The two National Selections participated in a set of exhibitions matches in Tahiti on the 16th and 17th of May
Tahiti hosted the Swiss team over the weekend for training sessions and two high-scoring friendly matches on May 16th and 17th. The two sides have friendly rivalry and have played many times over the course of the last few years and this season they will both be fighting in the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Portugal 2015. The World Cup kicks off in July and the two sides are doing all they can to prepare for the epic showdowns to come, though they will both be in different Groups.
The first friendly match between the Swiss and the Tiki Toa went to Switzerland but it was an offensive fireworks show with a score or 8-7. The close match had nearly every player score but it was a hat-trick from Philip Borer that provided just enough of a difference in the 8-7 win. Also scoring for La Nati was Schirinzi, Ott, Stankovic, Meier, and Werder. The final day of the camp, the 17th, saw another offensive output that jumps off the sheet, 9-7 for Switzerland. There were not as many goal scorers but instead a log-jam of goals from the Swiss’ best players. Stankovic scored four times, while Ott scored a hat-tracks and Borer added another two goals to his weekend total.
Trainings were a success and the two proud beach soccer nations have much in common, like their propensity for scoring goals, and they are both looking forward to playing each other in the World Cup, if fate allows it, as they will have to advance from the group stages and wait until the knockout stages for another encounter. Switzerland will also be participating in the first European Games Baku 2015, which is set for the end of June. The European Games will be another tough test for the Swiss as they will face five other top-flight teams from the Euro Beach Soccer League Division A, as well the hosts, Azerbaijan, and the top team in Division B, Hungary.
