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BRAZIL X 2 !! Feak Shot Defeats Russians
Seattle, WA -
Just 2:44 into sudden death overtime a Russian player's head shot skittered the wrong way, fell into his own goal, and gave Brazil it's second consecutive Amputee Soccer World Championship.
The loss was a crushing defeat for Russia, which came away with the Silver Medal for the second time in two years.
The loss was even more bitter since the Russians again clearly dominated World Championship tournament scoring statistics - 33 goals scored with only six allowed. And they'd beaten the defending Brazilian world champions 3-2 the previous evening in the final match of the round robin tournament.
But if the Brazilian team read the statistics they certainly weren't impressed. With the gold medal on the line, they came to win.
The Seattle fans, most of whom had never seen amputee soccer before, were treated to full fledged, world-class, championship soccer.
The battle was a head-to-head, full pitch clash with a "no prisoners" attitude by both teams. Just like last year.
And, just as in the Championships held in Kiev last year, the competition came down to a battle of styles - the precise, controlled high scoring machine of the Russian all-stars, versus the free-wheeling, emotional, born-with-a-ball-on-my-foot style of the Brazilians.
The Russians scored first on a head shot, ironically enough, by veteran sweeper Ruslan Batsayev.
The Brazilians answered with a goal of their own from "jogador" (sweeper) Jose Ribeiro early in the second half.
Then, in overtime after six games in six days, the Brazilians turned up the heat, flooding the Russian zone and firing on goal from all angles.
Then a desperation clearing header went wrong. An instant later the game was over.
And the dividing line between the two teams was again clear for the standing ovation crowd to see. Pure, sweet elation from the Brazilian team, inconsolable loss from the Russians.
The pressure in the 2001 tournament, however, will be squarely on the Brazilian shoulders. Not only will the Russians be out to avenge their loss, the next World Championship tournament will be held in on the Brazilian's home turf - Rio in October 2001.
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