Euro Winners Challenge 2022: Day 1 Round-up

– Bernardo Saraiva nets twice on Day 1
– 2021 Euro Winners Cup semi-finalists bag win
– Brilliant Brazilians star for Rosh Haayin

Nazaré awoke to a brand-new edition of the Euro Winners Challenge on Friday, as debutants got their first taste of Nazaré sand and young players shone alongside world class stars.

Local boy Pola, at just 16 years old, shot to the top of the scoring charts with a stunning final period performance, while international signings assisted Rosh Haayin, Real Münster and Napoli Patron bag early points.

UAE internationals face off on Day 1 in Nazaré

The first-ever Emiratis to play the Euro Winners went head to head as Hamid and Ali represented Vila Flor (POR) and their national team captain, Walid, faced them with Real Münster. An early Weirauch goal had the Germans leading and late in the second period Biermann slotted away a set piece to double the advantage. Japanese international Oba netted a third in the final period to seal the points for Münster in Group D.

Casa Benfica Loures “B” were put to the test against the star-studded Israelis of Rosh Haayin, and captain Catarino curled in the opener from distance to put the visitors ahead. More Brazilians joined the scoring as Ze Lucas and the returning Edson Hulk netted a brace each before the match finished. Impressive goals from Carracha, Diogo Cruz and Rodrigo meant that the final score read 3-6 as Rosh Haayin join CB Caldes da Rainha on three points each in Group B.

Local club Sotao B close day with dramatic penalties

Casa Do Benfica Viseu and O Sotao “B” closed the day in Nazaré with arguably the most thrilling match of all, the only game to go into extra time and penalties. The Nazaré club spent much of the match trailing by two goals to one, until Pola bursting in brilliant life in the final period, netting no less than four goals in just eight minutes.

With the score tied at 6-6 after extra time, the match went to penalties where Sotao held their nerve to win the shootout by four shots to one.

Bernardo Saraiva – son of Portuguese beach soccer legend Madjer – scored his first goal at the Euro Winners Challenge to take the lead for Belgian side FC Genappe against Portomendo. Brichart then scored a brilliant brace to help restore the advantage. Bernardo polished off the victory with a last-minute penalty to wrap up the three points for the Belgian side.

The first match of the day began will a tight and tantalising match between French club Minots De Marseille and one of the local Nazaré sides, GD Os Nazarenos. Minots took an early lead to maintain control throughout the bout. It looked as if Os Nazarenos might claw their way back with final period goals from Mota and Rui, but the French side took the three point in Group C.

Debutants get their first taste of Euro Winners action

First-timers FC Vion from Slovakia kept pace with their hosts from Alfarim, who took the lead early on, in their opening match of the 2022 Euro Winners Challenge. Codinha impressed for the Slovaks, scoring a brace on Day 1, but it wasn’t enough to deny Alfarim the points in their tight opening match.

Toulon Beach Soccer met Varzim from the Portuguese Elite league in their first match in Nazaré, but goals from Luca and Renan put Varzim ahead in the first period. The French side struggled to gain a foothold in the match and in the last period the Portuguese pushed the final score to a decisive 5-0.

Brand-new host club AD Nazaré 2022 battled against long-established Euro Winners side GRAP (POR) in the tightest of matches. A goal in each period, the opener from Andre Duarte, the equaliser from Matheus and the winner from Michel Nunes, saw the Amigos da Paz win the game 2-1 to go level with Minots de Marseille on three points in Group C.

Goals galore

Etoile Brainoise struggled in their debut match against GD Sesimbra, as Râo netted after just seconds, and ended the match with the competition’s first hat-trick. Sesimbra built a 6-2 lead by the end of the second period and even a late surge from the Belgian club couldn’t win them any points in the highest-scoring game of the day.

The following game on the pitch saw another Belgian side suffer against a Portuguese club. An Augusto brace helped Buarcos from the national Elite league, downing the visiting NewTeam Legends by no less than six goals to zero in the biggest win of the day.

São Domingos, who are yet to win a match in the Portuguese Elite league, claimed an initially balanced match against Greek club A.O. Kefallinia. The match was tied 2-2 after the second period, but the locals burst into a superior gear to cruise to a 5-2 victory.

Napoli Patron APS, bolstered by Japanese internationals Jose and Taku as well as Emirati Waleed, took to the sand at the Estádio do Viveiro Jordan Santos against CF Os Belenenses from Portugal in the final match of the day, and they trailed by a single goal at the first whistle. However, Waleed, Andreas and Taku turned the match around to clinch three points on Day 1.

Watch all of the action live on Recast! 

RESULTS (Day 1)

Group A
FC Vion (SVK) 4-5 GD Alfarim (POR)
CF Os Belenenses (POR) 3-4 Napoli Patron APS (GRE)

Group B
LSA Perwez (BEL) 0-3 CB Caldes da Rainha (POR)
Casa Benfica Loures “B” (POR) 3-6 Rosh Haayin BSC (ISR)

Group C
Minots De Marseille (FRA) 5-4 GD Os Nazarenos (POR)
AD “Nazaré 2022” (POR) 1-2 GRAP (POR)

Group D
Vila Flor SC (POR) 1-3 Real Munster E.V (GER)
Newteam Legends (BEL) 0-6 AD Buarcos 2017 (POR)

Group E
GD Chaves (POR) 3-0 CS Djocker (MDA)
Etoile Brainoise (BEL) 5-8 GD Sesimbra (POR)

Group F
CCD Portomendo (POR) 3-5 FC Genappe ASBL (BEL)
Toulon Beach Soccer (FRA) 0-5 Varzim (POR)

Group G
São Domingos (POR) 5-2 A.O. Kefallinia (GRE)
Casa Do Benfica Viseu (POR) 6(1)-(4)6 O Sotao “B” (POR)

For full details on the Euro Winners Challenge, including groups, fixtures, results and standings, head to beachsoccer.com.