Favourites got the points in the opening day of the Euro Beach Soccer League – Berlin 2011
Full shape Russia opens fire in Berlin
The summer break proved nothing harmful for Russia, who jumped onto the field for their first battle at the European Season in this Euro Beach Soccer League stage in Berlin. After finishing in the third position last year, and with the Superfinal being held this year on their soil (Moscow, August 4th-7th), Likhachev’s team are set to fight for even higher ranks. And they found no better way to make it clear than with an authoritarian victory over Romania they began building in the first period. Captain Leonov swept his team ahead and achieved a victory Russia would never lose.
The most amusing version of the Russian offensive machinery showed up during the third period, in which they put into siege the Romanian nets. With an unstoppable attacking push, the menace hardly left the surroundings of the Carpathian box, and Shishin put this flow into productive terms with a great shot making it 2-0 for his side. The current European 3rd place holders did not took their pace down and kept aiming to widen their advantage, but the posts would not let them do so. The match was heading for the horn to signal the end of the second period when Krashenninikov hit the ball with his hand inside his penalty box, what took the ball to the 9-meter spot. The Romanian start, Maci, did not miss the chance to lift his team closer in the score, and with his privileged left foot made it 2-1.
But Russia was not for making their opponents reach the last period so close on the score, and Eremeev would head a ball in almost from the floor to restore the two-goal gap under the horn. Although Maci proved he would not give up at the beginning of the last stage, that last minutes had again a clear Russian colour. With the hits by Eremeev and Shishin completing their doubles, Russia finished any Carpathian chances, and let their side begin the season in the way any big teams needs to: with the three points at their hands. And, what is even better, offering an image that leaves little room for speculation: they are in their best shape already.
Goals: 1-0: Leonov, min. 3 (1); 2-0: Shishin, min. 9 (2); 2-1: Maci, min. 0 (2)3-1: Eremeev, min. 0 (2); 3-2: Maci, min. 10 (3); 4-2: Eremeev, min. 5 (3); 5-2: Shishin, min. 0 (3)
Belchior pokers it to place Portugal on top
Four goals by Belchior were an unbearable blow for enthusiasts Turkey in Portuguese ‘premiere’ at current Euro Beach Soccer Season. With Coimbra and Duarte to complete the effort, the Iberian secured the first place in the Division A group for today, with the same points and goal difference than Russia, but having hit the net once more. Even though, the big news could be that Portuguese Monster Madjer did not have his name on the count today, something really unusual…
0-2 up by the end of first period seemed to point that there was little the newcomers could do against the Champions. But it was. A lot, indeed, as Tamer and Kerem highlighted with the equalizer by mid second period, voicing that anything could happen. The Turkish were set to earn their first Division A points, no matter who the opponent was. But the only reward they found for their cheekiness was two new hits by Belchior that made it 2-4 at the end of the second leg.
Kerem would try the climbing again, but his enthusiasm would not be so further appreciated this time, since Coimbra’s free kick would hit the post and go in to cut any Turkish expectation. Just two minutes later, Portuguese hero today, Belchior, would complete his goal-poker to raise the Lusitanians to the top of the table in the Division A group of this Euro Beach Soccer League – Berlin 2011.
Goals: 0-1: Belchior, min. 8 (1); 0-2: Duarte, min. 2 (1); 2-1: Tamer, min. 11 (2); 2-2: Kerem, min. 7 (2); 2-3: Belchior, min. 4 (2); 2-4: Belchior, min. 4 (2); 3-4: Kerem, min. 10 (3); 3-5: Coimbra, min. 8 (3); 3-6: Belchior, min. (6).
Germany does a good job in opening
The Mannschaft’s pulse did not shake in their opening game in front of their crowd, and edged Andorra to earn first points of the season in this Euro Beach Soccer League they are playing at home. They will try to make the most of it to open the door to Moscow’s Promotion Final next month, and to begin, they ran over the Pyrenean side. It was not all that easy, though, as Andorra are eager to grow in the game and fought all their options.
With the first hit by Dos Santos by mid first period, Germany seemed to quickly stepping on the right path, and kept controlling the ball and enjoying good chances in the following minutes. But what the ‘Mannschaft’ could not expect was Moreno’s amazingly sending a brilliant overhead kick in for the equalizer in the 9th minute of the second period. Fortunately for the hosts, Ulle decisively deflected a shoot by Olli to recover the advantage immediately, right before their opponents realized the next steps to take to turn the hosts evening darker.
Once understood that one goal advantage was way too little, the German side went to increase that gap, something they managed doing thanks to third period hits by Torde and Dos Santos. These three points secure the German reaching the decision day on Sunday with all in their hands to lift the Division B cup in this Euro Beach Soccer League they are hosting, what immediately would mean the chance of fighting for promotion to Division A in Moscow.
Goals: 1-0: Dos Santos, min.6 (1); 1-1: Moreno, min. 3 (2); 2-1: Ulle, min. 3 (2); 3-1: Torde, min. 10 (3); 4-1: Dos Santos.
Results:
Friday, 8th July
16.45 – Russia 5-2 Romania
18:00 – Turkey 3-6 Portugal
19:30 – Germany 4-1 Andorra
Saturday, 9th July
15.30 – Czech Republic vs. Andorra
16:45 – Portugal vs. Romania
18:00 – Russia vs. Turkey
Sunday, 10th July
16.30 – Portugal vs. Russia
17:45 – Romania vs. Turkey
19:00 – CELEBRITY MATCH
19:45 – Germany vs. Czech Republic
