Blast it like Bacaro

By Greg Demetriou

Vinicius Bacaro has a touch of the David Beckham about him.

Free-kick winner
First of all there's the No7 shirt. Then there are the good looks, the carefully styled hair, the designer tattoo and the earring. Even the name has a familiar sound. But the most telling similarity is the ability to convert a free-kick in a high pressure situation.

Time running out
With ten minutes and ten seconds left on the clock in the UEFA European Futsal Championship final in Caserta tonight, Italy were awarded a free-kick in a dangerous central position. After a slight delay as the Ukraine defence gathered itself, an unflinching Bacaro strode forward and slammed the ball low into the net.

Always willing
Bacaro had been threatening to score for a long time. After two goals in the 5-1 second group game victory against the Czech Republic, the Lazio C/5 player had been unlucky not to find the net, particularly in the 2-1 semi-final victory against Spain. Bacaro was always willing to let fly in this competition, often rattling up more shots than his team-mates combined.

Praise for others
Despite deciding the contest against an outstanding Ukraine team, Bacaro had words for others in the post-match analysis. "I wish to thank the coach and all those who supported me," he said, before adding: "This is a very special day for me."

Great team effort
On that goal, he said: "I can't explain what I felt. The feelings of joy are indescribable." Yet, the 24-year-old forward was keen to place the achievement of the team over the individual. "This has been a great team effort," he said. "We had a will to win as a team and that is what has taken us through. That is the strength of this squad."