Kairat's Santana wins futsal finals goal rush
Sunday, May 1, 2011
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Kairat Almaty's Leo Santana top-scored at the UEFA Futsal Cup finals with three while the season's overall biggest haul was the 16 qualifying goals notched by Chimel Vita Nzaka.
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Kairat Almaty earned a second honour on the last day of the UEFA Futsal Cup in Kazakhstan after their No4 Leo Santana finished as the final tournament's leading marksman.
Santana claimed his third goal of the finals with the opener in Kairat's 3-3 third-place play-off draw – and eventual penalties victory – against SL Benfica at Almaty's Baluan Sholak Sport Palace. The dynamic Brazilian player had also contributed both the host team's goals in their semi-final defeat by Sporting Clube de Portugal.
His surging runs and powerful shooting put him one score above two players each from Sunday's finalist clubs. Leandro Cuzzolino and Adriano Foglia were both on target to help ASD Città di Montesilvano C/5 beat Sporting 5-2 and claim the European crown, also finishing on two goals apiece. Sporting's Leitão got two late consolations in the decider, while Caio Japa's double had taken the competition runners-up past Kairat in the semi-finals.
However, the ultimate accolade of UEFA Futsal Cup top scorer for 2010/11 goes to a player whose participation ended in the main round of qualifying in October, namely Chimel Vita Nzaka from French side Kremlin Bicêtre United. Their early exit did not prevent the 27-year-old making his mark with a remarkable 16 goals in five games. All those strikes came in the preliminary round group, with two registered against Club Futsal Eindhoven, six against FC Keflavík and eight against Vimmerby IF.
The record for a single campaign remains 19 by André Vanderlei for Action 21 Charleroi in 2003/04. He is also the only player to have top-scored in two different seasons and his career tally of 49 still stands as the competition record after this tenth edition.
Final tournament top scorers
Leo Santana (Kairat Almaty) 3
Leandro Cuzzolino (ASD Città di Montesilvano C/5) 2
Adriano Foglia (ASD Città di Montesilvano C/5) 2
Caio Japa (Sporting Clube de Portugal) 2
Leitão (Sporting Clube de Portugal) 2
Season top scorers
Chimel Vita Nzaka (Kremlin Bicêtre United) 16
Cleyton Baptistella (ASD Città di Montesilvano C/5) 10
Anderson (Araz Naxçivan) 8
Nijaz Mulahmetović (MNK Orlić Sarajevo) 8
Previous season top scorers
2009/10: Joel Queirós (SL Benfica) 12
2008/09: Samir Makhoukhi (FC Blok Beverwijk) 9
2007/08: Karim Bali (Futsal Topsport Antwerpen) 13
2006/07: Serhiy Sytin (FC Shakhtar Donetsk) 10
2005/06: Predrag Rajić (KMF Marbo Beograd) 12
2004/05: Sergei Ivanov (MFK Dinamo Moskva) 14
2003/04: André (Action 21 Charleroi) 19
2002/03: André (Action 21 Charleroi) 15
2001/02: Joan (Playas de Castellón FS) 13
All-time top scorers
André (Action 21 Charleroi) 49
Lúcio (Action 21 Charleroi) 45
Schumacher (Interviú Madrid) 41*
Leo (Action 21 Charleroi) 40
Marquinho (Interviú Madrid) 39
*Excludes four goals in forfeited game
