Close match-ups on day three see heartbreak and elation as the semi-finalists are decided
Following a dramatic final day of group games BSC Spartak will face Catania in their semi-final match-up while SC Braga will take on Flamengo.
Day three at the Megasport Sport Palace saw Catania pick up their first points against Levante and then watch the final Group B game nervously to see if they had done enough to qualify.
Zurlo scored five in a single game and Lokomotiv were cruelly knocked out by a last-minute goal after a 13-goal thriller.
But before all that, the already-qualified hosts were looking to make it a perfect run in the group stages…
BSC Bate Borisov 3-6 BSC Spartak Moscow (Group A)
Already qualified Spartak Moscow were looking to make it a perfect group campaign by despatching bottom place Bate Borisov on day three.
It looked as if their intentions would soon become reality when Kotov worked some space to fire in the opener after two minutes of play. But Bata Borisov had aspirations of their own.
Even though they couldn’t qualify for the semi-finals, after having lost their opening two games, it was clear that the Belarussian were out to spoil the party in Moscow, and they hit back when Voloshin shot past a scrambling Parkhomenko to make it 1-1.
Half way through the first period, an unfortunate mix up between defender and keeper saw a back-pass roll into the net, gifting Spartak the lead, with Chaikouski getting himself on the scoresheet, but for the wrong team.
Ryabko then glided into the box to meet a low cross and make it three to the hosts, who were looking comfortable with a two-goal cushion going into the second period.
But Bate came back once more when Davidovich volleyed a screamer into the Moscow net directly from a long throw by the keeper, Yasnov, who got a second assist just a minute later as his shot was nodded in by Hapon.
Bate Borisov were back on level terms and looking for another. The hosts had their backs to the wall, defending desperately against the revived Belarussian attack. They did well to contain their rivals and managed to snatch the lead back just before the whistle blew to signal the end of the second period.
After having a relatively quiet game by his standards, Zemskov pushed the advantage, rifling in a cross from a corner and restoring the two-goal cushion.
A matter of minutes left on the clock, Spartak were content to sit and defemd what they had and contain possession, forcing Bate Borisov to push forward. With exposed defence, Zemskov managed to slip away from his marker to grab a second.
With a 3-6 lead, Spartak controlled the game until the final whistle, shutting down Bate attacks and making it nine points out of nine in the group stages, while Bate Borisov finish bottom of Group A. Novikov picked up the MVP of the match award.
Goals: 0-1: Kotov, min. 10 (1); 1-1: Voloshin, min. 8 (1); 1-2: Chaikouski (OG), min. 6 (1); 1-3: Ryabko, min. 2 (1); 2-3: Davidovich, min. 10 (2); 3-4: Novikov, min. 0 (2); 3-5: Zemskov, min. 7 (2); 3-6: Zemskov, min. 2 (2);
Sporting CP 3-6 CR Flamengo (Group A)
The match between Sporting CP and CR Flamengo was purely and simply a battle for the final spot in the semi-finals in Group A, with both teams having lost and won in their previous two matches. The winner would join hosts Spartak Moscow in the next round, and the winner would join Bate Borisov
It was the Brazilian side who asserted their attack prowess from the start, as Paulinho smashed an early shot past Elliot to open the scoring. Not long after, Stepliani drove home a perfectly time overhead volley from a long Andrade throw to double the lead.
However, it was Andrade, facing many of his teammates from the Portuguese national side, who kept Flamengo in control of the match with some alert goal keeping, pulling off some fine stops.
The second period began where the first left off, with Flamengo maintain the possession and Sporting upping the pressure in an attempt to get back into the tie. With so much at stake, the passion of both sets of players showed and flared, with fouls and free-kicks becoming more regular.
The keepers were on form today though, and batted them away time after time. That is until a long-range rocket from Jordan flew past the diving Andrade and Sporting were just one goal behind.
Alejandro then converted a free-kick for Flamengo, which took a fortunate bobble to deceive the goalkeeper, taking the score back to 3-1. A fourth came when Roman Pachev finished off a fine piece of teamwork and a fifth from a Thyago volley.
Sporting were being overrun and unless they could mount an impressive comeback in the final period, they would be out of the running for the Mundialito de Clubes title. They started the last 12 minutes strongly, when Elliot set himself up for a beautiful strike from his own penalty area.
But when Gil scored number sixth with a deflected shot, Sporting were well beaten. Belchior managed to rifle in a penalty with just seconds on the clock but this was just a consolation as Rodrigo Fernandes Pereira’s Flamengo claimed the spot in the semi-finals.
Sporting CP will have to battle it out in the play-offs to see what finishing position they can finish the competition in.
Goals: 0-1: Paulinho, min. 10 (1); 0-2: Stepliani, min. 10 (1); 1-2: Jordan, min. 8 (2); 1-3: Alejandro, min. 6 (2); 1-4: Pachev, min. 3 (2); 1-5: Thyago, min. 2 (2); 2-5: Elliot, min. 10 (3); 2-6: Gil, min. 5 (3); 3-6: Belchior, min. 0 (3);
Domusbet Catania 9-5 Levante UD (Group B)
Group B was still wide open going into day three of action in the Mundialito de Clubes. Each team still had a chance of qualifying for the semi-finals and each could also be knocked out.
Catania were yet to pick up any points in the competition but they took Lokomotiv right to the wire in yesterday’s 17-goal match, in which Lucao scored four! Despite have no points thus far, if the Italian side won today, and SC Braga beat Lokomotiv in the later game, then they would qualify.
However, they were without their first-choice goalkeeper, after Sydorenko was sent off for bringing down Llorenç in the box yesterday.
Lucao picked up where he left off the day before, converting an early penalty to take the lead for Catania and taking his tournament tally to eight. But an acrobatic effort from Chiky saw them pinned back once more, and then Pajon found space in the box to nod in Levante’s second goal, straight from a throw-in.
An extra time win would see Levante secured in the semi-finals, no matter what happened in the later tie, so Ángel López Torres was keen for his side to wrap the points up and not risk anything on a penalty shootout and their offensive pressure showed this.
Levante went into the first break with a slim lead, but two quick-fire goals from Zurlo – one a free-kick and the second a sublime overhead volley – turned the scoreline in Catania’s favour at the beginning of the second period.
At 3-2, Catania worked tirelessly to maintain their slim lead, and Palmacci, the interim goalkeeper, played his part well.
As the final 12 minutes began, Zurlo powered in yet another, grabbing a hat-trick for himself and a two-goal cushion for his side, which Lucao then extended it to three, chesting the ball down to set himself up for a superb volley.
Levante were falling behind and the minutes were rapidly ticking away. A loss in extra time or penalties might still see them still qualify, but for that to happen, they needed to score three goals to draw level with the rampant Italians.
But Catania were on a roll and despite Pablo Perez pulling one back, Lucao and Zurlo scored yet another each and Bryshtel also got his name on the scoresheet, all in the space of a single minute.
The scoreboard now read 8-3 with the game in its dying minutes and Catania held off a barrage of Levante attacks. Pablo Perez managed to squeeze a second past Palmacci, and Edu Suarez converted a last-minute penalty, but it was too little too late for the Spaniards, who are out of the running for the Mundialito title.
With a grand total of five goals (seven overall) Zurlo collected the award for the match’s MVP:
Domusbet Catania now had to cheer on their European groupmates, SC Braga, to see if they had done enough to make it to the semi-finals.
Goals: 1-0: Lucao, min. 10 (1); 1-1: Chiky, min. 7 (1); 1-2: Pajon, min. 5 (1); 2-2: Zurlo, min. 11 (2); 3-2: Zurlo, min. 10 (2); 4-2: Zurlo, min. 11 (3); 5-2: Zurlo, min. 10 (3); 5-3: Pablo Perez, min. 6 (3); 6-3: Lucao, min. 6 (3); 7-3: Bryshtel, min. 6 (3); 8-3: Zurlo, min. 5 (3); 8-4: Pablo Perez, min. 2 (3); 8-5: Edu, min. 0 (3); 9-5: Lucao, min. 0 (3);
BSC Lokomotiv 6-7 SC Braga (Group B)
The final match in the group stages of the Mundialito was between the European champions and the Russian powerhouses, and the objective for each side was simple: win and qualify for the semi-finals.
However, BSC Lokomotiv needed that win to be in normal time, otherwise they would not have enough points to overtake Levante in the group table.
Far from holding back and easing into the game, each team flew out applying immediate pressure, and it was this pressure that saw goalkeeper Padilha charged down by Safronov and his deflected clearance sailed into his own net.
BSC Lokomtoiv were in front, but only momentarily as Be Martin arrowed a low free-kick into the bottom corner to level the score up. Towards the end of the first period, Jordan converted a set-piece to put Braga in front, but not long after, Kryshanov chased down a defender to poke the ball past the oncoming Padilha.
He then grabbed a second as a left-footed shot hit the sand to fly into the net. A real stroke of luck which saw the local side head into the first break with a slight advantage.
That advantage was soon cancelled out as Be Martins claimed a brace of his own, storming into space to fire in the equalizer.
As the tempo of the game showed no signs of slowing down, more and more shots bounced off the woodwork and the goalkeepers worked frantically to keep their side from falling behind.
There were only a few minutes left of the second period when Kryshanov struck again, edging BSC Lokomotiv in front, who had the advantage as they entered the third and final period.
What a time for Bruno Xavier, one of the 2018 nominees for Best Player in the World, to step up and smash in a seemingly impossible free-kick. His first goal of the tournament leveled the tie up once more.
But then Llorenç, the current Best Player in the World, converted a set-piece too, putting Lokomotiv in front once more. Be Martins pinned it back though, securing himself a hat-trick in the process and it was clear that this match was going to be resolved by the finest of margins.
Another Kryshanov goal, as well as a goal from Bokinha kept the scores level until the dying minutes. The final blow came from the Brazilian, Filipe, whose goal just before the final whistle won the match for SC Braga and confirmed their place in the semi-finals alongside Catania, as Be Martins picked up his second MVP award of the competition.
Goals: 1-0: Safronov, min. 11 (1); 1-1: Be Martins, min. 11 (1); 1-2: Jordan, min. 4 (1); 2-2: Kryshanov, min. 3 (1); 3-2: Kryshanov, min. 0 (1); 3-3: Be Martins, min. 10 (2); 4-3: Kryshanov, min. 10 (2); 4-4: Bruno Xavier, min. 10 (3); 5-4: Llorenç, min. 10 (3); 5-5: Be Martins, min. 9 (3); 5-6: Bokinha, min. 6 (3); 6-6: Kryshanov, min. 3 (3); 6-7: Filipe, min. 1 (3);
Check out the semi-final fixtures and keep up to date on the Mundialito de Clubes in Moscow on the Beach Soccer Worldwide website, and remember that you can watch all of the games LIVE and FREE at beachsoccer.com/live
