Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Isfahan: Qadsia coach Fabio Cortez declared himself delirious with delight after seeing his team book their place in the final of the 2015 AFC Futsal Club Championship with a penalty shootout win over Thai Son Nam on Wednesday.
Goalkeeper Sayyedhassan Ebraheem saved two spot-kicks after the game had gone through normal team and two additional periods of extra time level in a 3-3 draw, and Qadsia will now face either hosts Tasisat Daryaei or NAFT Al Wasat from Iraq in Friday’s final.
Match report: Thai Son Nam FC 3-3 Qadsia (1-2 pens)
“Now I’m crazy because I'm very happy,” said Cortez. “I spoke yesterday about going to the semi-final and how it was a dream, so to go to the final is even more of a dream. I’m not here, I’m in the clouds. I'm so happy because my players understood the tactics today.”
Despite going behind inside the first two minutes to a goal from Tran Van Vu, it was the Kuwaitis who dominated the first half and Qadsia hit the break with a 3-1 lead thanks to a pair of goals from Abdulrahman Alwadi and a strike from Iranian Mohammad Taheri.
But the second half saw Thai Son Nam fight back through goals from Phung Trong Luan two minutes after the interval and Artur Yunusov four minutes before the end of normal time to send the game into extra-time.
The additional two periods of five minutes were unable to separate the teams and, although Qadsia advanced thanks to the efforts of goalkeeper Sayyedhassan Ebraheem, the coach felt it was the unity of his squad that pulled them through.
“I think my players were nervous and when we started the second half the players were asleep,” said Cortez. “We haven’t had the best preparation because of Ramadan in Kuwait but today the players played with heart.
“In a semi-final it’s not only about technique or tactics. The players were together. I wanted the players to take my hand so we could be one family and one team and I'm so happy because of this.”
Despite the loss, Thai Son Nam coach Bruno Garcia praised his team and felt the Vietnamese side had done enough to advance to their first-ever final, only to be thwarted by Ebraheem.
“I’m proud of my team,” said the Spanish coach. “They played a good game. The first half was for Qadsia, the second half was for my team. Extra time was even. I think my team, after 50 minutes, should have been the victor.
“We were not the favourite going into this tournament and we were not the favourite going into the semi-final. We were playing against a good team with good foreign players and my team fought and fought and fought.
“I thought my team deserved to be in the final, but this is sport. The opposition goalkeeper was good on penalties, but we did very well.
“In this semi-final Qadsia is the favourite. There is the tactical game and the psychological game.
“If the score is level after normal time and still level after both periods of extra time, then the psychological advantage is with us if we go to penalties. But it didn’t work.”
Photo: WSG