With the dazzling spectacle of the official draw in Samarkand’s Registan Square still fresh in the mind, preparations for this year’s FIFA Futsal World Cup™ are continuing apace. Given that expectations are high in the host nation, the pressure is on coach Jose Venancio Lopez.

Alongside assistants Bakhodir Akhmedov, Arkaitz Sisniega, David Garcia and Rustam Umarov, Venancio Lopez is working day and night to ensure that what happens in the tournament, featuring 24 teams battling it out for global glory between 14 September and 6 October, is even more spectacular than the draw.

In Uzbekistan’s third appearance at the global finals, the Spaniard is aiming to guide the Central Asians into the knockout phase, a feat they achieved at Lithuania 2021 after bowing out in the group phase at Colombia 2016.

“I’m pleased,” said Venancio Lopez, when asked how the host nation’s preparations are going. “We’re progressing bit by bit. We’ve improved with every game we’ve played. Since last October the team’s gained a lot more match experience. They don’t just play, they now know how to play in each phase of the game.

“We’ve improved at controlling a match over the whole 40 minutes, which was something we were missing because we used to play in patches: good moments, poor moments, losses of concentration. This is one of the crucial factors we need to keep working on.

“We’ve improved and one of the keys to that is how well we did at the Asian Cup. We finished third but we could have reached the final. We only lost on penalties in the semis to Iran, who will be among the contenders at the World Cup.”

As Uzbekistan-based Spanish footballer Ruben Sanchez recently told FIFA, the fans’ support for their national team is impressive. Something similar is sure to occur in futsal too, given this unique opportunity to support their national team on home soil.

“This is a highly patriotic country, very pro-Uzbek,” agreed Venancio Lopez. “Everything related to the country, to the national team and to Uzbekistan draws people in.

“Someone here might turn up at a sporting event just because the national team’s playing, even if they don’t follow the sport. People get behind the team, they’re very pro-Uzbek and feel the country’s colours.”

Group rivals
The Netherlands, Paraguay and Costa Rica are the three obstacles Uzbekistan must overcome in Group A, with Venancio Lopez arguing that it’s an evenly-matched group. First up are the Dutch, on 14 September in Tashkent’s Humo Arena.

“They’re a team featuring players with huge individual quality, that’s perhaps what stands out most about them,” said Venancio Lopez. “What’s more, they’ve got a Spanish coach and, as a team, they reflect his style of play. But their individual quality is something to keep a very close eye on.”

“Paraguay have been at the highest level for many years. They’ve been among the leading teams in South American futsal for a very long time now, and they’ve got a very experienced squad. Veteran players who’ve been in the game for years, some of them have played in Spain and others are playing in Italy.

“The experience they have, the time playing [together], they’re a very savvy team who know what they need to do in each phase and know how to dictate the tempo of a match.”

“Costa Rica have been the top team in Concacaf for years. They’ve got the strongest league and they always end up reaching the World Cup, because their federation does the best work in futsal in the Concacaf region.

“Though they’re rebuilding the team and are using youngsters, they’re always going to cause you lots of problems through their speed and the fact they play very ‘vertical’ futsal. The last game in the group is the most decisive of all. They’re all decisive. but I think this will be the key clash for us in our group.”

With vast experience on the court, Venancio Lopez came agonisingly close to claiming the world title with Spain in 2008 and 2012, only to be edged out on both occasions by final opponents Brazil. The veteran strategist includes both nations as among the contenders at this FIFA Futsal World Cup, though it will by no means be plain sailing.

“In the end, there are lots of factors that can decide a World Cup,’ he said. “What’s clear is that the winner will be one of Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Portugal or Iran. I think one of those five will be crowned champions, they’re the favourites.

“If we base it on player quality alone, we’d have to back Brazil, but in recent editions that’s not decided who wins it. The last two champions were Portugal and Argentina because collectively they were the best, which for me is what matters most.”

Exploring Uzbekistan
Having lived in Uzbekistan for a while, despite a heavy futsal workload, Venancio Lopez has also made time for tourism, getting to know different corners of the country and learning more about its rich culture – one which visiting futsal fans will be able to enjoy in person in a matter of months.

“It’s a country with a lot of history, with cities that are particularly appealing,” he said. “Samarkand, of course, is perhaps the best-known city from a touristic point of view thanks to its religious history, its commercial side and because of the Silk Road. It’s got a very, very special appeal. Registan Square, where the draw was held, is something spectacular.”

“Bukhara, which is also a host city, and Khiva are spectacular cities too. Tourism is now starting to generate income for the country. And, of course, Tashkent is a stunning city and a surprising one to those who don’t know it. It’s got a Western feel and is very, very modern.”