Schumacher shares the credit

Schumacher has always been a bit of a star man in Futsal. The Brazilian, named after the Germany keeper when as a child he too played in goal and sported curly locks, has appeared in the FIFA Futsal World Cup final for his nation and helped Spanish club Boomerang Interviú win the 2004 UEFA Futsal Cup and dominate the toughest domestic league in Europe. But his heroics last Saturday took his reputation to a new level.

Vital goals
Up against MFK Dinamo Moskva in the home first leg of the UEFA Futsal Cup final, Boomerang had just seen their early lead cancelled out when Schumacher took the ball near goal, bamboozled his marker with fancy footwork and then cut in to power a ferocious shot past Pavel Stepanov. Dinamo rallied to go 3-2 up, but then Boomerang equalised and within seconds Schumacher had headed them into a half-time lead.

Hat-trick complete
But that was not all. For with the advantage at 5-3 and time running out, Schumacher slid in to give Boomerang a commanding 6-3 lead for the second leg, and complete his hat-trick. "The third goal was the most remarkable one," Schumacher told uefa.com. "I know I did a good job, and the team did a good job. Now we have to get the cup in Moscow."

Team effort
Although the 30-year-old Schumacher was hailed as the Boomerang hero after the game, he is uncomfortable with being singled out, appropriate for a player just as well known for his defensive work as his considerable attacking skills. He said: "All the team played really well. To be honest, in the first half Dinamo played better than Boomerang. During the second our defence improved; we were a bit better than Dinamo."

Defensive rearguard
At half-time, with the score at 4-3, most of the 3,800 spectators in the Pabellón Caja Madrid were expecting even more goals in the second half, rather than the solid Boomerang rearguard that shut Dinamo out for the remaining 20 minutes. But then Boomerang coach Jesús Candelas has already masterminded one European triumph and took the club to victory in the last two Intercontinental Futsal Cups, so it is hardly surprising that he was able to make full use of his team-talk.

Candelas team-talk
Schumacher revealed: "The coach said: 'This is the first half, live with the consequences.' He said: 'Listen, take it calm, play on the right side of goal.' Maybe that's why there were less goals." It means Boomerang have every chance of lifting the trophy in Sunday's return but Schumacher knows victory is not guaranteed against a high-class Dinamo side containing several fellow Brazilian exports. He said: "They are a very good team with very good players. They would come second or third in the Spanish league. In Futsal three goals is not a great advantage. It's something, but we can be caught. We have to play with the stance that we can keep a three-goal lead."