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The two Beach Soccer giants beat UAE and Switzerland to repeat FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2011 final
Solid Brazil book their ticket for the final
Guga’s Brazil proved too strong for the UAE although the locals made it an intense contest thanks to their will to demonstrate that they had not made it that far by chance.
Although the Brazilians were the first to get on the scoresheet, the hosts put up quite a fight in the first period of the match in the form of continuous shots on goal and solid defending in front of a packed stadium. This scenario was extended to the second period which confirmed the respect the two teams have for each other.
Throughout the second period, Brazil began taking advantage of frontman André’s magic to take control of play and create some breathtaking chances. However, Marcelo Mendes’s men were never kicked out of the game and maintained the struggle to have their say in the match.
The 1-0 score at the beginning of the third period was once again quite significant to demonstrate what had been happening up to that point. It was not until Anderson’s cracker that things started looking brighter for the 4 time world champions booking their ticket for the final to face either Russia or Switzerland.
Goals: 1-0: Sidney, min. 5 (1); 2-0: Anderson, min. 10 (3)
A thrilling match leads Russia to a repeat of this year’s World Cup final
Russia and Switzerland played out a match to remember with beautiful goals, great comebacks and high quality Beach Soccer. It was the Russians who came out on top after the match had to go to an inevitable penalty shoot-out.
The match began with the two teams being relatively careful in their play given their knowledge of eachother’s danger on the pitch. The excitement on the sand increased considerably thanks to Swiss captain Stankovic’s goal with four minutes remaining for the end of the first period. Shishin however proved his team’s status as the hardest team to beat in Beach Soccer by leveling the score 50 seconds before the first break. Switzerland were also hit with the blow of losing their player-coach Angelo Schirinzi to injury which made everything all the more challenging.
The strong competition between the two teams demonstrated during the first period as well as this year’s Euro Beach Soccer League Superfinal was apparent throughout the entire match. Nevertheless moves such as Leonov’s perfect finish from midfield meaning Russia’s 2-1 and Shishin’s beautiful volley giving them the lead once again for 3-2 gave the world champions the edge during the second period and the beginning of the third.
Switzerland maintained their fight in the match by coming back from a two goal difference in a remarkable manner with Stankovic hitting the net twice in one minute, the last of those with a spectacular bicycle kick with 2 seconds left on the clock. These goals increased his tally in the match to 4, thus having scored all of his team’s goals for the day. The match went on to a goalless yet equally exciting extra time which led to the Swiss’s second penalty shootout in as many days. Russia proved to be flawless from the spot through captain Leonov and Shishin while Stankovic, undoubtedly the man of the match, also scored his penalty. The balance was broken when Andrey Bukhlitsky saved youngster Philipp Borer’s shot allowing the Russians to play Brazil in the final repeating this year’s FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup final played in Italy last September.
Goals: 0-1: Stankovic, min. 4 (1); 1-1: Shishin, min. 0 (1); 2-1: Leonov, min 6 (2); 2-2: Stankovic, min. 1 (2); 3-2: Shishin, min. 7 (3); 4-2: Makarov, min 6 (3); 4-3: Stankovic, min 1 (3); 4-4: Stankovic, min. 0 (3)
Penalty shootout: Leonov, in; Stankovic, in; Shishin, in; Borer, Bukhlitskiy saves.
Results today
Friday, November 25th
19:00 – Brazil 2-0 UAE
20:15 – Russia 4 (2)-(1) 4 Switzerland
Matches for tomorrow:
Saturday, November 26th
19:00 – 3rd & 4th Place Match – UAE vs. Switzerland
20:15 – Final – Brazil vs. Russia
