Reigning FIFA Futsal World Champions Spain beat Taiwan 10-0 in a Group A clash at the National Taiwan University Gymnasium in Taipei yesterday. This effectively ended the host nation's chances of qualifying for the second round.
Taiwan was outplayed and outclassed by a much faster and physically stronger team, that at times looked as if it was toying with the home team and enjoying a training session rather than playing a world championship match.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
Resting several star players from the starting line-up, the Iberians took control of the very one-sided David and Goliath struggle from the off. Spain nevertheless squandered a salvo of shots on goal in the opening minutes.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
A quickly taken set-piece free kick just outside Taiwan's penalty area in the sixth minute found the feet of Spain's Alberto Cogorro on the touchline. He deftly turned his marker and blasted the ball into the back of the net to give Spain a 1-0 lead.
Spain's second goal came in the 13th minute after Fran Serrejon effortlessly tapped in a close-range effort that left Taiwan's keeper, Yeh Hsien-chung, looking more bemused than humiliated.
Spain captain Julio scored from another set-piece free kick in the 17th minute and by the time the referee blew for halftime the world champions had established a 3-0 buffer.
Spain may have gone into the dressing room with a comfortable three-goal lead, but the star of the first half proved to be Taiwan's embattled goalkeeper, without whose valiant efforts between the posts Taiwan would have been trailing by far more than three goals.
The keeper pulled off a series of well-executed saves from the continuous Spanish barrage that assailed Taiwan's goalmouth from both short and long range and in one audacious move Yeh managed to steal the ball from the feet of Spain's oncoming midfielder Andeu.
The few brief moments in the first half when Taiwan managed to eke its way into the Spanish half were marred by slow reactions and poor finishing.
Spain shut out a bloodied Taiwan early in the second half and wasted no time in extending its lead with Javi Rodriguez netting a close-range shot in the 22nd minute and converting a penalty in the 25th minute.
A sudden electrical blackout, which university officials attributed to a campus power failure, brought the game to a temporary stop four-and-a-half minutes into the second half. This was much to the annoyance of the players and FIFA officials, but to the amusement of a home crowd already staring defeat in the face and not knowing whether to cheer for Taiwan or the Republic of China. Yells of "Go Taiwan" came from sections of the crowd while "Go Republic of China" emanated from others.
Play resumed after 25 minutes and Spain picked up where they had left off before the lights went out. Torras made it 6-0 only seconds into the resumed match and Rodriguez netted Spain's seventh and his third in the 30th minute. Cogorro hit home to put Spain ahead by eight goals in the 32nd minute. Substitute Marcelo made it 9-0 in the 37th minute and Spain's 10th and final goal came from the foot of Limones in the 39th minute.
"It was match that presented two faces. In the first half Spain was running and in the second Spain was playing," Spain's coach Javier Lozano said.
While Taiwan is now eliminated from the competition regardless of the result of its final match against Ukraine tomorrow, Taiwan's coach Damien Knabben remained upbeat after his team's second crushing defeat in as many days.
"I was only concerned about not losing by twenty of thirty [goals]. The players had a good game and I was satisfied with them. If we go on at this pace, given five or six games, we will win," Knabben said.
In the day's other action, Italy confirmed its staus as one of the favorites for the title with a convincing 5-0 win against Japan at the Linkou Gymnasium in Taoyuan.
Italy's coach Alessandro Nuccorini was happy with the goals but paid tribute to his backline.
"Our defense made the difference today. We didn't give the Japanese the opportunities to create chances. We respected Japan before we came on court and we respect them even more now," he said.
The Japanese coach Sapo, however, was defiant in defeat, saying: "The first time we appeared at the World Championships we were invited. This was the first time we have qualified. I would be angrier if we hadn't played with such commitment for the whole game."
Ukraine beat Egypt 5-4 while the US showed its strength by beating Paraguay 3-1.
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was