FC Barcelona Lassa have missed out on a fourth LNFS title in the most painful of fashions – in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw in the last of the best-of-five series against Inter Movistar, who can now celebrate a fifth consecutive national futsal championship.
The Catalans came within a whisker of becoming the first team to turn around a 2-0 deficit by winning all three remaining games and claiming the title.
The hero of game four, Dyego, put Barça ahead after ten minutes and the team grew in confidence from there on, with Paco Sedano making some top saves in goal in the twilight of his career.
Barça were majestic, and even the woodwork was doing them a favour as Inter began to sense that the title, which had looked won on several occasions in this gripping final series, was slipping away.
But with five minutes to go, a spectacular solo goal from Elisandro pulled the home side level.
The game went into extra time, and the tension went into overdrive. But there was no further scoring. Penalties.
A whole season of futsal would come down to three kicks from each team. And the man to suffer the agony was Sergio Lozano, who saw his kick saved by Inter keeper Álex while every other shot in the shootout found the target.
It’s been a wonderful season for the futsal team. And in the final they produced a heroic, epic comeback. All that was missing was the icing on the cake. Sadly, this adventure had the cruellest of endings.
