The Portuguese champions swept aside Spartak Moscow to claim a second Mundialito de Clubes title
SC Braga remain Mundialito de Clubes champions as they saw off Spartak Moscow by eight goals to three to lift their second trophy in as many years in Moscow.
Jordan scored the first and last goal of the game to help the European kings down their Spartak Moscow challengers, who registered their best ever finish with second place.
Their Muscovite neighbours, Lokomotiv, took third with a decisive win over Tokyo Verdy, while Levante finished in fifth thanks to an extra time winner from Edu Suarez, whose 10 goals saw him claim the Top Scorer trophy.
Two debutants, Grasshopper CZ and Alanya Belediyespor, fought over seventh, and the Turkish side came out on top thanks to a Dejan Stankovic masterclass.
The MVP award went to Braga’s Filipe and the champions also had the Best Goalkeeper in Rafa Padilha.
SC Braga (POR) 8-3 Spartak Moscow (RUS) – FINAL
The locals had already beaten the defending champions once this campaign, handing Braga their first ever loss in the Mundialito de Clubes. But both sides had already made the semi-finals in prior to that game, and the steaks were much higher this time around.
It was the Guerreiros who drew first blood as Jordan, the world’s best player, pounded the opener in off the crossbar. Spartak threatened to equalise but the next goal went to Braga too, and it came all the way from keeper Rafa Padilha.
Bruno Xavier then flew in at the far post to poke in a third just before the first break and Spartak were being left behind. A cheeky Be Martins chip in the next period made things worse for the locals but the fans in the Megasports Palace did well to keep cheering their side on.
In the dying minutes of the second period, Iranian star Ahmadzadeh gave Spartak Moscow some hope with a calm finish through the keeper’s legs, but no sooner had the final period restarted when Andre hit a fifth for Braga.
Spartak rattled the bar twice within seconds didn’t find another goal until Zemskov powered in a header, only to see it canceled out by a spinning shot from Leo Martins to make it 6-2, and Braga were too far ahead to be caught.
Pavlenko put away a third for Spartak, but Filipe, and a final strike from Jordan, put the final to bed and Os Guerreiros do Minho celebrated a second title in as many years, while Spartak register their best ever finish in the competition.
Goals: 1-0: Jordan, min. 11 (1); 2-0: Rafa Padilha, min. 4 (1); 3-0: Bruno Xavier, min. 0 (1); 4-0: Be Martins, min. 6 (2); 4-1: Ahmadzadeh, min. 3 (2); 5-1: Andre, min. 11 (3); 5-2: Zemskov, min. 7 (3); 6-2: Leo Martin, min. 7 (3); 6-3: Pavlenko, min. 5 (3); 7-3: Filipe, min. 4 (3); 8-3: Jordan, min. 0 (3);
Tokyo Verdy (JPN) 2-6 BSC Lokomotiv (RUS) – 3rd-place play-off
A painful defeat in the Moscow derby saw former champions Lokomotiv fighting for third place against first-timers Tokyo Verdy.
An early strike from Nikonorov and then a calm freekick from Llorenç put an initial gap between the sides, but the Brazilian Catarino pulled one back before the first klaxon sounded. Llorenç netted a second in the next period but once again the Railwaymen were pinned back by a brave finish from Mateusinho.
However, in the final period the local side burst ahead in the match, as a Nikonorov inspired surge saw them push the score to 6-2. The Russian international scored two more to complete his hat-trick, and Federov put away a freekick to comfortably wrap up the third place.
Toyko Verdy take a very respectable fourth in their first ever appearance in the Mundialito de Clubes.
Goals: 0-1: Nikonorov, min. 8 (1); 0-2: Llorenç, min. 7 (1); 1-2: Catarino, min. 7 (1); 1-3: Llorenç, min. 8 (2); 2-3: Mateusinho, min. 4 (2); 2-4: Federov, min. 10 (3); 2-5: Nikonorov, min. 6 (3); 2-6: Nikonorov, min. 2 (3);
Levante (ESP) 5-4 CR Flamengo (BRA) – 5th-place play-off
After winning their play-off games on Saturday, Levante and Flamengo squared off for one final battle to claim fifth.
Rafael put the Spaniards in front midway through the first period, but captain Gil leveled soon after, striking low across Dona’s goal. However, Sanfilippo and Edu Suarez put Levante 3-1 ahead before the first whistle.
Flamengo came back in the second period with goals from Alejandro and Igor, and then took the lead when Igor scored an incredible bicycle kick from distance. After the scores were tied after three periods, it took a sublime extra time chip from Edu Suarez, his tenth of the tournament, to snatch the win and seal fifth place for Levante.
Goals: 1-0: Rafael, min. 7 (1); 1-1: Gil, min. 3 (1); 2-1: Sanfilippo, min. 3 (1); 3-1: Edu Suarez, min. 2 (1); 3-2: Alejandro, min. 9 (2); 3-3: Igor, min. 5 (2); 3-4: Igor, min. 10 (3); 4-4: Javi Torres, min. 0 (3); 5-4: Edu Suarez, min. ET (3);
Grasshopper CZ (SUI) 4-8 Alanya Belediyespor (TUR) – 7th-place play-off
The Swiss side went into their final match in Moscow with a clear goal, ending their first Mundialito de Clubes on a victorious high note.
The Ukrainian recruit Voitok hit the first to get Grasshopper off the mark, but a quickfire hat-trick from Dejan Stankovic soon put the Swiss of the backfoot.
Turkish champions gradually widened the gap between themselves and by the time the final whistle blew Stankovic had scored five of their eight goals, to see Alanya claim seventh place.
Goals: 1-0: Voitok, min. 7 (1); 1-1: Adil, min. 4 (1); 2-1: Spacca, min. 4 (1); 2-2: Stankovic, min. 0 (1); 2-3: Stankovic, min. 0 (1); 2-4: Stankovic, min. 10 (2); 2-5: Brendo, min. 9 (2); 3-5: Bernardo, min. 2 (2); 3-6: Stankovic, min. 2 (2); 4-6: Hodel, min. 11 (3); 4-7: Seyit, min. 3 (3); 4-8: Stankovic, min. 1 (3);
