After last group games, Swiss to battle Russia for the crown and France and Turkey to reedit last Promotion Final
Switzerland makes it to the Superfinal!
Switzerland banned Portugal the chance to fight for their Continental crown after a great Beach Soccer game between two of the big guys in the sport. This time, World Cup runner-ups took the prize for the first time in their history, and thanks this last win top the table in Group B, over Portugal and Italy, what will let them face Russia tomorrow to decide who the new masters of the Old Continent are.
The Swiss offered today a new maturity display, and after seeing Madjer sweep the Portuguese ahead, they never lost temper and managed to turn the score around rather soon, with Stankovic and Rodrigues building the 2-1 before the first break. Once in command, Switzerland handled the game’s tempo with an amusing skill. And this is something really hard to do when you are facing the likes of Alan, Madjer or Belchior, and your nets are always under risk…
But with no trace of nervousness, Leu widened the gap and the Alpine managed to keep all that powder as far from Valentin’s dominions as possible for quite a long time. Although Alan tightened things up with the 3-2, Leu finished the game in the first period, completing his hat-trick for the 5-2, that opens the door of the European Superfinal for Shirinzi’s side for their very first time.
Goals: 0-1: Madjer, min. 9 (1); 1-1: Stankovic, min. 7 (1); 2-1: Rodrigues, min. 5 (1); 3-1: Leu, min. 10 (2); 3-2 : Alan, min. 3 (2) ; 4-2 : Leu, min. 6 (3) ; 5-2 : Leu, min. 1 (3) ;
Romania to fight for their highest records
With their tight win over Spain in this last group-stage fixture of the EBSL Superfinal, the Beach Soccer Romanian National team has already achieved their highest position ever in the European ranking. Tomorrow, in the 3rd/4th place play-off, they could even try to attempt the continental podium, although current title-holders Portugal will surely make their lives not easy at all.
What should be highlighted, whatever may happen tomorrow, is that the Carpathians have finally established their position amongst the best teams in the European panorama, and counting on players such as wonderful Maci or the Poste twins, amongst many others, they can feel confident on their possibilities when facing whoever they may face.
Today, against one of the traditional giants in the Beach Soccer panorama, Spain, the Romanian side proved they are ready to battle at the highest level, and after being counteracted their opener and see themselves down on the score, never turned their back to the game, acknowledging their possibilities. Their determination brought the expected results when the scored turned around again, this time on their favour, with the goals by I. Poste and Juanma (own goal), which allow them the possibility to go for the bronze in this season’s Euro Beach Soccer League.
Goals : 1-0 : Maci, min. 10 (3) ; 1-1 : Jorge, min. 2 (1) ; 2-1 : Juanma, min. 8 (3) ; 2-2 : I. Poste, min. 4 (2) ; 2-3 : Juanma (own goal), min. 3 (3)
Israel prevails in goal feast
12 goals were needed to discern which of the teams would play for the 11th place in the Euro Beach Soccer League. Israel will finally be the ones to, after edging the Netherlands (5-7) after wonderfully coming back from a 3-0. Neither a hat-trick by Patrick Ax nor the considerable advantage achieved in the first seven minutes of the game were enough for Holland to capture their first points in this group stage of the Promotion final.
After a first period painted in orange, only disturbed by Nakache’s 3-1 at the last minutes, Israel brilliantly relived, thanks to a 0-4 run in the second leg that left the score 3-5. With the advantage already at their hands, Benyamin Lam’s boys would never let Netherlands too close, with Yatim immediately replying Ax’s and Summerville’s hits. Although they had no chance of getting into the Promotion Final decision, these three points will let them, at least, fight in Moscow for the third place of their division.
Goals: 1-0: Koswal, min. 10 (1); 2-0: Ax, min. 8 (1); 3-0: Ax, min. 5 (1); 3-1: Nakache, min. 3 (1); Iloz, min. 9 (2) ; 3-3 : Badash, min. 8 (2) ; 3-4 : Iloz, min. 2 (2); 3-5: Levi, min. 0 (2); 4-5: Ax, min. 11 (3); Yatim, min. 9 (3); 5-6: Summerville, min. 2 (3); 5-7: Yatim, min. 0 (3)
Turkey does not want to lose top-flight place
Turkey hit the sand today against Czech Republic with their eyes put on getting to the Promotional Final to fight for their Division A license, precisely against the team they seized that privileged distinction last year: France. The last obstacle for this to happen were the unpredictable Czechs, who, although losing their previous game against Belarus, could have even dreamed about getting themselves into that chance. But the Ottoman destroyed and rode roughshod over any possibility for this to happen with a loud victory which left little more to say…12-2.
Six goals in the first period became a too heavy weight for Czech Republic, as the Turkish fielded their superiority with more and more goals. Despite the two shy replies by Karda and Robb, there was little the Czechs could do against the Ottoman dominion, an saw the score grow to the final 12-2 and open doors wide to Turkey for the Euro Beach Soccer League 2011 Promotion Final.
Goals: 1-0: Tamer, min. 8 (1); 2-0: Tamer, min. 8 (1); 3-0: Kerem, min. 5 (1); 4-0: Adil, min. 2 (1); 5-0, Baris, min. 1 (1); 6-0: Tamer, min. 10 (2); 7-0: Erhan, min. 8 (2); 7-1: Karda, min. 3 (2); 8-1: Baris, min. 1 (2); 9-1: Seyit, mn. 11 (3); 9-2: Robb, min. 6 (3); 10-2: Tamer, min. 5 (3); 11-2: Baris, min. 3 (3); 12-2: Erhan, min. 1 (3)
EURO BEACH SOCCER LEAGUE 2011 – SUPERFINAL & PROMOTION FINAL MOSCOW
Game results
Thursday, August 4th
Switzerland 6 – 7 Italy
Turkey 3 – 1 Belarus
Netherlands 4 – 5 France
Russia 8 – 1 Romania
Friday, August 5th
13:30 – Israel 1 – 3 France
14:45 – Czech Rep. 2 – 5 Belarus
16:00 – Portugal 3 – 1 Italy
17:15h – Russia 4 – 2 Spain
Saturday, August 6th
13:30 – Netherlands 5 – 7 Israel
14:45 – Turkey 12 – 2 Czech Rep
16:00 – Switzerland 5 – 2 Portugal
17:15h – Spain 2 – 3 Romania
Matches for tomorrow:
Sundday, August 7th
10:30 – Czech Republic – Netherlands (Promotion Final 5th/6th place)
12:00 – Spain – Italy (Superfinal 5th/6th place)
13:30 – Belarus – Israel (Promotion final 3rd/4th place)
14:45 – Turkey – France (PROMOTION FINAL)
16:00 – Romania – Portugal (Superfinal 3rd/4th place)
