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The first games are won and lost in Turkey as the World Winners Cup gets underway
The first ever edition of the World Winners Cup kicked off on the Turkish south coast today.
Levante won big, netting a whopping 15 goals, while hosts Alanya fell the wrong side of a tantalizing 19-goal tie to Ramiro Amarelle’s Meizhou Hakka.
Meizhou Hakka 10-9 Alanya BS (Group A)
A closely-divided 19 goals were scored in the final match of day 1, with Meizhou Hakka claiming the small advantage to top Group A thanks in the main part to their injection of Portuguese talent.
The game started at electric pace with Leo Martins and Bruno Xavier both scoring a brace within two minutes, making it 2-2. The first period ended with Meizhou Hakka leading by six goals to four.
Although the goals flew in at both ends the Chinese side never lost the lead but goals from Filipe (4), Turkish star Cem Keskin (2) and a Stankovic strike pulled the hosts back to 10-9, but they eventually ran out of time.
Al-Arab 1-6 CR Flamengo (Group B)
The star-studded Flamengo took a while to assert their dominance over Kuwait’s Al-Arabi, but late strike saw them ease to their first three points.
Portuguese keeper Andrade blasted the Brazilians ahead in the first period, but then a goal at each end in the second period maintained a slim margin between the teams.
However, it was the third period that Flamengo moved into a higher gear, as Eudin completed a hat-trick and Gil, Paulinho and Andre Lourenço pushed the final score to a more comfortable 1-6.
Boca Gdansk 2-7 Shahin Khazar (Group B)
Boca Gdansk were arguably favourites going into this match-up against Iranians Shahin Khazar, especially with Italian striker Gabriele Gori in their ranks, who has just been shortlisted among the world’s three best players.
The first goal came from Addari after a few minutes, but in the second period Movahed and Masoumi equalised after an inevitable goal from Gori.
But in the final period, the Iranians simply blew the Poles away. Movahed and Masoumi bagged another each and Aidin, Kiani and Shahriar also scored, wrapping up an incredible 2-7 victory.
Masafi Al Wasat 0-3 Krylia Sovetov (Group C)
The experienced Samara side left it late to push their advantage but took all three points with three goals.
Zharikov got the Russians off the mark against their Iraqi rivals with a fine finish, but that was all that either side could manage until deep into the final period where Amid Nazarov doubled the advantage.
A second for Zharikov saw the match end at a comfortable 0-3, as Krylia Sovetov equal their Danish groupmates’ point tally.
Copenhagen BS 8-5 Atletico Licata (Group C)
An initially tight match saw Bahamas recruit Lesly St Fluer make all the difference for the Danes, who go joint top of Group C in the opening day of the World Winners Cup.
Copenhagen lead at the first break with Dorph finding the Italian net, but in the second, the match was leveled up to 2-2.
It was the final third that the game exploded into life, with no less than nine goals being scored, and Lesly St Fleur’s late hat-trick proved decisive for the triumphant Danes.
Napoli Patron 3-2 Real Münster (Group D)
Greek club Napoli Patron struggled against Real Münster but squeeze the three points from the game.
The German side took the lead almost immediately through Ali but midway through the period Semenov equalised.
Eugen snatched the lead once more before the first whistle and they managed to hang onto the slim advantage until the final period where Russian recruit Nikonorov netted a fine overhead to level up.
Semenov completed the comeback with a late goal to grab three points for Napoli Patron in Group D.
Kebbi BSC 0-15 Levante UD (Group D)
The Nigerian champions faced a tough task in their opening match of the World Winners Cup, as an in-form Levante netted 15 goals to cruise to the top of Group D.
Adri Frutos got the Spanish league winners off the mark midway through the first period. From then on it was one-way traffic and by the first whistle they had four.
La Roja stars Edu Suarez, Antonio and Chiky joined their national teammate on the list, helping them push the final score to a more than decisive 0-15.
BQ All Star Club 4-6 BSC Vybor (Group E)
The Thai side came up against a seasoned BSC Vybor, who have competed in numerous Euro Winners Cups, but BQ All Star Club took the lead after just seconds.
However, the Ukrainians gradually turned the match around to lead 2-4 at the first break.
They held onto this two-goal advantage until the end of the match, with braces from Petrenko and Shchytnik taking Vybor’s final tally to six.
Rostocker Robben 7-3 New Team BS (Group E)
After a disappointing Euro Winners Cup campaign, where the German champions finished winless, Rostocker Robben were keen to impress on the global stage.
Krötsching only needed seconds to put them ahead, and he scored again before the end of the period to give the Germans a 3-1 lead at the whistle.
New Team managed to find the net three times but the Belgians were overpowered by their German neighbours, who go level on points with BSC Vybor.
WOMEN
NorCal BS 3(1)-(3)3 WFC Zvezda
The ladies from California gave the former European champions a run for their money in the day’s tightest tie which had to be settled from the penalty spot.
The Americans had the lead going into the first break, thanks to a Paxton Scott strike, which was then doubled after an unlucky own goal. But Gorshkova netted a double in the second period to draw level.
NorCal went ahead once more but Zvezda’s English star, Molly Clark put away a freekick to force extra time and then penalties, where the Russian side came out on top to take a point.
Lady Grembach Lodz 2-3 Pavia Lokrians *AET
This match saw a number of Brazilian teammates face each other, as the bronze medalists of last week’s World Beach Games dominated the scoring.
Lele Villar found the net first for Lokrians but Borowiec equalised soon after. Lorena and Dani Barboza scored in the second period and the normal time whistle sounded with the scores tied.
It was another Brazilian who decided the game, as Colodetti struck in extra time to take two points for a grateful Pavia Lokrians, who go top of the group.
For more information on the World Winners Cup head to the Beach Soccer Worldwide website.
