For many fans, the first day of the Premier Futsal league was a dream come true as the likes of Ronaldinho and Giggs actually turned up in the flesh to futsal in India! The much-hyped league got off to a blistering start with Giggs’ Mumbai beating Falcao’s Chennai 4-2 while Crespo’s Kolkata beating Ronaldinho’s Goa by the same score-line.
Here are some thoughts from the first day of the league:
AR Rahman’s music beats David Guetta’s noise - just about
Okay even before a ball was kicked in anger, we came across our first big challenge (vis-a-vis the recently concluded Euro 2016) as AR Rahman started off with a performance. While the futsal anthem wasn’t the greatest piece of music ever written it was infinitely better than David Guetta’s theme song from Euro 2016 which I guess what a cat sounds like when it's in extreme pain. Euro 2016 nil – Premier Futsal League One!
Ryan Giggs has still got it
It was only at the last moment that it was announced that former Manchester United player and coach Giggs would be part of this tournament. When Giggs moved on from Manchester United to make way for Mourinho’s regime, many thought he was going to take on a full-time managerial job. While that might still be in the offing, he can always consider a second-career as a futsal player.
Showing more moves than most of the 'boring' Manchester United players he coached last season, Giggs moved like the blistering winger of youth as he pulled off nutmegs and no-looks passes like a boss. It was a joy to behold the man who has terrorised defences across Europe do the same on home soil.
The only time he had trouble was remembering the sport he was playing as he told an excited anchor that he was thrilled to play ‘fussball’ (that board game with sticks) instead of futsal. But who cares, we just saw Ryan Giggs play in real life!
Falcao is in a class of his own
When it was announced that Falcao would be coming to India, there was a feeling of great trepidation as people wondered whether the Chelsea and Manchester United flop could still cut it, and the worry only passed when it was announced they were talking about the futsal player Alessandro Rosa Vieira, that there was a sense of relief.
Actually, the futsal Falcao is a little more than a player but a legend of the game who was judged the top player in the world in 2004 and 2008 FIFA Futsal World Cup. Like Giggs, age hasn’t affected his craft as he attempted an audacious overhead kick but sadly ended up on the losing side.
For Ronaldinho neither the flesh nor spirit is willing
Perhaps the biggest downer of the evening was Ronaldinho’s no-show as the one-time Barcelona player who epitomised Joga Bonito, looked like a man at the wrong party. While the stadium and even the opposition parties were awestruck to be in his presence, the Brazil legend hardly did anything to back up his legendary stature.
Since 2006, Ronaldinho’s career has been on a steady decline and his performance tonight showed why the former World Player of the Year isn’t part of any professional football club at the moment.
Crespo’s looks are deceptive
The real revelation of the night was Hernan Crespo as the former Argentinean international and once the most expensive player in the world showed that he still has the ability to finish off a good move and create one (remember the audacious goal he created in that 24- pass move for Esteban Cambiasso). Despite looking like the uncle who drinks the most beer at a family barbeque, Crespo scored a goal and was quite crisp during the match.
Ronaldinho’s no-show was the only disappointment of this thrilling first day which made the dreams of many football fans come true. One even had the audacity to ask when Cristiano Ronaldo would join the league? (A: When he decides to let go of the Euro 2016 trophy, which he is clinging onto like a possessive boyfriend.)
This is the first time such a league has been tried in futsal, and the early signs are great. Long live futsal.
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