Indian Premier Futsal League 2016: Saturday Results and Latest Group Standings
Former Real Madrid star Michel Salgado and his Kochi side defeated Ryan Giggs and his Mumbai team-mates on Day 2 of the Indian Premier Futsal League, as Paul Scholes made his debut in the the five-a-side-format on Saturday.
Bangalore and Scholes drew 1-1 with Kolkata, featuring Hernan Crespo, in the second match of the day at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, Chennai, India.
Scholes showed flashes of brilliance as he sat deep and dictated, but Bangalore couldn't find a second goal to secure an opening win.
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Futsal superstar Neto almost gave Bangalore the victory, but the mercurial figure couldn't drag his side past the winning post.
Here are the latest points standings from the tournament:
| 1 | Kochi | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2 | Mumbai | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 | Chennai | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 | Kolkata | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 2 | Bangalore | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 3 | Goa | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Saturday Recap
A rush of goals occurred in the opening game of Day 2, as Selgado and Kochi kicked off their campaign emphatically against Mumbai.
The score remained 1-1 after the third quarter, but Kochi stepped up through the gears and put Giggs and his side to the sword.
A penalty gave Kochi first blood in the match, but a flash of brilliance from Giggs levelled the scores.
However, the Mumbai comeback was short-lived, despite last-gasp defending from their opponents as they battled to survive.
Two goals in a minute wrapped up the win for Kochi, as Salgado rounded the goalkeeper to score the fourth.
Premier Futsal commented immediately after the full-time whistle:
Scholes was the centre of attention in Game 2, as a big contingent of Manchester United fans flooded the arena with noise on Saturday.
The former England midfielder was composed on the ball as he dictated the flow, and his adoring public constantly urged him to shoot.
It was a precision pass from Scholes that gave his team the lead, but Kolkata wouldn't be denied.
Sportstar highlighted the overwhelming support for the Red Devils legends in Chennai:
Crespo missed a golden opportunity to close the gap from a rebound before half-time, but Kolkata stole an equaliser against the run of play.
Brazilian futsal star Neto almost gave Bangalore the lead as he attacked with verve, but the final ball wasn't present as they desired the victory. Scholes also missed a one-on-one chance late in the day as Bangalore pushed forward.
The match ended a draw, but the fans in the stands were delirious at the sight of a United legend playing on Indian soil.
The draw was a good result for Goa and Ronaldinho, who were beaten on Day 1 of the competition. The former Brazil international was impressive with the ball at feet, but his team lacked cohesion on Friday night.
The opening games in India have been a raging success in terms of support and enthusiasm, and the short form of the game has a definitive future in Asia.
Futsal has taken its first steps towards popularity in India, and the rest of the tournament promises to entertain football fans across the world.
