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MY BEACH SOCCER 
The hosts claim the title while Spain finish top of Group One.
Portugal were crowned winners of the Euro Beach Soccer League stage in Nazare on Sunday with an 8-5 win against Italy.
Having briefly surrendered top spot in their group to Switzerland, Portugal rarely looked in too much trouble against Italy as braces from Rui Coimbra and Jose Maria helped ensure Madjer and co the title on home sand.
Coimbra got the ball rolling for the hosts and, amid a dominant start from Portugal, Leo Martins was denied point blank by Simone Del Mestre. Somewhat against the run of play, Gabriele Gori levelled matters from the spot, although Madjer swiftly responded as his impressive form this weekend continued.
His fifth goal of the competition helped separate the sides at the break before Alan added daylight 25 seconds from the break with a wonderful strike from range.
Dario Ramacciotti reduced the arrears with another set-piece but Jose Maria provided Portugal’s response as the goals continued to flow at both ends.
With Ricardinho and Coimbra registering for Portugal and Emmanuele Zurlo and Ramacciotti doing likewise for Italy, things remained finely poised going into the last 12 minutes.
Jose Maria got the first of the frame before Leo Martins followed in on a spilled strike to make it 8-4 and ultimately wrap up the scoring.
Spain late show stuns Ukraine
Spain tied up top spot in Group One at the Euro Beach Soccer League stage in Nazare as late goals from Eduard Suarez and Llorenc Gomez ensured a dramatic 4-3 win.
The holders had battled back from 2-0 down to lead going into the final five minutes and appeared on course for top spot only for Eduard and Llorenc to grab a goal apiece in the final 90 seconds to put Spain top of the tree.
Spain opened the scoring through Javi Torres’ expert overhead kick and a similar attempt from team-mate Eduard doubled the advantage as the Spanish started strongly.
Ukraine’s Yurii Shcherytsia saw a powerful drive palmed away by Dona before the holders eventually halved the deficit through Andrii Pashko .
Ivan Glutskyi’s low free-kick then beat Dona in the Spain goal to bring Ukraine level just before the interval. Volodymr Hladchenko saved a penalty down to his right from Salvador Ardil to keep Ukraine level shortly after the restart but the second frame proved a goalless affair, making for a tense finale.
Pashko eventually put Ukraine in front for the first time but a wonderful overhead kick from Llorenc dragged Spain back on terms with just 97 seconds remaining of normal time.
The drama was not finished there however, as Eduard grabbed a winner deep into the latter stages as Spain – stage winners in Belgrade a fortnight ago – pipped their opponents to top spot in the group.
Switzerland hold off stubborn France
Switzerland had earlier put the pressure on Portugal at the top of Group Two with a 5-3 win against France.
The Swiss – beaten by Portugal in extra time a day earlier – moved back top after a Dejan Stankovic hat-trick helped see off a stubborn French effort.
France made a strong start when Baptiste Bizot delicately chipped in the opener from a set-piece, before Anthony Barbotti beat Valentin Jaeggy to the ball and glanced in a second.
Stankovic halved the deficit but only briefly as Pierre Antoinne Darracq nodded in unmarked at the far post.
Tobias Steinemann reduced the arrears once more with a fine overhead kick with Michael Misev denied a leveller by a wonderful Lorenzo Dupin save.
Stankovic dragged Switzerland level with a driven penalty before Steinemann’s second put Switzerland in front early in the final frame.
That was swiftly followed by Stankovic’s hat-trick goal as Angelo Schirinzi’s men began to find their feet.
While France gave everything in search of a way back into the contest, they came up short as their Euro Beach Soccer League campaign for the year drew to a close – potentially until the Suprfinal in August.
Poland come from behind to see off Greece
Poland ended their Euro Beach Soccer League campaign in Nazare with a 4-1 win over Group One’s bottom side Greece.
The European champions are back in action in Siofok, Hungary, and will do so having amassed four points in Portugal, with Pawel Friszkemut, Jakub Jesionowski and Filip Gac ensuring a comeback win.
Poland started brightly against a Greece side targeting their first points in Nazare, Jesionowski’s prodded effort almost rolling over the line after a smart stop from Dimitrios Nikolaou.
While Greece led against the run of play through Dimitrios Papanastasiou, Friszkemut restored parity soon after before an emphatic finish from Jesionowski put Poland in front.
The Poles had the best opportunity of a goalless second half as Gac rattled the woodwork while Theofilos Triantafyllidis went close with a header somehow clawed away by Szymon Gasinski early in the final frame.
But Gac’s set-piece completed the scoring and made it 3-1 with just over seven minutes to play, putting the game beyond Greece, who return to action in Moscow in a fortnight’s time.
Sunday results
14:15 – Poland 3-1 Greece (Division A, Group One)
15:30 – Switzerland 5-3 France (Division A, Group Two)
16:45 – Ukraine 3-4 Spain (Division A, Group One)
18:15 – Portugal 8-5 Italy (Division A, Group Two)
Standings
Group One
1st: Spain, 2nd: Ukraine, 3rd: Poland, 4th: Greece
Group Two
1st: Portugal, 2nd: Switzerland, 3rd: Italy, 4th: France
Individual Award Winners
Best Goalkeeper: Elinton Andrade (POR)
MVP: Madjer (POR)
Top Goalscorer: Dejan Stankovic (SWI) (Seven goals)
