Jimby Cartagena Costa Calida beats Riga in futsal (1-4) and is one step away from its first Final Four | LNFS
Jimby Cartagena Costa Calida advances to the Final Four of the Futsal Champions League after coming back to beat Latvian champions Riga Futsal Club 4-1 at the Palacio de los Deportes in Cartagena. With this victory, the team led by Eduardo Sao Thiago Lenz “Duda” tops the table of their group in the elite round with six points, leaving Romania’s United Galati and Riga itself with three points, and Italy’s Catania already eliminated.
The key to the match was the defensive cohesion of the melon team and the decisive stops of goalkeeper Hemi, who neutralized the Riga team’s attempts to stay in the fight. Goals from Pablo Ramirez, Gon Castejon, Motta and Mellado formed a comeback that demonstrated the strength and organization of the Spanish team. Jimby took advantage of the moment and resisted his opponent’s desperate attempts, even turning on the goalkeeper player to achieve a decisive victory.
The match started in balance with Tomaz hitting Jimbi’s post before Talles, a former Cartagena player, gave Riga the lead in the 6th minute with a deadly counter-attack. However, Pablo Ramirez equalized three minutes later with a low shot that went between the legs of goalkeeper Vandeson Silva. From that moment on, Jimby showed his mettle: strong pressing led by Fran Cortes allowed Gon Castejon to make it 2-1 in the 10th minute.
In the final stretch of the first half, the hosts strengthened their lead through a penalty from Motta, who had returned from a dislocated shoulder in the previous match. The 3-1 came just as Riga looked to respond, and although they had opportunities to reduce the gap, Cartagena’s defense and Cemi’s play kept the lead intact.
In the second half, Djimbi managed to take the lead, and the Latvians stepped up their attack. Despite the pressure, it was Mellado who finished the match with a header from Dario Gil’s pass, ensuring the final score was 4–1. Local fans filled the pavilion to celebrate the victory in euphoria, which leaves the team one step away from a historic achievement.
Gimbi will face Romania’s United Galati this Saturday and they only need a draw to confirm their spot in the Final Four. With a favorable goal difference of +10 against their direct opponents, Duda’s team has an advantage in the event of a hypothetical draw on points.