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Hosts and defending champions secured their place in the quarterfinals of the III Asian Beach Games ? Haiyang 2012
Goal festival leaves Syria on top of Group A
Syria ended up topping Group B after turning around the score of a match they never had the lead of before, against Oman. The Omani, despite getting 2-0 ahead, and always being the first to hit back after any Syrian equalizer, found Adrah achieving the winner for his side and relegating them to the second position of the game. In such a busy game, with 13 goals scored and a lot of exciting actions, any of the two contenders would have been a fair winner, provided that no draws can be conceived in Beach Soccer, and that were Syria. That result sets the coming path for both sides, having Syria take on the second best team in Group A ,namely hosts China, and Oman facing Palestine.
Goals: 1-0: Al Rajhi, min. 9 (1); 2-0: Al Balushi, min. 2 (1); 2-1: Sleman, min. 0 (1); 2-2: Cheikh Ahmad, min. 0 (1); 3-2: Showan, min. 7 (2): 4-2, Hani, min. 0 (3); 4-3: Nassar Kanaan, min. 7 (3); 4-4: Sleman, min, 5 (3); 5-4: Al Rahji, min. 3 (3); 5-5: Cheikh Ahmad, min. 3 (3); 6-5: Yahya, min. 3 (3); 6-6: Dyar Bakeri, min. 3 (3); 6-7: Adrah, min. 2 (3)
Iran edge Japan to finish first in Group D
Iran clinched the first position in Group D after edging current continental champions Japan. As everyone could expect, this match facing two of the Asian most powerful sides was absolutely balanced, with none of the contenders managing to get further than one goal in the score. Regardless both of them were already qualified, these two champions would not let the opportunity to set their power, what brought a really intense match, whose winner was absolutely impossible to foresee. With the time ticking down for the last minute, Hassaninozai headed a ball in to get his team the points, thus securing the first place of the group.
Goals: 0-1: Tabata, min. 8 (1); 1-1: Naderi, min. 11 (2); 2-1: Mokhtari, min. 0 (2); 2-2: Asami, min. 0 (2); 3-2: Hassaninozari, min. 1 (3);
Thailand snatches last points at stake in group D
Thailand could farewell their stay in this III edition of the Asian Beach Games capturing the last three points at stake in group D. A tight victory over Qatar, achieved in the last period of their last game, got them the last sweet memory of the tournament. After having made things so difficult in their opening match against Asian champions Japan, Thai expectations flew higher than what their actual results ended up confirming, so a win today over the Qatari side was the only way to go back to their best sensations. Qatar, in turn, were denied this last prize, as despite Al Ioaari’s equalizer, Durnee’s latter attempt crushed their chances to that.
Goals: 1-0: Nanan, min. 8 (1); 1-1: Al Ioaari, min. 0 (1); 2-1: Durnee, min. 5 (3);
UAE brilliantly fix yesterday’s setback to go ahead
Defending gold-holders UAE amended things in time to secure their place in tomorrow’s quarterfinals stage of this III Asian Beach Games taking place in Haiyang. Marcelo Mendes side took on Bahrain today knowing that, after yesterday’s defeat to Lebanon, only a victory would allow them the chance to go on and keep fighting to keep the crown they achieved two years ago in Muscat (Oman). Thanks to a strong focus and determination, UAE got in command early, with Ali Karim, M. Abbas and Adil working a heavy 3-0 before first break, smoothing the way for the rest of the game. The firm steps following that furious beginning pillared UAE’s win, with Alzaabi and Ali Karim’s new hits making Ebrahim and Al Doseri’s efforts absolutely meaningless.
Goals: 1-0: Ali Karim, min. 9 (1); 2-0: M. Abbas, min. 9 (1); 3-0: Adil, min. 2 (1); 4-0: Alzaabi, min. 10 (2); 4-1: Ebrahim, min. 0 (2); 5-1: Ali, min. 8 (3); 5-2: Al Doseri, min. 8 (3)
9 out of 9 for Lebanon
Lebanon completed the 9 points out of 9 record in the group stage of the Asian Beach Games. Moghaddam’s team concluded this first stage beating the Independent Olympic Athletes from Kuwait with the solvency they have used us to, thus certifying some of the best figures in the competition, with all matches won, and a goal average of +10. The beginning to the match was not comfortable at all for the Lebanese, though, as the Kuwaiti side opened the score right after kick-off. Hawila replied some minutes after to level things back, but it was not until the second period that Lebanon took the lead. Once they did, they would never let it go again, hitting the opponent’s nets three more times to build a final score of 5-1.
Goals: 0-1: Aladwani, min. 11 (1); 1-1: Hawila, min. 6 (1); 2-1: Mechleb Matar, min. 11 (2); 3-1: Mechleb Matar, min. 4 (2); 4-1: Nassardine, min. 6 (3); 5-1: Fattal, min. 1 (3)
Loud win by Palestine over Afghanistan
Palestine was the third and last team to close this first group stage having clinched all the points at stake, together with Iran and Lebanon. With heir loud victory over Afghanistan, moreover, Hashim’s team has achieved the best goal-average of this first leg in the Asian Beach Games, with a balance of +12 goals. A devastating first period by the Palestinian, with five goals that almost killed any Afghan chance, was the key to the victory. But that did not mean the end of the way for the group leaders, though…In the last minute of the game, Alsdudi and Barakat hit twice again to push the Afghan punishment further and complete this wide 7-0 that confirms the rop of the table and the quarterfinals fixture against Japan.
Goals: 1-0: Atiya, min. 4 (1); 2-0: Alnahhal, min. 2 (1); 3-0: Eshbair, min. 2 (1); 4-0: Alsdudi, min. 0 (1); 5-0: Salem, min. 0 (1); 6-0: Alsdudi, min 0 (3); 7-0: Barakat, min. 0 (3)
China takes last train to quarterfinals
China had to fight until the very last minute of their game against Vietnam, the last of the league stage, to go past the door to quarterfinals, where they will face Syria. Indeed, the hosts had to fight for longer than that, as after a 1-1 tie during regular time, plus the extra-time producing no change in the score, only a better aim from the penalty kick spot in the shootout got themselves into next round. Combative Vietnamese set out a really harsh match, in which every ball was fought until the very last breath, a game in which the tight defenses made impossible the lives of the attackers. China were the ones trying harder, by far, but they could not find the crack during most of the game. When they finally did, thanks to a header by Wan, it seemed that was the winner hit for Ongaro’s team. But it wasn’t, as Ngoc immediately replied to send the game into extra time.
That three additional minutes saw no ball touch the back of the net, so there was only the penalty kick shootout left to decide the last of the quarterfinalists of the III Asian Beach Games. Hosts proved the most accurate, with Wan, Liyihanmu and Sun sending their attempts in, just as Kim and Phung did for Vietnam. But their captain Nguyen was not that successful, and his attempt did not found the goal, going wide and taking the team’s possibilities away…
Goals: 1-0: Wan, min. 7 (3); 1-1: Ngoc, min. 6 (3);
Penalty kick shootout: Wan, in; Kim, in; Liyihanmu, in; Phung, in; Sun, in; Nguyen, out.
Results today:
Monday, June 18th
10:30 – Oman 6-7 Syria
12:00 – Iran 3-2 Japan
13:30 – Thailand 2-1 Qatar
15:00 – UAE 5-2 Bahrain
16:30 – Lebanon 5-1 Independent Olympic Athletes from Kuwait
19:00 – Palestine 7-0 Afghanistan
20:30 – China 1/3-1/2 Vietnam
Matches for tomorrow
Tuesday, June 19th
QUARTERFINALS
15:00 – Palestine vs Oman
16:15 – Lebanon vs Japan
19:00 – Iran vs UAE
20:15 – Syria vs China
