Bangsaen see the Portuguese claim the cup, the Thai as runner ups, and Germany and England finishing 3rd and 4th
The Portuguese National team displayed its most talented version today in Bangsaen to run past Thailand and claim this BSWW Bangsaen Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup 2013. A powerful performance by the European was too much to cope with for the Thai, who had done, nevertheless, a great tournament.
Mario Narciso?s team made clear rather soon that they had already forgot yesterday?s defeat against Germany and were heading for the trophy. In the first period, Graça from the long distance and Madjer pushed the score to 0-2. Tapinna tried to lead the reaction for his team, backed for a noisy devoted crowd, but the magician in the other side cut that dream rather soon, scoring two goals more in just four minutes. Belchior confirmed it was not today that the Thai would do such an amazing achievement with the 1-5.
Madjer, again, sealed the win for the Portuguese with the 1-6, just a couple of minutes before Phusonmuek had the last say in the match, with a harmless, but inspiring, 2-6. The final whistle got Portugal on top of the table, but this defeat cannot turn down a bit the amusing job done for the Thai, who contested, and won, European powerhouses such as England and Germany, and confirmed they aim to become a relevant team in the Beach Soccer stage.
England’s brilliant come back gets them to snatch last points from the 9 meter distance
England captured two points in this last day at the Bangsaen Beach Soccer International 2013, after edging Germany in the penalty kick shootout.
After balanced and hard-fought first minutes, Kniller would sweep the Germans ahead with a powerful shot, but Evans immediately replied, firing the equalizer home to begin a pattern that would repeat all match long, as the English would pull the equalizer back once and again after any hit by the Mannsachaft, to never let them too far.
That cadence seemed to break when Keppinho widened the one goal gap with the 5-3, but England was playing in full confidence, and managed to level the scoreboard one more time. Not even the last minute 6-5 made them faint, and, with 27 seconds to final horn, Mitchell sent the game to extra time.
It was not those extra three minutes the ones passing sentence, though, but the thrilling penalty kick shootout afterwards. After Evans and Weirauch bagged the first attempts in for their sides and Day and Keppinho missed the respective second ones, Mitchell?s aim decided the game after a new missed shot by Körner.
Goals: 1-0: Kniller, min. 0 (1); 1-1: Evans, min. 0 (1); 2-1: Olli, min. 8 (2); 2-2: Clarke, min. 7 (2); 3-2: Körner, min. 6 (2); 3-3: Mitchell, min. 2 (2); 4-3: Körner, min. 1 (2); 5-3: Keppinho, min. 9 (3); 5-4: Evans, min. 3 (3); 5-5: Temple, min. 1 (3); 6-5: Körner, min. 1 (3); 6.6: Mitchell, min. 0 (3)
Penalty kick shootout: Evans, in; Weirauch, in; Day, misses; Keppinho, misses; Körner, misses; Mitchell, in.
BSWW Bangsaen Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup 2013
Game results
Saturday, 16th of March
10:00 ? Portugal 2-3 Germany
11:15 ? England 4-6 Thailand
15:30 ? Portugal 6-2 England
16:45 ? Thailand 7-4 Germany
Sunday, 17th of March
15:30 ? Germany vs England
16:45 ? Thailand vs Portugal
Final standings:
Winner: Portugal
Runner-up: Thailand
3rd place: Germany
4th place: England
