Rampant Sporting take bronze against Dina
Sunday, April 26, 2015
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ISK Dina Moskva 3-8 Sporting Clube de Portugal
Alex's four goals were the highlight as the home side delighted their fans by claiming bronze.
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• Sporting claim bronze in front of more than 8,500 fans at Meo Arena
• Esquerdinha scores first for Dina, but Alex strikes twice to put Sporting 2-1 up at break
• João Matos gets third, set up by keeper Cristiano, both 'deputising' for João Benedito
• Sporting pull away, Alex getting two more and Cristiano also striking
Finals hosts Sporting Clube de Portugal ended the 2014/15 UEFA Futsal Cup with bronze after comfortably defeating competition debutants ISK Dina Moskva.
Both teams were without their captains, Dina's Dmitri Prudnikov having played through ankle pain in their 7-4 extra-time semi-final loss to Kairat Almaty and Sporting goalkeeper João Benedito rupturing an Achilles tendon as they were defeated 5-3 by FC Barcelona. The Sporting fans who roared on the hosts that day were back again – the crowd numbering more than 8,500 – and their heroes had the first chance when a Fábio Lima flick was blocked by Igor Trushkin, taking over from Sergei Zuev in the Dina goal.
The deadlock was broken by Dina, Esquerdinha playing a nice one-two with Serhiy Sytin before beating Cristiano. But, late in the first half, Alex scored twice in 44 seconds, first smashing in a shot following Caio's pass and then turning in Fábio Lima's cross.
João Matos, wearing the Sporting armband in Benedito's absence, got the third on the rebound after home goalkeeper Cristiano advanced and Trushkin could only parry his shot. Cristiano had another assist when his punt was met by a weak defensive header and Marcelinho made it 4-1 on the turn. Sporting were rampant and Alex's third arrived with a smart angled shot following a quick counter before he set up Diogo for the sixth with a quick one-two.
Flying keeper Esquerdinha did pull one back for Dina with a deflected shot but Cristiano punted in a seventh and ran to Benedito to celebrate. Yan Kuzenok got in on the act to reduce arrears again, only for Alex to shoot in from his own half.
