Futsal fever grips Dubai ahead of finals
dubai — Dubai has been hit with ‘Futsal fever’, with some of the world’s biggest footballing superstars competing in the Premier Futsal 2017 finals at Al Wasl Sports Club this week. The competition will come to its climax this weekend, as the semifinals and finals are contested from Friday to Sunday, with tickets available from dubai.platinumlist.net.
The opening Dubai fixtures, which took place on Tuesday and Wednesday, saw a wealth of football talent compete including; Manchester United legends Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, plus Argentina legend Hernan Crespo and Real Madrid’s former central defender, Michel Salgado.
The opening game on Tuesday evening saw Ryan Giggs’ Mumbai Warriors go battle against Hernan Crespo’s Chennai Singhams. The game was a hard-fought contest, ending in a thrilling 10-7 victory for the Warriors.
In the second game of the day, Paul Scholes’ Bengaluru Royals went up against Michel Salgado’s Kerala Cobras. Both teams put on emphatic attacking displays — the game ending in a 6-6 draw.
Hernan Crespo’s Chennai Singhams found themselves on the end of a crushing defeat in the opening game of Wednesday’s fixtures, as Friday: First semifinal 6pm – 8:30pm Saturday: Second semifinal 6pm – 8:30pm Sunday: Final 6pm – 8:30pm Paul Scholes’ Bengaluru Royals walked away 9-3 victors. Scholes’ former team-mate, Giggs was also a proud winner, as Mumbai Warriors overcame Salgado’s Kerala Cobras in a 6-3 win.
The players took a well-deserved break on Thursday, but will return to the pitch on Friday and Saturday for the semifinals of the tournament.
Joining Scholes, Giggs, Crespo and Salgado will be former Ballon d’Or and World Cup winner, Ronaldinho and former Barcelona and Chelsea midfielder, Deco. Ronaldinho will captain the Dehli Dragons, whilst Deco will lead out the Telugu Tigers.
Futsal was founded in Uruguay in 1930 and derived from modern football. It is played on a smaller pitch, with a smaller ball, contested between teams made up of five players. The Premier Futsal tournament consists of 40 minute games, split into 10 minute quarters.