By Adrian Wilson. Thursday, 03 June 2004.
Futsal International Friendly
Institute of Sport, Bath
25 May 2004
The superb facilities at the English Institute of Sport – Bath University, hosted the second Futsal International friendly between England and Belgium.
Right from the kick-off it was clear that this time England had come to compete.
There seemed to be a real belief amongst the players. Wood showed tenacity and the Belgians were contained well for long periods.
It was only a piece of sublime skill that enabled Bachar to open the score line after eight minutes.
Papanicolaou soon added another, but Canham, scoring the first goal for Team England in the series, gave the home side some confidence.
It was to be short lived however, and the Belgian coach, having rested many of the more experienced players, decided enough was enough and with only three and half minutes remaining of the first half made some changes.
It is an intriguing truism how cream always raises to the top, and within three minutes Belgium were 6:1 ahead.
Graham Smith, guardian of English pride and goalmouth, was reinstated after the break and with that confidence was restored.
Smith, governing from the rear, gave his side a new self-awareness and for 15 minutes England played well, with Canham adding to both his and England’s tally.
The moment of the match came in the seventeenth minute when that man Bachar, wearing number 4, fired in a long range free kick which left both teams speechless.
Clumsy challenges from both Perkins and Callen enabled the Belgians to take advantage with the dead ball.
The resulting 10-3 was a fair reflection of the difference between these sides and indicates once again that Futsal requires a set of skills rather different to those of its elder sister.