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MY BEACH SOCCER 
The Brazilians were spectacular in winning the final, however it was Argentina who thrilled fans by earning their tickets to Portugal by way of penalties
Uruguay grinds out win for 5th place
The 3-2 win for Uruguay over Paraguay was as exciting as they come with a blitz of last second goals in the opening frame and then tactical brilliance the remainder of the match. Five total goals were scored in the first 12 minutes, but more importantly, two within two seconds of each other with under 10 seconds left in the first period. The win gives Uruguay 5th place in all of CONMEBOL and they finish the event on a high note. Also it was the last international match for Leandro Ortiz of Uruguay, who played 17 seasons for the national team. Peru narrowly missed out on 5th place but they will be happy to finish the tournament as the 6th best team in all of South America.
5th Place was on the line and tension made the importance of the match even more evident. The two sides were playing the match very tight, not giving anything up, in regards to space and shots on goal. The teams danced around the pitch, looking for shots and trying to dissect the defenses. The goals were not there and the teams looked destined to end the period in a 0-0 draw, but Fabricio of the Celeste said otherwise as he netted a last minute goal to give his side the slight one goal advantage in the pursuit for the coveted 5th place. The Peruvians were taking more chances in the middle frame, and had some decent looks but the Uruguayan defense was just sturdy enough to hold off the attacks and they were deft enough to counter, resulting in the second goal of the match, and first from Diego, to put Las Charruas up 2-0. The Incans hit gold when they scored on a rocket from Castro, which left the score at 2-1 for Uruguay. The goals did not stop there as both sides scored again in the final seconds to make for a 3-2 advantage for Uruguay going into the last break.
The last period was more start and stop than the previous frames as the teams wanted to make sure they found their spots and kept the opponent from finding theirs. The teams did not find the back of the net again as the match progressed into the final minutes The Uruguayans held the 3-2 lead and nothing seemed certain as Peru was on the attack and a one goal lead in beach is never safe in beach soccer. Los Incas found more openings as the period moved along, but they could not find the equalizer and the match finished with Uruguay up 3-2.
Goals: 0-1: Fabricio, min. 0 (1); 0-2: Diego, min. 3 (2); 1-2: Castro, min. 2 (2); 2-2: Castro, min. 0 (2); 2-3: Diego, min. 0 (2).
Argentina earns final World Cup berth in penalties
The 4(0)-4(1) penalties win for Argentina over Ecuador came a day later than they expected and hoped, but a win is a win is a win. The game was chock full of excitement, goals, and saves, most importantly the ones made by Argentina in the shootout. Argentina were on the defensive early on as Ecuador saved some of their best play for last, though Argentina weathered the storm and scored first, taking a big lead and looking comfortable, but it was a miraculous comeback from Ecuador that sent the match to penalties and eventually penalties, but the magic ran out in the shootout. The win gives Argentina 3rd place in the CONMEBOL region and they will now be heading the World Cup in Portugal in July. The loss was a difficult one to take for the hosts and their fans but the future is bright for the Ecuadorian team as they finished in 4th in this difficult region.
A World Cup appearance is something that nearly every child dreams of, and in this match you could feel the hopes and desires of both sides. The energy was electric and neither side was able to separate themselves in the opening minutes of the match, though it was the hosts who were asking more questions and looked thirstier for victory. All of the good work that the Ecuadorians were putting in did not yield a goal as Los Gauchos were playing just as hard, but on the opposite end of the pitch and going into the final minutes of the frame, the score remained 0-0. If the first period looked lopsided in regards to possession, things leveled out in the second period, with the Albiceleste giving Los Amarillos their best shots, but Ecuador was just as strong as Argentina on the back end. The tension shattering first goal came from Costas of Argentina, which you might expect to silence the home crowd, but instead it led to an increase in shouts and cheers. The good energy did not stop the Argentina Selection from scoring again, but in the final minute of the period, Ecuador scored to cut the deficit in half and leave the score at 2-1 going into the final 12 minutes.
Argentina may have faltered late in the middle period, but they responded nicely in the closing frame, with an opening minute goal to push the lead to 3-1. The Cowboys were on a determined run and they continued their FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Portugal 2015 push by scoring again, the second of the day for Medero, which gave his side a 4-1 lead. The heart fo the Ecuadorians was never in doubt and they displayed it yet again when they score their second goal, on an open net shot finished and created by Conforme. The goal put the score at 4-2 for Argentina going into the final minutes of the match. Drama is beach soccer’s middle name and when S. Moreira scored his second and third goals of the match, in under a minute, the Yellow had tied matters at 4 with just over three minutes remaining. The teams could not separate themselves and dramatically headed into an extra frame tied at 4. The overtime was fast and the match headed into a shootout. Argentina proved to be too clutch and too much in the penalties, winning 4(1)-4(0).
Goals: 0-1: Costas, min. 5 (2); 0-2: Medero, min. 5 (2); 1-2: S. Moreira, min. 0 (2); 1-3: Costas, min. 11 (3); 1-4: Medero, min. 8 (3); 2-4: Conforme, min. 6 (3); 3-4: S. Moreira, min. 4 (3); 4-4: S. Moreira, min. 3 (3).
Penalties: Bailon, miss; Medero, goal; S. Moreira, saved; Franceschini, miss; Confrome, saved.
Brazil clinical in winning final over Paraguay
The 8-3 win for Brazil over Paraguay was similar to their performance in the Copa Sudamericana de Beach Soccer – Recife 2015, as they played well in the group stages, lost a match, then rebounded against this same Paraguayan squad in the finale, to win and win big. Brazil did not immediately connect on their shots, but they did create a safe distance between them and Paraguay after the first period, and at that point the lead got bigger after a dominating final frame. The win gives Brail first place in CONMEBOL and they will be just as confident as ever heading to Portugal for the 2015 World Cup. Paraguay tried to avenge their finals loss to Brazil in Recife but they did not have enough gas in the tank, though they will still be happy knowing they are going to the World Cup as well, after finishing second in all of South America.
The two teams had already earned their spots in the FIFA Beach Soccer Portugal 2015 World Cup from the 9th-19th of July but they wanted to improve their standings and show that they were the absolute best team, without a doubt, in South America. The first important moment, well after the opening whistle, was a strike from Rodrigo that but the Brazilians up 1-0 with five minutes gone in the first period. The Tetra Campeones were firing on all cylinders as they scored another two goals while shutting out the Paraguayans, until the final minutes when the Albirroja kicked back and netted their first goal on a penalty kick from P. Moran. The excitement was increasing as the game headed into the first break with Brazil up 3-1. The second period was filled with great offensive moments from the Canarinho as they pushed the lead to three goals and finished the frame up 5-2.
The final period was like the first period, with Brazil controlling the tempo but staying very calm and scoring three goals while only ceding one, to push the lead to 8-3. One of Brazil’s best players, Datinha, scored twice in the closing frame, to not only put the game out of reach for Paraguay, but also to secure the scoring title with 12 goals. The individual award is not as important as finishing the match up, but it is an admirable feat in an event full of stars and great goal scorers. Paraguay scored the last goal of the match, pulling within five goals, however, it was not enough and the final whistle sounded with the Verde-Amarela up by a score of 8-3.
Goals: 1-0: Rodirigo, min. 7 (1); 2-0: Bruno Xavier, min. 4 (1); 3-0: Datinha, min. 2 (1); 3-1: P. Moran, min. 2 (1); 4-1: Gabriel, min. 8 (2); 5-1: Datinha, min. 5 (2); 5-2: E. Barrete, min. 3 (2); 6-2: Bruno Xavier, min. 3 (2); 7-2: Datinha min. 10 (3); 8-2: Datinha, min. 8 (3); 8-3: J. Lopez, min. 2 (3).
FBSWC PORTUGAL 2015 – CONMEBOL QUALIFIER MANTA (ECUADOR)
Results Today:
Sunday 26.04.15
14:15 – Peru 2-3 Uruguay (5th Place Match)
15:30 –Ecuador 4(0)-4(1) (pen) Argentina (3rd Place Match)
16:45 – Brazil 8-3 Paraguay (Final)
Final Standings:
Winner: Brazil
Runner-up: Paraguay
3rd Place: Argentina
4th Place: Ecuador
Individual Award Winners:
Best Goalkeeper: Fernandez (Paraguay)
Top Scorer: Datinha (Brazil)
MVP: S. Moreira (Ecuador)
