Hungarian Futsal Cup: Rába ETO and Astra Selector the best! – VIDEO

Rába ETO of Győr survived a spirited display from opponents Haladás to retain the Hungarian Futsal Cup in Veszprém last weekend. Astra Selector defeated Agenta Girls Szekszárd 2-0 to secure their fifth successive Hungarian Futsal Cup last weekend.

Haladás raced into 2-0 and 3-1 first-half leads but were pegged back by Rába who took a 4-3 advantage into the half-time break. The second half was far more cagey but Hungary’s premier club team over the last few years maintained their one-goal superiority thanks to a 1-1 draw in the second half to ensure the match ended in a 5-4 success and a retention of their title.

Ákos Harnish, Rába ETO forward:

“I can’t remember any time in my career when my team has been two-nil down within forty seconds against any opponent and that we’ve had to request a timeout after a minute. The final started with a slap to our face but in the end the two goals conceded proved to be good not only for the match but for us too, because we had to sort ourselves out quickly and by half-time we had turned the situation around. It wasn’t that we were ‘still in the dressing room’ or that we weren’t taking the match seriously but more that we should compliment Haladás on scoring two goals so quickly. In the second half we perhaps became a little too confident, therefore we weren’t able to decide the outcome of the match earlier and then at the end the team from Szombathely really pushed for the equaliser.

Big congratulations should go to Haladás because they battled magnificently. They’ve had good enough players in the past and a great squad at domestic level but not long ago they recruited József Turzó and he has moulded his team exceptionally well so that it was clear they knew how they wanted to play. This final here showed how the Cup final is always a special match and form on paper can go out the window in a one-off contest. While in the league it’s very difficult for us to mess it up, in the Cup a lapse for one moment is enough a to leave a team needing to recover from two goals down, so that’s why I prefer the knockout format of cup competition”.

Astra Women claim fifth successive Hungarian Futsal Cup

Szekszárd are leaders of the women’s futsal NBI so could count themselves as favourites for the Cup this time but of course league form often goes out of the window when it comes to knockout competitions, as proved again this year in the Final Four semi-final when Astra overcame Tolna-Mözs in extra time. Szekszárd had brought a noisy contingent of supporters with them including national-team footballer Attila Fiola to Veszprém and they saw their team make a more comfortable job of reaching the final in a 7-3 defeat of second-tier Csömör.

The showpiece match on Sunday began with caution from both teams, Szekszárd dominating possession but failing to breach a well-organised Astra defence which then sought to counter-attack. Technical errors abounded – no surprise with so much at stake – but after the initial risk-free minutes both teams became braver and thus the match more exciting. Both sides hit the woodwork thereafter, Anita Szekér for the league leaders and Anett Nagy for the Cup holders, before Szekszárd spurned a multitude of chances as the first half drew to an ultimately scoreless conclusion.

The reign Hungarian Cup champions emerged after half-time in an altogether more progressive mood and took the lead in the 25th minute, albeit with a little luck, Kinga Halaszi’s shot deflecting off the back of a defender and flying into the top left corner of the net. Two minutes later and an Astra side playing with plenty of freedom doubled their advantage, Nagy breaking clear down the right and crossing for Katalin Godvár to slot in from close range. It was now or never for Szekszárd to gain a foothold in this game but despite pressure they rarely troubled the opposing keeper and indeed Astra could have punished them several times at the other end of the court. Astra managed the game to its 2-0 conclusion to claim an incredible fifth Hungarian Cup in the last five years.

Agenta Girls Szekszárd 0-2 Astra Selector (HT: 0-0)

Szekszárd (surnames first): Hargas Annamária – Ganczer Hajnalka, Szekér Anita, Megyes Ágnes, Horváth Katalin
Replacements: Blesz Nikoletta, Mausz Renáta, Fábián Rebeka, Bogárdi Mónika, Buchmüller Petra, Urbán Anett
Astra: Varga Luca – Godvár Katalin, Nagy Anett, Gál Tímea, Halászi Kinga
Replacements: Andriska Renáta, Szabó Nóra, Balázs Eszter, Görög Zsófia, Mészáros Dalma, Záhonyi Alexandra, Hegyi Szilvia, Bocsárdi Eszter, Krascsenics Csilla
Goalscorers: AST: Halászi 25., Godvár 27

Photo: MTI

Source: MLSZ – press release