The Futsal Whites lost their second match at the Continental Futsal Championship in Thailand in an upset defeat against Guatemala. Guatemala dominated the game with 6-2 the final score.
New Zealand played their second game of the tournament against Guatemala and were served their second defeat of the event. In the first game, they were thrashed by the hosts, and now it was 50th-ranked Guatemala who defeated them 6-2 in the Continental Futsal Championship match in Thailand.
Both teams were watchful in the beginning and didn’t give the opposition many chances to score. In the 13th minute, New Zealand scored their first goal as Art Twigg broke the deadlock. However, the lead lasted for only two minutes as Guatemala scored on a counter-attack.
In the dying moments of the first half, Guatemala scored again and took the lead. The score was 2-1 at half-time.
The second half again started with a cautious approach from both teams. Midway through the second half, New Zealand equalized through Hamish Grey. Jordi Ditfort passed the ball to Grey on a corner kick and before the opposition could move, he sent it into the net.
Guatemala pressed hard from there on and scored 4 goals in the last six minutes of the game, scoring the last goal with only 25 seconds to spare. It was certainly a big win for Guatemala against a team that is way ahead of them in the FIFA Futsal Ranking. It will be a huge confidence boost for them ahead of the World Cup.
New Zealand will be up against Afghanistan – one of the four debutants at the Futsal World Cup – in their next game. The Futsal Whites would love to end their losing streak against a team that has performed a lot better than them at the ongoing Continental Championship in Thailand. If they can bag a win here, it will boost their confidence which is much-needed before their World Cup campaign gets underway.
New Zealand are drawn into Group D at Uzbekistan 2024 and will face tough opponents including Spain and Kazakhstan. They will play their first game against Libya on September 15. Check out New Zealand Schedule Futsal World Cup 2024.