Extra time and penalties feature in selecting the final four teams in the Women’s Euro Winners Cup
After yesterday’s results, for many teams all that was left to do was scrap for the ninth position.
Positons one to eight would, of course, be decided in the quarter-finals, then the semis, and the final. However, ninth to sixteenth were still up for grabs…as well as the chance for another win, of course!
CSO Amneville vs CFP Cáceres Femenino
While Sporting and Lokrians were tussling for position, meanwhile of pitch one CSO Amneville BC and CFP Cáceres Femenino had a little more a stake in their fixture; a place in the semi-finals. In the first period, Pajuelo put the Spanish in front but CSO Amneville came back to end the first period with a 2-1 advantage.
The scoreline remained the same throughout the second period but in the third the French added to their tally and increased the advantage and defended it effectively until the final whistle. CSO Amneville would now have to wait to see who they face in the semi-finals.
Roses Platja vs AIS Playas de San Javier
After CSO Amneville BC qualified for the semi-finals earlier in the day, Roses Platja and AIS Playas de San Javier were keen to join them. But two Spanish sides in hot form coming together in a quarter-final was always going to be a close contest.
And close it was, as after the first period neither team had managed to find the net but then the Playas took the lead in the second, only for a sublime free-kick by Carla of Roses Platja to cancel out the deficit. Playas de San Javier pushed on for a second and a third goal which Roses were unable to find a response to and, as a result, were knocked out of the Euro Winners Cup.
Lady Grembach Lodz vs Portsmouth Ladies BSC
After surging through the group stages and accumulating a grand total of 34 goals in three games, Portsmouth had a slightly more difficult task of getting into the quarter-finals in yesterday’s match.
They scraped through, but today’s challenge against Lady Grembach EE Lodz would be even tougher. Pompey went behind after a goalless first period where neither team wanted to blink and concede the first goal. They managed to get back on level terms before the second break.
Normal time would end all square too and the Brits thought an absolute screamer from Widdowson would be enough to take them through but an equaliser came from Marta ten seconds from time. After an intense round of penalties, Pompey were the ones who held their nerve to make it in semis.
WFC Zvezda vs BSC Havana Shots Aargau
To round off the women’s quarter-final action of the day, the Russians of WFC Zvezda took on the reigning champions to try and scupper plans for a second successive title. After the first whistle the Russians held the advantage with a single goal from Ivashkina. Zvezda doubled their lead in the second period and seemed to have the game under control. The tempo of the game suddenly sped right up and five goals went in in quick succession. Unfortunately for the Swiss, only two of the goals were scored by Havana Shots, and were not enough to secure them a place in the semi-finals.
KU AZS UAM Poznan vs Higicontrol Melilla
KU AZS UAM Poznan, of Poland, met the Spanish side, Higicontrol Melilla, to fight for the best finishing position possible, the highest of which being ninth.
After a close opening first, and even second, period where Higicontrol lead by one and then just two goals, the game didn’t really look out of the Polish team’s sights until an Ariadna brace helped put the game to bed, finishing up at 5-0. Three points in the bag as well as a good chance of a higher finishing place.
Sporting CP vs Lokrians Beach Club
After being knocked out of the Euro Winners Cup by Roses Platja yesterday, Sporting were looking to restore some pride today and take a win against Lokrians of Italy, who had been hammered by Playas de San Javier the previous day.
After the first period the teams were tied at one apiece but going into the second period Sporting found their feet and four more goal scorers found their way onto the scoresheet. There was no way back for Lokrians and Sporting took away all three points.
Madrid CFF vs ASD Lady Terracina
Madrid CFF would attempt to see off ASD Lady Terracina in today’s scrap for the highest finishing position after painstakingly missing out on a place in the quarter-finals in extra time against Lady Grembach.
The first period ended with the Spanish trailing by a single goal at 3-2, but in the second, a brace from Bastos gave Lady Terricina a 2-5 lead. The tables turned in the final period, when Madrid kicked into action and got themselves back on level terms.
The 5-5 scoreline lasted until the end of extra time until the only option left to decide a victor was penalties. Madrid failed to score any of their penalties, and two from Lady Terracina was enough to secure them a hard-earned point.
HTC BS Zwolle vs Beachkick Ladies Berlin
The Dutch team HTC BS Zwolle would take on the Germans, Beachkick Ladies, in a scramble to finish the competition in the best possible place. Beachkick Ladies had been knocked out of the Euro Winners Cup by last year’s champions after a tight game and today’s would be just as close.
The Dutch scored first, with Seinen netting four minutes before the first whistle. It took until the second period for Beachkick to respond, but they equalised through Wiegand midway through the period only to lose the lead again with three minutes to go. The third period proving goalless meant that Zwolle took all three, hard-won, points.
For full results fixtures and standings, click here.
