds. UEFA Futsal games are played with a stop-clock system where the clock is stopped when the ball is out of play so the lack of concentration proved critical.
Minerva had lost their opening game 9-4 to host club FC All-Stars Wiener Neustadt while EID had beaten Turkish outfit TUFAD Ankara 3-2. EID must beat the Austrian champions on Saturday evening and hope that TUFAD Ankara hold Minerva to at least a draw earlier the same evening.
Minerva took a grip of the game early on with Imanol Carrasco opening the scoring in the sixth minute and they went 2-0 up in the 11th minute when Salvatore Patera made it 2-0.
EID showed character to turn the game around when Leandro Campos De Farias pulled one back in the 15th minute and skipper Rodrigo De Melo squared it up in the 17th minute.
Unfortunately for the Irish side they conceded a third goal just before half-time through Thiago Melo but Campos De Farias made it 3-3 six minutes into the second half.
Tiago Melo made it 4-3 in the 29th minute before Badr Bouznig and Rodrigo De Melo found the net to put EID 5-4 ahead. The crazy end to end stuff continued with Pascal Francioli and Carrasco both finding the net to put Minerva 6-5 up with less than four minutes left.
Moroccan ace Bouznig equalised once more with just over two minutes remaining but a nightmare final minutes threw EID's chances of reaching the main round into doubt with Patera and a double from Nordyn Jaggi handing Minerva a remarkable victory.
EID (Eden College): Eduardo Maria; Rodrigo de Melo, Rafael Souto, Helio Neto, Leandro Maia; Elias Lourenco Junior, Vinicius Terco, Leonardo Bianchi, Matheus Zanettin, Leandro Campos De Farias, Badr Bouznig, Matheus Nogueira Lemos.
