STORE 
MY BEACH SOCCER 
Turkey give Narciso’s men a scare in a packed Portuguese stadium while penalties decide two of today’s victors
A 24-penalty shootout, a nervy homecoming game for hosts, Portugal, and its fair share of golazos, the opening day of the Euro Beach Soccer League Nazaré 2018 did not disappoint.
Here’s a roundup of today’s action.
Norway v Czech Republic
The second instalment of the Euro Beach Soccer League got underway in Nazaré with a win for Norway who claimed first blood in Division B after putting five goals past Martin Dlouhy’s Czech Republic.
The opening passage of play produced few clear goal-scoring chances and the score remained 0-0 for most of the first period. But then out of nowhere, Li, the Norwegian number seven controlled a long throw from his goalkeeper with his chest to set himself up beautifully to strike an unsaveable bicycle kick. As the period went into the final minutes, Folejtar nodded in a cross to even things up for the Czech challengers, but then Nergaard put Jacobsen’s Norway in front.
It seemed that this is how the first period would end but Dlouhy’s Czech side found the back of the net seconds before the whistle to square things up going into the second period. The tennis style pattern of the game continued into the next period as Norway struck once more to go ahead for a third time when Kristoffersen got onto the scoresheet. Once more the Czech Republic found an equalizer through Stejskal, but as if by clockwork, Norway went ahead again, just before the second break.
But this game of chase had to come to an end sooner or later, and Norway extended their lead to two goals for the first time just before the final whistle, asserting their dominance late on, and claiming all three points.
Goals: 1-0: Li, min. 6 (1); 1-1: Folejtar, min. 4 (1); 2-1: Nergaard, min. 0 (1); 2-2: Vyhnal, min. 0 (1); 3-2: Kristoffersen, min. 8 (2); 3-3: Stejskal, min. 1 (2); 4-3: Salveson, min. 0 (2); 5-3: Sorensen, min. 1 (3);
Serbia v Estonia
Neither team were able to find the net from open play so it took a very long and intense shootout for the Serbians to claim a point in their opening game.
The second game of Euro Beach Soccer League action in Nazaré saw Dejan Knezevic’s side attempting to start their campaign with a win against Estonia. The game, in stark contrast to the rest of the action we had seen earlier in the day, was slow to get going and despite both teams creating tasty opportunities, neither side proved clinical in front of goal.
The first period ended goalless and as we went into the second, neither team managed to find the net. The goalkeepers had little to do except guide the occasional loose shot past the post. The second period also ended without a goal, but the opportunity to snatch a late win proved a clear motivation for the teams as the action heated up a little as the third and final period went on.
But an opener just wouldn’t come and when the whistle signalling the end of the final period sounded, we were still without a goal and so it would be three added minutes of extra time…
But even extra time couldn’t do the trick, so the only way to proceed was with a penalty shootout. Cubrilovic blasted his wide and then Sooaluste had his penalty saved but after that neither team could stop scoring, until they went all through the team to Sooaluste again, who, painfully had his penalty save once again to end a shootout of 24 penalties and gift Serbia a single point.
Goals: 0-0
Penalty Kick Shootout: 0-1 Stuf, scored; 1-1 Jovancic, scored; 1-2 Truusalu, scored; 1-2 Cubrilovic, missed; 1-2 Sooaluste, saved; 2-2 Vucicevic, scored; 2-3 Maeorg, scored; 3-3 Grujic, scored; 3-4 Kigaste, scored; 4-4 Valentic, scored; 4-5 Lukk, scored; 5-5 Lazic, scored; 5-6 Juha, scored; 6-6 Antic, scored; 6-7 Tammo, scored; 7-7 Radisavljevic, scored; 7-8 Marmor, scored; 8-8 Milivojevic, scored; 8-9 Stuf, scored; 9-9 Jovancic, 9-10 Truusalu, scored; 10-10 Vucicevic, scored; 10-10 Sooaluste, saved; 11-10 Valentic, scored;
Andorra v Bulgaria
Hristov’s Bulgarian team put ten past an overwhelmed Andorra as day 1 in Division B draws to a close. Despite a very one-sided final scoreline, the game started with both teams creating chances and it looked like we were in for a close contest. In fact, the first goal only went in just two minutes before the first whistle when Filipov netted.
The first period finished 0-2 but the floodgates opened in the second, as the Bulgarians ran riot, scoring six goals and Andorra just managing the one in consolation. As the game went on the heads of the Andorra players seemed to drop and as the goals flew in, and Bulgaria looked more and more comfortable and dangerous on the attack.
The action slowed a little in the final period, but Filipov, who looked like scoring every time he had the ball, scored a grand total of five goals, with Dartinov and Velikov getting a brace each.
One decisive victory in the bag, Bulgaria look all set to take on the Czech Republic tomorrow.
Goals: 0-1: Filipov min. 2 (1); 0-2: Dartinov min. 0 (1); 0-3: Dartinov min. 10 (2); 0-4: Filipov min. 8 (2); 0-5: Filipov min. 6 (2); 0-6: Adarov min. 3 (2); 0-7: Filipov min. 1 (2); 1-7: Ibanez min. 1 (2); 1-8: Velikov min. 1 (2); 1-9: Velikov min. 1 (2); 1-10: Filipov min. 0 (3);
Turkey v Portugal
The hosts were not only looking to impress the full stadium here in Nazaré, but Narciso’s men were also hoping to make it 12 out of 12 points in the 2018 Euro Beach Soccer League after a perfect campaign in Baku.
Bé Martins kicked us off with a goal in the ninth minute but Turkey weren’t about to show any courtesy towards their hosts. A response came swiftly when Recep found the net to bring things back on level terms. However, before the first period was over, Martins had grabbed his second and the crowd were loving every minute of a real showcase of beach soccer expertise.
Deep into the second period, Gonçalves gave them something else to cheer about when he put away a free-kick from distance to make it three goals to one. Going into the final period, Portugal looked in control and when Martins completed his hat-trick, it looked like a comeback was slipping through the hands of Aykurt’s Turkish side.
Until Keskin pulled one back in the sixth minute and the deficit was down to two once more. The Turkish number 10 then scored another, and suddenly the spectators weren’t quite as raucous. At 3-4 Portugal were looking nervy until Jordan restored the advantage with just a minute of time to go to wrap up all three points for Narciso’s men after a late scare.
Goals: 0-1: Bé Martins min. 9 (1); 1-1: Recep min. 7 (1); 1-2: Bé Martins min. 4 (1); 1-3: Gonçalves min. 5 (2); 1-4: Bé Martins min. 10 (3); 2-4: Keskin min. 6 (3); 3-4: Keskin min. 5 (3); 3-5: Jordan min. 1 (3);
Spain v Ukraine
The second Division A fixture promised to impress as Spain met Ukraine. With some of beach soccer’s biggest stars going head to head, a 12-goal thriller (just in normal time!) and a penalty shootout, sounds about right.
Pachev got us off the mark with an early goal in the first period but the reply flew in directly from kick off, when Edu buried a long-range effort to draw Spain level. Llorenç then doubled their tally and nosed Alonso’s team ahead. As the second period started, it didn’t take Edu long to find the back of the net once more and when Spain went 4-1 up, it looked like they might run away with this fixture…
Until, that is, Borsuk pulled one back and then Oleksandr Korniichuk netted a brace in just four minutes to cancel out the difference between the sides. The second period finished four apiece with everything to play for. The Spaniards took the lead once more through Antonio, but there was still plenty of time for a Ukrainian response, which came when Borsuk completed a brace.
The game took on somewhat of a tennis feel, as Chiky then completed his own brace to put Spain, yet again, a goal to the better.
All square once more at 5-5, and with the game in the dying minutes, one goal could win it, but when both teams scored, the game went to extra time which still couldn’t separate them. So, we witnessed the day’s second penalty shootout. Unfortunately for Ukraine, Voitok’s penalty was saved and when Spain scored all of their, Alonso’s men went away with the point.
Goals: 0-1: Pachev min. 9 (1); 1-1: Edu min. 9 (1); 2-1: Llorenç min. 4 (1); 3-1: Edu min. 11 (2); 4-1: Chiky min. 6 (2); 4-2: Borsuk min. 5 (2); 4-3: Korniichuk min. 4 (2); 4-4: Korniichuk min. 0 (2); 5-4: Antonio min. 8 (3); 5-5: Borsuk min. 7 (3); 6-5: Chiky min. 6 (3); 6-6: Shcherytsia min. 0 (3);
Penalty kick shootout: 0-0 Voitok, saved; 1-0 Llorenç, scored; 1-1 Shcherytsia, scored; 2-1 Antonio, scored; 2-2 Glutskyi, scored; 3-2 Chiky, scored;
Follow all the Euro Beach Soccer League Nazaré 2018 action, including teams, fixtures and results, right here.
Remember that you can watch all of the upcoming action live on the Beach Soccer Worldwide website.
