Brazil rules South American duel on rival’s turf

Brazil won the classic duel against its neighbour and historic football rival Argentina 3-2 on Monday night, in a futsal stadium packed with local fans. The Brazilian squad advanced to the tournament’s final, where it will face Russia, who beat Egypt 3-1 in the other semifinal.

It was one of the most anticipated battles at Buenos Aires 2018 with thousands of spectators lining up hours in advance to get a glimpse of the action. Unfortunately for the local fans, Brazil extended its perfect record in the tournament and won a tight match against the local country with goals by Guilherme Henrique Borges Sanches, Breno Bertoline Dendal Rosa and Joao Victor Alves Sena. The scorers for Argentina were Agustin Raggiati and Santiago Rufino.

The main futsal stadium in Tecnopolis Park was filled to its maximum capacity of 6,500 people: nobody wanted to miss the clash between the two South American football powerhouses. "It's a unique feeling. It was my dream to reach a final after winning a game like today’s. Now we're going to work to win gold," said Brazil’s Wesley Reinaldo Santos de Franca.

On the opposite side, Argentina’s goalkeeper Cristian Vargas lamented the local team’s defeat: "I think we did everything to win the match, but we lacked the luck necessary to get the victory."

In the other semifinal, Russia won 3-1 against Egypt and reached the final, where it will meet Brazil for the second time in the tournament. The teams faced each other during the group stage in a match that ended with a 6-1 triumph of the South American nation.

The bronze medal match will be between Argentina and Egypt, two teams who also already played each other in the group stage, resulting in a 2-2 tie.