January 29, 2022 - A shock defeat to Slovakia on Saturday left Croatia without the UEFA Futsal Euro quarterfinal in the Netherlands. 

The Croatia futsal team was left without a place in the UEFA Euro quarterfinal after they lost to Slovakia 3-5 (1-2) in a key match in Groningen.

Goals for Croatia were scored by Kristijan Postružin (15), Matej Horvat (36) and Franco Jelovčić (38), and for Slovakia by Martin Smerička (8, 35), Petr Kozar (20) and Tomaš Drahovsky (21, 28 penalty).

Croatia played against Slovakia without the suspended Matošević and the injured Suton. The last seconds of the first half and the first seconds of the second were fatal for Croatia. 

Croatia did not enter the match well and Smerička scored from the right side in the 8th minute, left totally unmarked by the Croatia defense.

In the 15th minute, Olmissum's Postružin equalized after a quick action and play by Marinović, raising Croatia's confidence. Still, despite several opportunities, Croatia failed to score, and Slovakia took advantage with 15 seconds to go in the first half. Kozar was left unmarked on the right to push the ball into Luketin's net. 

The shock of conceding a goal 15 seconds before the half became even greater when Dragovsky surprised Luketin with a long-range shot for 3-1 to start the second half. 

Slovakia also took a penalty in the 27th minute after a Jelovčić foul, and Drahovsky was accurate for 4-1. Croatia then endured the last ten minutes without a goalkeeper and a player more, but after a mistake by goalkeeper Primić Smerička, Slovakia was up 5-1. Horvat and Jelovčić reduced it to 3-5, but it did not go beyond that.

Croatia needed to win to secure the Euro quarterfinal spot along with Russia. Russia and Slovakia thus move forward from Group C. 

In the second match, Russia defeated Poland 5-1.

GROUP C

1. Russia 9

2. Slovakia 4

3. CROATIA 3

4. Poland 1

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January 25, 2022 - Croatia fell to Russia in the second Group C match of the UEFA Futsal Euro 2022 held in the Netherlands. Croatia will play their final Group C match on January 29 against Slovakia to determine which team will join Russia in the quarterfinals. 

After defeating Poland at the start of the European Futsal Championship in the Netherlands, the Croatia national futsal team lost in the second round to Russia 4:0.

The match was off to a poor start for Croatia as Vedran Matošević earned a red card for a tough challenge on Robinho. Russia quickly capitalized with an extra player when Antoshkin scored for 1:0 in the third minute.

It took Croatia time to establish their rhythm, but it didn't take long for Russia to put their second goal past goalkeeper Žarko Luketin. Paulinho scored for 2:0 in the 12th minute. 

Croatia had plenty of opportunities in the first half. Marinović threatened Russia's goal twice, Jelovčić and Jurlina once, but at the very end of the first 20 minutes, Russia scored a new goal thanks to Čiškala for 3:0 at the half. 

The match was pretty even as the second half began, and only one goal was scored. Antoshkin scored his second goal of the match in the 26th minute for the final 4:0. 

Russia thus secured first place in the group and a place in the quarterfinals. Poland and Slovakia will play the other Group C match later tonight. 

In the last round of Group C, Croatia will meet Slovakia, and Russia will face Poland. Only then will it be known who will advance to the quarterfinals with Russia.

The 3rd round matches are scheduled for 14:30 on January 29. The Croatia - Slovakia match is broadcast on HTV2.

The 2022 UEFA Euro Futsal tournament is hosted for the first time in the Netherlands. 

Euro, Group C (Round 2):

Croatia - Russia 0:4 (Antoshkin 3, 26, Paulinho 12, Chiskala 20)

Poland - Slovakia (20:30)

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January 22, 2022 - The Croatia national futsal team defeated Poland 3:1 (3:1) in the first round of the UEFA Futsal Euro 2022 Group C in Amsterdam and made a big step towards the quarterfinals.

Matej Horvat (8), Antonio Sekulić (14), and Franco Jelovčić (18) scored the goals for Croatia, and Patrick Holy (14) scored for Poland. 

The Croatia futsal team, led by coach Marinko Mavrović, thus opened the Euros with a victory, beating Poland, a direct competitor for second place in the group and a place in the quarterfinals.

The first goal for Croatia was scored spectacularly by Olmissum player Horvat in the eighth minute, during Poland's attack and aggressive pressing. Horvat tricked the goalkeeper and another player and attractively hit the back of the net for 1:0. 

In the 14th minute, Horvat lost the ball as the last player, leaving Holy alone in front of Croatia's goalkeeper Luketin to equalize.

Only 15 seconds later, Croatia retook the lead after another player from Omiš, Olmissum's Sekulić, cleared the rebound after Suton's shot. Then, two minutes before the end of the half, captain Jelovčić scored from a solo action, almost from a dead angle.

Mavrović's team started the second half worse and was saved by goalkeeper Žarko Luketin after two dangerous Poland attacks. However, Croatia's defense withstood all challenges and reached an important victory in the first big competition in six years.

In the second match of the group, Russia defeated Slovakia 7:1.

Croatia will meet Russia next in Amsterdam on January 25 and Slovakia in Groningen on January 29 in the group stage.

POLAND - CROATIA 1:3 (1:3)
Futsal European Championship, Group C.
Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam.

Judges: E. F. Coelho, M. Castilho (Portugal)

Scorers: 0:1 - Horvat (8'), 1:1 - Holy (14'), 1:2 - Sekulić (14'), 1:3 - Jelovčić (18')

Yellow cards: Sekulić (25')

Poland: Kaluza, Grubalski, Zastawnik, Lutecki, Kriezel; Nawrat, Kubik, Madziag, Holy, Smialkowski, Solecki, Leszczak, Marek, Wojciechowski. Coach: B. Korczynski.

Croatia: Luketin, Matosevic, Jelovcic, Marinovic, Novak; Primic, Kanjuh, Djuras, Suton, Jurlina, Postruzin, Cekol, Horvat, Sekulic. Menu: M. Mavrović.

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March 8, 2021 - The Croatia futsal team defeats Ukraine for the second time in a week, bringing them one step closer to qualifying for the European Championship. 

The Croatia futsal team is one step closer to securing their spot at the 2022 European Championship after yet another convincing away victory against Ukraine.

In the fourth round of the new qualification cycle, Croatia recorded its fourth victory. Two rounds before the end of the competition, Croatia holds the top spot in Group 1, which confirms direct placement at the Euros in the Netherlands.

After winning 3:2 in the final minutes of the match in Osijek, Croatia took the lead away against Ukraine. In the ninth minute, Suton found Matošević, but a quick reversal from Ukraine soon followed. Šoturma scored from 6 meters, and less than a minute later, Zvaryč scored from a distance for 2:1.

However, in the 15th minute, Marinović cheated the goalkeeper Cypun with a brilliant move to equalize at 2:2. Ten seconds before the half, Ukraine's goalkeeper received a red card for playing with his hand outside the penalty area.

Croatia did not use the numerical advantage, but Marinović quickly returned Croatia's advantage for 2:3, and Jelovčić made it 2:4 with a fantastic goal from his own half. Kanjuh punished Ukraine with a new long-range goal for 2:5. 

Marinović increased Croatia's lead to 2:6 by breaking through the Ukrainian defense, and a Suhov own goal a minute before the end of the match made it 2:7. 

Croatia will play against Albania (April 7, Tirana) and welcome Denmark (April 10, Varaždin) in the last two qualifying matches. Croatia can lose first place only if they are left empty-handed, and Denmark wins in all three remaining matches, including the one against Croatia, with a better result of 4:1.

The European Championship is scheduled from January 19 to February 6, 2022, and the 16 best national teams will play in Amsterdam and Groningen.

Futsal EURO Qualifiers, Group 1:
1. Croatia 12 (4)
2. Ukraine 3 (3)
3. Denmark 3 (3)
4. Albania 3 (4)

Source: HNS

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