Goldstein proud to be part of futsal revolution
FUTSAL Russell Goldstein helped England reach the main qualifying round of the Futsal World Cup after finishing runners-up in the preliminary round in Latvia.
Goldstein, 25, from Chigwell, marked his return from three months out with a hamstring injury by making two assists in the opening match, which England won 4-1 against Gibraltar. England followed this up with a thrilling 5-4 win over Cyprus, with the decisive goal arriving in the final 10 seconds. Having already secured their qualification, England were beaten 3-1 by hosts Latvia in their final game, but it was job done as far as Goldstein, who is a teacher at Yavneh College, was concerned.
He said: “It’s a massive achievement for England to have reached the next stage of the World Cup qualifiers. It’s incredible to be part of a unique squad that continues to make history.
“The temperature in Latvia were testing as there was snow everywhere outside the venues and it dropped to was minus eight. It was important to win our first match.
“I have never experienced such an intimidating atmosphere as in our final match against Latvia. There were supporters banging drums and the crowd was immense. It was impossible to hear my hear team-mates standing next to me. The result was disappointing as we’d dominated possession and had more than 30 shots.”
England are now preparing for another three-team tournament, this time in Italy, where they will also face Hungary and Belarus. Goldstein said: “It will be a huge challenge as all three sides are ranked higher than us. Once again we’ll need to finish in the top two but we’re confident that’s achievable.”
“I also want to thank Yavneh College for their support and allowing me to represent my country.”
Goldstein also plays for Helvecia in the FA SuperLeague, as well as Redbridge Jewish Care in the MGBSFL.