Italy lift the trophy in Catania

The teams traveling to Figueira da Foz have been chosen as hosts finish on top in Catania

Italy and Greece taste glory in Catania as the Superfinal and Promotion Final, set to take place 5 – 8 September in Figueira da Foz (Portugal), now have their guestlists confirmed.

The Azzurri beat Belarus on penalties to lift the trophy in Catania, while a perfect performance from Greece saw them claim the Division B title.

Italy and Belarus join Spain, Portugal, Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and Switzerland in the Superfinal, while Greece, who didn’t drop a point, top the Division B ranking and will be joined in Portugal by Hungary, Czech Republic, Georgia, Romania, Kazakhstan and Bulgaria.

Azerbaijan, as the lowest ranked Division A side, will also have to fight in the Promotion Final to stay in the top league next year.

Paolo Palmacci (ITA) picked up the MVP award for the tournament in Catania, while Valery Makarevich (BLR) received the Best Goalkeeper. Top Scorer went to Sven Korner (GER) who netted six goals.  

Italy 2(3)-(2)2 Belarus 

Both Italy and Belarus had done enough to make the Superfinal in Figueira da Foz but neither wanted to let the opportunity of a trophy slip through their fingers.

Belarus were the better side in the first period, and Del Mestre was in inspired form to keep the nets untouched. But the breakthrough came when Hapon scored with seconds of the period left.

Palmacci leveled up with a freekick, but then Belarus retook the lead towards the end of the second period as Piatrouski got his name on the scoresheet when his block bounced over Carpita who was off his line.

Gori drove in a signature overhead to make it 2-2 and when an added three minutes of extra time couldn’t decide a winner, Catania saw its second penalty shootout of the day.

Gori, Chiavaro and Zurlo all put away their spotkicks as Samsonov missed, handing the hosts the title on home soil.

Goals: 0-1: Hapon, min. 0 (1); 1-1: Palmacci, min. 9 (2); 1-2: Piatrouski, min. 2 (2); 2-2: Gori, min. 10 (3);

PSO: 0-1: Savich, scored; 1-1: Chiavaro, scored; 1-1: Samsonov, missed; 2-1: Gori, scored; 2-2: Chaikouski, scored; 3-2: Zurlo, scored;

France 7(4)-(5)7 Germany

Having fought hard, neither France nor Germany had managed to pick up any points in Catania and Marrucci’s men were in real danger of having to fight for their Division A status in the Promotional Final for a second year running.

A normal time victory, however, would be enough to see either side into the Superfinal and Korner got the Germans off the mark quickly with a goal after a minute. 

Metzler scrambled a second over the line but a quickfire brace from Jeremy Bru levelled the game up. However, a fine overhead from Korner nudged Die Mannschaft into the lead as the first whistle blew.

The second period saw the goals keep coming, as Korner took his total to four but France managed to pull level thanks to Barbotti, Angeletti and Soares.

With 12 minutes to play, the teams were tied at 5-5. A goal at each end in the final period saw extra time played where yet another goal each for side forced penalties, with the score board reading 7-7.

German keeper, Ebener, stepped up to put away the winning penalty – the 16th of the shootout! – to ensure that his side wouldn’t be battling in the Promotion Final this year… 

Goals: 0-1: Korner, min. 10 (1); 0-2: Metzler, min. 7 (1); 1-2: Bru, min. 6 (1); 2-2: Bru, min. 4 (1); 2-3: Korner, min. 2 (1); 3-3: Soares, min. 9 (2); 3-4: Korner, min. 9 (2); 4-4: Barbotti, min. 6 (2); 4-5: Korner, min. 3 (2); 5-5: Angeletti, min. 0 (2); 5-6: Korner, min. 4 (3); 6-6: Barbotti, min. 1 (3); 7-6: Santos Dias, min. 2 (ET); 7-7: Martinez, min. 1 (3);

PSO: 1-0: Bru, scored; 1-1: Weirauch, scored; 1-1: Barbotti, saved; 1-2: Martinez, scored; 2-2: Santos Dias, scored; 2-2: Metzler, missed; 3-2: Fayos, scored; 3-3: Nowak, scored; 4-3: Le Blanc, scored; 4-4: Korner, scored; 4-4: Angeletti, saved; 4-4: Hoeveler, saved; 4-4: Gosselin, missed; 4-4: Kniller, saved; 4-4: Soares, saved; 4-5: Ebener, scored;

Kazakhstan 5-2 England 

Each team had won and lost once in Catania and a this meant that the meeting between England and Kazakhstan today was for a place at the Promotion Final in Figueira da Foz.

Muralinov put one away after just a minute to give Yerlan Jamantayev’s side a lead, which was then extended when goalkeeper Chornyy sent two missiles past his opposite number before the first break.

England got off the mark through captain Clarke in the second period, but Yershin drove in a low shot to restore a three-goal lead. Demeshko hit a fifth for Kazakhstan but Clarke put away a freekick to make it 5-2.

Try as they might, the Three Lions were unable to claw their way back and when the final whistle sounded the Kazakh bench roared in celebration, as they earn a play at the Promotion Final.

Goals: 1-0: Muralinov, min. 10 (1); 2-0: Chornyy, min. 4 (1); 3-0: Chornyy, min. 1 (1); 3-1: Clarke, min. 8 (2); 4-1: Yershin, min. 0 (2); 5-1: Demeshko, min. 10 (3); 5-2: Clarke, min. 9 (3);

Estonia 7-4 Lithuania

Estonia managed to hold their nerve in a game that became more complicated than they expected and sealed a new win in the Euro Beach Soccer League Catania 2019. With six points and a +3 goal difference, the Estonians needed to wait until the end of the day to see themselves confirmed at the fight for a Division A spot in the Promotion Final to be held in early September (5-8) in Figueira da Foz (Portugal). 

The Lithuanians, who have been an impressive surprise in this edition of the Euro Beach Soccer League, were in control for the whole first leg, getting to the first break 2-1 ahead thanks to Graiciunas and Meskinis. Lukk, the Estonian goalkeeper, quickly became the key man for Marmor’s side, as he scored two goals in the first minutes of the second leg to see his team gain command. 

Makutunovicius balanced things back up, as Estonia geared up in the third period to seal a win that give them three key points to deliver them to the Promotional Final. 

Goals: 0-1: Graiciunas, min. 6(1); 1-1: Juha, min. 3(1); 1-2: Meskinis, min. 2 (1); 2-2: Lukk, min. 11(2); 2-2: Stüf, min. 10(2); 3-3: Makutunovicius, min. 10 (2); 4-3: Lukk, min. 9 (2); 4-4: Makutunovicius, min. 4 (2); 5-4: Gaste, min. 0 (2); 6-4: Juha, min. 6(3); 7-4: Stüf, min. 4 (3);

Czech Republic 5-4 Netherlands

The Czech Republic confirmed they will be one of the teams fighting for the Promotion to Division A this coming September, following a narrow win over the Netherlands in this last day of the Euro Beach Soccer League Catania 2019. 

The Orange wanted to make things really difficult during the first stages, acknowledging that a win could get them a ticket to Figueira da Foz, and Sander and Miloud managed to build a 2-0 advantage for the Netherlanders. 

But the Czechs did not let that disadvantage take them out of the game, and a mighty two-minute comeback got them the reins of the game. Miloud, with his second goal, wanted to have Holland standing, but Czech Republic were held strong, and two more goals helped them to get to the last minute of the game 5-3 ahead. 

Jeroen pulled the last one back for Holland, but that was not enough for them, as the Czechs sealed three points that put them top of Group 2 of this Division B pool in Catania, thus granting a place in the Euro Beach Soccer Promotion Final.

Goals: 0-1: Sander, min. 3(1); 0-2: Miloud, min. 3(2); 1-2: Kukas, min. 3(2); 2-2: Sander (og), min. 3(2); 3-2: Dominik, min. 2(2); 3-3: Miloud, min. 10 (3); 4-3: Tomas, min. 7(3); 5-3: Lukas, min. 0(3); 5-4: Jeroen, min. 0(3); 

Greece 5-3 Finland 

This year Greece will have the chance to get their Division A place back after qualifying for yet another Euro Beach Soccer League Promotional Final. The Hellenic topped their group in the EBSL stage in Catania and, with nine points out of nine have made sure they did not miss the Figueira da Foz battle. 

It was not that easy for the Greek side though, as they had to face a tough resistance. After bending Romania with just one-goal difference yesterday, they found a cheeky resistance in Finland today. The Finnish managed to get ahead in the score on two occasions, and kept things tied almost until the last minutes of the game. 

But as the final whistle was inching closer, the Hellenic fielded their wider experience and hit twice in just three minutes to build a 5-3 advantage. That gap would let them cruise to the final whistle, and seal a win that confirms them as the best team in this Group 1 of the EBSL Catania Division B pool.    

Goals: 0-1: Risto, min. 6(1); 1-1: Mikelatos, min. 0(1); 1-2: Dementiev, min. 1(1); 2-2: Nikolaou, min. 6(2); 3-2: Katsoulis, min. 10 (3); 3-3: M. Tiira, min. 7 (3); 4-3: Kafantaris, min. 6(3); 5-3: Katsoulis, min. 3(3)     

Hungary 4-1 Moldova 

The Hungarian National Beach Soccer Team will not miss the coming Euro Beach Soccer League Promotion Final either, following a stout win over Moldova that allows the Magyar end this EBSL Catania stage on top of their group.

Despite the Moldovan resistance worked for the whole first period, in which none of the contenders managed to find the back of their opponent’s nets, as of the second leg began, things changed. 

Viktor Fekete, Daniel Wirth and Balasz Rutai finally capitalized on the Hungarian dominion, and left things 3-0 in the middle frame, unbalancing the balance to a point the Moldovan could not counteract.

Ferenc Besenyei added to the Hungarian advantage with the 4-0, virtually sealing the win for Weisz’s lads. Ignat pulled one back for Moldova, but that was little for them to do at that point, and the win, and the ticket to the Euro Beach Soccer League Promotion. 

Goals: 1-0: Fekete, min. 7(2); 2-0: Wirth, min. 2(2); 3-0: Rutai, min. 1 (2); 4-0: Besenyei, min-11 (3); 4-1: Ignat, min. 8(3)

Stay up to date of the fixtures, results and standings of the Euro Beach Soccer League Catania 2019 on the Beach Soccer Worldwide website.