Zuev the goalkeeping goalscorer

A goalkeeper getting on the scoreheet is not as unusual in futsal as it is in football, but it is still a sight to behold. With his team trailing Russia 3-1 on Monday, Ukraine custodian Vasyl Sukhomlinov joined the attack only for his opposite number Sergei Zuev to pick up the ball and shoot for the entire length of the pitch and into the net.

First international goal
Zuev told uefa.com: "I have scored before but only in our domestic league, this is my first international goal. To be honest, initially I couldn't believe it had gone in." With that, victory and a semi-final place were secure. "Matches against Ukraine are always going tough for Russia," the goalkeeper added. "I think that scoring the first goal was extremely important. We scored first and based our tactics on this. We had to protect the lead and try to score on the counterattack."

Flying keepers
Of course, Zuev took a direct route, Ukraine's gamble of sending Sukhomlinov forward backfiring, as often also happens if teams use an outfield player as a 'flying goalkeeper'. Zuev mused: "The question of how to use a goalkeeper is the business of each individual team. If he plays well with his feet, then why not? It is an issue for the coach in such a situation whether to trust an outfield player or a goalkeeper."

Spain aim
The MFK Viz-Sinara Ekaterinburg shot-stopper replaced MFK Dinamo Moskva's Pavel Stepanov in goal following Russia's opening 5-3 win against Serbia to fine effect. And he insists they will be giving their all in the rematch with the team that beat them in the 2005 final, Spain, today, even though they will be back in action in the semis on Friday. "It is important for the team," he said.

Cirilo benefit
The presence of tournament leading scorer Cirilo will be crucial, the naturalised Brazilian-born forward claiming four goals in his first two competitive games for Russia, and his presence allowing a tactical change. "Cirilo is a typical target man, so it is only natural that in the four where he plays the tactics are different," Zuev explained. "The other four play more combination-based futsal, but the first four play via Cirilo all the time."