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MY BEACH SOCCER 
The Russians are to face the Portuguese in the first semifinal of the Mundialito. The carioca classico will decide the second.
Flamengo beats Seattle in the penalty shootout to get into semifinals
Seattle Sounders have offered today a new proof of the mental strength they have been displaying all through the tournament. They faced Flamengo in full conviction, and made things really difficult for the Brazilian side. After even getting ahead in the score turning the carioca advantage around, a last period equalizer by Anderson and the penalty shootout would leave them out of the road after this quarterfinal stage of the Mundialito de Clubes.
Things seemed to be going to get really tough for the North American when Anderson swept Flamengo ahead with an early hit. Marcelo Mendes knew about the carioca powder but what may not be in their plans was to be down in the score that early. But what surely was not on Valeiro Silva’s script either was that the spirited Sounders would turn the score around just as Frank and Ali Karimi managed to do before the first break.
Flamengo needed to react, but Morales, Plata and co. closed all the roads to Nico’s goal. And if any was left uncut, there was the Swiss goalkeeper the amend things. He saved all Brazilian attempts but the last one by Anderson that equalized the game. Although there were nine minutes yet to go, the score did not move again, and neither did it during the extra time, so the penalty kick shootout roulette would point who was getting into semifinals.
Bothe teams seemed unerring from the 9 meter spot, and p to nine kicks were taken in until Gil’s turn. The North American number 17 could not equalize the advantage achieved by Matías for Flamengo, and the Brazilian team found the door to semifinals.
Goals: 1-0: Anderson, min. 11 (1); 1-1: Frank, min. 3 (1); 1-2: Ali Karim, min. 0 (3); 2-2: Anderson, min. 9 (3)
Penalty shootout: André, in; Ali Karim, in; Anderson, in; Farberoff, in; Duda, in; Morales, in; Souza, in; Cati, in; Matias, in; Gil, misses.
Sporting keeps in tune against Barça (1-8)
FC Barcelona were the victims today of a reborn Sporting de Portugal, who after a disappointing beginning of the competition seem to be again at their best shape to head for the Cup in this Mundialito de Clubes. Again with star Madjer back on the business, the Portuguese inflicted the azulgrana a severe defeat to push them out on the race and get their ticket for the semifinals.
The powerful first minutes by the Portuguese side was the key feature that unleveled the game, and made things really uphill for the Catalan yet in that early stages. Fernando DDI’s double in the first minute was a heavy blow for Barça, who although trying to react with Amarelle’s free kick hit, saw the Lisboan number 9 complete his hat-trick and restore the distance in the score.
Barcelona kept trying, but it was not their day today. Instead, Graça joined his team’s brightness and prevented any Catalan attempt in to keep the distance safe for Sporting. Besides, Sporting kept wounding the azulgrana defense, and Sagan and Corosiniti, and Madjer and Alan (2) closed a loud victory for the Leões to get into the semifinals in full confidence.
Goals: 0-1: Fernando DDI, min. 11 (1); 0-2: Fernando DDI, min. 11 (1); 1-2: Amarelle, min. 9 (1); 1-3: Fernando DDI, min. 7 (1); 1-4: Sagan, min. 2 (2); 1-5: Corosiniti, min. 1 (2); 1-6: Alan, min. 6 (3); 1-7: Madjer, min. 5 (3); 1-8: Alan, min. 1 (3)
Lokomotiv solidly gets to the Semifinals
Lokomotiv did not slow their pace down in the quarterfinals match against AC Milan, and they earned their place in the semifinals with a new solid performance in which they left the Italian little chance to dream about making it to the next stage.
After a good first period for Milan, in which only Daniel could beat the rossoneri resistance, Lokomotiv began their run to get into the best four teams in the tournament, and Shkarin’s double and Borsuk made the score 4-0 by mid second period. Ahmed replied for Milan, shouting that it was not over, yet, but Leonov and Gorchinsky increased the Russian advantage up to 6-1.
That was already too much for the transalpine, with only 7 minutes to go, and although Claudinho achieved a second hit for them, Maci would give the Muscovite the best closing, making it 7-2 in the last breath. Now, Sporting de Portugal awaits in the last step before this Mundialito de Clubes Final.
Goals: 1-0: Daniel; min. 4 (1); 2-0: Shkarin, min. 10 (2); 3-0: Shkarin, min. 7 (2); 4-0: Borsuk, min. 6 (2); Ahmed, min. 6 (2); 5-1: Leonov, min. 3 (2); 6-1: Gorchinskiy, min. 7 (3); 6-2 Claudinho, min. 1 (3); 7-2: Maci, min. 0 (3)
Vasco knocks Corinthians down under the rain
Just as if this Corinthians-Vasco da Gama had not enough elements to become a spark-flying clash between two Brazilian superpowers, the heavy rain poured over the Praia da Sol Stadium added even more epic to turn it into a hard battle against the opponent, and against the elements as well. Vasco da Gama prevailed in this fight, pushing out of the road one of the favourites to become the Mundialito de Clubes Champions, Corinthians.
No one doubted that the match would be a really hard-fought fight to see who the one to get amongst the best four of the tournament was, and such competitiveness left a first period in which none of the teams found the way to trick the opponent’s defense. Things changed drastically, though, in the second one, for Vasco’s benefit. Pampero and Betinho gave the carioca a significant advantage, to be widened by Bruno Xavier right after the second break with the 0-3.
Vasco was handling the game, and although Buru scored the 1-3 and pushed the paulista expectations, Rafinha and Gabriel would finish the match with the 1-5. The latter 2-5, again by Buru, came too late to give the Corinthianos any hope, and they saw time go by with no chance to fight for the semifinals.
Goals: 0-1: Pampero, min. 8 (2); 0-2: Betinho, min. 7 (2); 0-3: Bruno Xavier, min. 11 (3); 1-3: Buru, min. 5 (3); 1-4: Rafinha, min. 4 (3); 1-5: Gabriel, min. 2 (3); 2-5: Buru, min. 2 (3)
The Semifinals stage goes as follows:
15.30h Lokomotiv-Sporting Portugal
16.45h Flamengo-Vasco da Gama
