Two friendlies and two wins for host Croatia along with a Cup win for the Czechs made for an exciting Beach Soccer weekend
Umag was the sight for the first ever elite Beach Soccer tournament in Croatia, from June 28th-29th, 2013. In the round robin stage of the Umag Beach Soccer Masters, the Czech Republic showed no signs of a hangover from losing to champion England in the Euro Beach Soccer League Valence 2013 event last weekend. Friday the 28th had a very defensive feel, especially in the Hungary vs Czech Republic match, as only 14 goals were scored all day. The Czech Republic beat Hungary 3-0 in that match.
Saturday the 29th showed how quickly things can change in Beach Soccer as 43 goals were recorded over the course of the day. The last day also included a nail-biting match between the FIFA World Cup 2013 host Tahiti and Hungary. Tahiti, who finished third in the event, took the match against Hungary in penalties, 9(2)-9(1). This was an important match for Tahiti as they narrowly lost their first match of the event on Friday against Bulgaria 5-6. Bulgaria saw their fortunes reverse as they lost to the eventual champion, the Czech Republic, by the same score, 5-6.
But the Umag Beach Soccer Masters had a truly important implication, besides the final standings: it meant the first ever international match for the Croatian National Team. The host started off the event by playing a friendly match against a team comprised of players from each team participating in the event; Hungary, Bulgaria, Tahiti, and the Czech Republic. Croatia also began Saturday´s matches by playing another friendly against the mixed European squad again, but with a different combination of players on the European team. Croatia won these matches, 9-1 and 8-3, respectively.
UMAG BEACH SOCCER MASTERS
Results:
Friday, June 28th, 2013
Hungary 0-3 Czech Republic
Bulgaria 6-5 Tahiti
Saturday, June 29th, 2013
Tahiti 9(2)-9(1) Hungary
Czech Republic 6-5 Bulgaria
