Photographie: Felipe Echeverría - Santiago Barcacel
This afternoon, the VIII FIFUSA Futsal World Cup advanced to the quarterfinals, with Venezuela securing its place in the semifinals after a 5-3 victory over Panama in an exciting match marked by speed, intensity, and great plays.
Venezuela came from a commanding 10-1 win over Guatemala, while Panama entered the match after thrashing Chile 8-2. With this background, a thrilling match full of goals and emotions was expected, and the game did not disappoint.
From the first minute, both teams showed their dynamism. Venezuela took the lead in the 7th minute when Yorman Escorihuela (#15) recovered the ball and assisted Riexon Arguello (#11), who, unmarked, scored the 1-0 for the South Americans. Minutes later, at 11:04, Escorihuela, who would be key throughout the match, surprised everyone with a free-kick goal, making it 2-0 and showing his accuracy and offensive prowess.
However, Venezuela faced not only Panama on the field but also had to overcome a key injury. With 8 minutes left in the first half, their starting goalkeeper, Roxwill Laguna (#1), suffered a serious injury, apparently a finger fracture, forcing him to leave the match. Despite this setback, Venezuela didn't back down, and just 10 seconds later, Eduardo Pantoja (#9) scored the 3-0 after a brilliant assist from Josue Soler (#6), leaving Panama with few answers.
Before the first half ended, Panama managed to cut the deficit with a spectacular goal by Jarold Hinojoza (#7), who hit a powerful shot into the left corner, giving his team hope with a 3-1 scoreline.
The second half started with Panama desperately trying to close the gap, but Venezuela stood firm. Escorihuela reappeared in the 15th minute of the second half, scoring his second goal of the day and extending the lead to 4-1. From then on, Venezuela controlled the game's pace, and although Panama managed to score two consecutive goals at 14:01 and 12:38, the 5-3 scoreline wasn't enough to change the outcome.
Venezuela advances to the semifinals of the FIFUSA World Cup, showcasing their strength in crucial moments and highlighting key players such as Escorihuela, Arguello, and Pantoja. Panama fought hard until the end but couldn't catch up with the South Americans.
Lineups:
Venezuela (Coach: José Zambrano):
-#1: Roxwill Laguna (Goalkeeper)
-#3: José Falcón (Captain)
-#6: Josue Soler
-#11: Riexon Arguello
-#15: Yorman Escorihuela
Substitutes:
-#5: Juan Quintana
-#10: Jhonathan Rivas
-#9: Eduardo Pantoja
-#20: Juan Ramírez
-#7: Eduardo Baracaldo
-#8: Jhonaiker Rengifo
-#17: Ricardo Velásquez
Panama (Coach: Porfirio Rebolledo):
-#1: Carlos Secaida (Goalkeeper)
-#3: Braayan Hurst (Captain)
-#8: Carlos Batista
-#5: Michael Saavedra
-#7: Jarold Hinojoza
Substitutes:
-#2: Edgar Carvajal
-#4: Dario Hassan
-#6: Mario Molo
-#9: Edgar Rivas
-#10: Pedro Santana
-#11: Cristian Bermúdez
-#12: Rafael Franco
FIFUSA PRESS