The Euro Winners Cup now has eight less contesters after a thrilling day of beach soccer drama
As the teams drop out of the tournament, the competition gets tougher and tougher the games get even more intense. Today we said goodbye to many familiar faces, as we get ready for the quarter finals and for eight to become four!
FC Bate Borisov vs Dinamo Batumi
FC Bate Borisov took on the Georgian team, Dinamo Batumi, who had only played twice so far in the tournament, coming from a smaller group. The Belarussians, however, were looking for a fourth consecutive win but lost the lead early on to a Shamiladze opener. But then Aksenov stepped up, as he so often does, to get Borisov back on level terms.
The first period ended all square but then Dinamo took the lead once more, and it was up to the Russian number ten to get his team back in the game again. But once the Georgians got their noses ahead for a third time the reply from FC Bate Borisov never came and their journey in the Euro Winners Cup, finally came to an end.
Happy Car Sambenedettese BS vs ACD West Deva
The Italian side, Happy Car Sambenedettese BS, would meet an ACD West Deva team who had had a slight scare on the last day of the group stages, and could count themselves a little lucky to be in the knockout round at all. There was little to separate the teams at the first break and Di Palma got the Italians off the mark whilst Maci did the same for the Romanians, both having scored more than once in yesterday’s bouts.
But as the second and third periods drew on, Pablo Perez claimed a hat-trick to take the Italians further and further in front and, after ACD West Deva failed to respond, the lead increased to five before the final whistle went, and a place in the last eight was secured for Happy Car.
BSC Vybor vs Alanyabelediye Spor
After dominating their group, BSC Vybor from the Ukraine were ready to make it four wins out of four against an Alanyabelediye Spor who had lost their previous game against the Moscow goliaths, BSC Lokomotiv.
Vybor took the lead in the first period to put the Turkish team on the back foot, but Alanyabelediye managed to bring it back to 2-2 by the end of the second period. That is how it would stay until 20 seconds before time, when Suer managed to get on the end of a rebound to knee the winner into the roof of the net to an ecstatic reaction from his teammates and coaching staff.
BSC Lokomotiv vs Kreiss
Following a perfect group campaign, the BSC Lokomotiv Moscow were entitled to feel confident going into this contest against Kreiss from Latvia, who had only played two games in the competition so far. They received a scare though, when the Latvian number 13 scored the game’s opening goal to grab the advantage for Kreiss. The Russians equalised a few minutes later but the first period ended at a 1-1 tie.
After their initial wobble it seemed like the Russians got back in their normal stride and slowly started to widen the gap between them and their opponents. The second period finished with Lokomotiv enjoying a two -goal cushion. In the end they put five past the Latvians, and surged in to the next round.
KP Lodz vs CD Melistar Melilla
Yesterday saw KP Lodz round off the last day of the group stages by beating the local Nazaré team, ACD O Sotão, on home sand and securing their place on today’s fixture list. They took on a CD Melistar Melilla who had also enjoyed a strong group stage and were looking to go all the way.
The Spanish took the lead early on and kept it into the second period. However, a reaction from the Poles brought the score to 2-2 going into the third stage of the game and they managed to keep this momentum going to clinch a tight 4-3 victory against a bitterly disappointed CD Melistar.
Sporting CP vs MFC Spartak
After a couple of shaky starts, Sporting were back on track and ready to take of MFC Spartak. The Bulgarian team finished behind Braga in their group stages but fancied themselves as giant slayers today against Sporting.
Spartak held their own in a well-matched first round but goals from Jordan and the Sporting legend, Majder, gave the Portuguese side the lead at the first break. They went on to build on it, with two more goals in the second period and this s how the game would end, despite both teams creating promising chances. Sporting go on into the last eight and MFC Spartak, after such a good run in the tournament, will be playing for the 9th place.
SC Braga vs Nomme BSC Olybet
Last year’s champions were looking to emulate their achievement from the year before by taking out Nomme BSC Olybet to reach the last eight. Nomme had lost to Sporting in the group stages but they came off the back of two wins and wanted the place in the next round as much as their Portuguese opponents.
Braga lead at the first break by three goals to one but a few minutes into the second period the Estonian team reduced the deficit to just one. This didn’t last long though as Braga became more and more comfortable, increasing their tally to six by the time the second stage of the game ended.
BSC Kristall vs Falfala Kfar Qassem BSC
Kristall had seen off some tough competition to get to this point but meeting Falfala in a match that doubled as a Round of 16 match, as well as the final of the Nazaré Cup, could well be their biggest challenge so far. Ott gave Falfala the lead in the first period, meaning the it was up to the Russian side to respond.
Respond they did but only after Falfala had scored another early in the second period, which ended on level terms at two goals apiece. As the third stage of the game went on the race was on for what would surely be the winning goal, and it finally came thanks to a Romanov strike. Try as the Israeli team they just couldn’t get back on level terms and the Nazaré Cup, as well as qualification into the quarter finals, went to Kristall.
For complete results, standings, and schedules, click here.
