Holders Braga make semi-finals and Gori scores seven against GWP Cservy
The final four match-ups have been decided: KP Lodz beat Euroformat to face Levante, who won their quarter-final tie against Lokomotiv, while Delta will have the daunting task of facing the current title holders, SC Braga.
Despite making it to the final four, Delta took a serious blow to their title hopes, as both of their goalkeepers received sanctions and as a result are suspended.
Therefore, they will meet SC Braga (who are undefeated in the Euro Winners Cup in three years!) with an outfield player in goal…
Meanwhile in the play-offs for ninth place, Gabriele Gori contributed an incredible seven goals to Artur Music’s 7-16 victory over Hungarian side, GWP Cservy.
Click here for all of today’s matches and highlights.
QUARTER-FINALS
Levante UD 3 – 2 BSC Lokomotiv
The match started at full speed, and the players weren’t allowed any time on the ball before an opponent was upon them.
Daniel Pajon opened the scoring, putting Levante ahead after two minutes, but a rocket from Ozu evened the tie up before the first whistle.
Another goal for each side meant that the scores were level at the second whistle and as the third period began it looked as if 12 more minutes might not be enough to decide a winner. But Levante found their hero, as Benjamin Jr. scored part way through the second period and although Lokomotiv increased the pressure, the Spanish defense held strong.
The final whistle blew at 3-2, and the reward for Levante’s victory today is a match against KP Lodz tomorrow, who finished third in 2018 The Spaniards will be looking to make sure the Polish don’t get further than that this year.
BSC Spartak 3 – 5 SC Braga
A semi-final match against FC Delta was the prize for victory today. But if Braga wanted to take the next step towards defending their throne, they had another Russian rival to vanquish first…
Spartak Moscow were off the mark quicker, when Stepliani netted after two minutes, but Braga weren’t far behind and Bokinha levelled up.
After each team struck again, Leo Martins scored to nick the lead just before the first whistle, but at the restart Spartak were back with a Zemskov equalizer.
They then went to three apiece, but in the final period Braga showed why they were the European champions and absorbed the Lokomotiv attack, scoring two goals to seal a 3-5 win to please the crowd and take their place in the matc schedule against Delta in the semi-final.
Delta 8 – 6 Catania
Neither side had won the European crown before, but a place in the last four was guaranteed for either Delta or Catania.
After the opening 12 minutes they were all square at one apiece, but as soon as the second began Delta moved well ahead, and Igor claimed a hat-trick in the process.
Delta had an 8-3 lead in the third period, but after the expulsion of their second goalkeeper Catania netted three goals in the final minute.
But the Russians were too far ahead, and rode the late wave of offenses to see the game out and win by eight goals to six. However, following the two suspensions, they will play the semi-final with an outfield player between the posts…
KP Lodz 5 – 0 Euroformat
Last year’s third-place finishers brushed aside a Ukrainians squad who, the previous day, had put an end to Kristall’s title-winning hopes, knocking them out in a 20-penalty shootout.
But Euroformat couldn’t recreate the impressive intensity of yesterday’s performance and they gradually allowed a deficit to build up as Jordan, Gac, Pozniak, Kubiak and Poplawski each scored to take a comfortable advantage.
The final whistle sounded at 5-0 as a surprisingly one-side quarter-final puts the Poles a win away from reaching the Euro Winners Cup final.
PLAY-OFFS
GWP Cservy 7 – 16 Artur Music
In the play-offs for ninth place following both teams’ eliminations from the competition the day before, the game between GWP Cservy and Artur Music started with the Ukrainians taking a 1-3 lead in the first period…
But in the second the match turned into a goalfest, and the second whistle blew at 6-9, and the Italian Gabriele Gori having bagged four.
The madness continued into the final period as Gori scored goal number seven of the day, taking his tournament tally to an incredible 21 goals, breaking a tournament record of 18, that he set…twice!
The game finished with Artur Music scoring 16, the most goals we’ve seen a team score so far in the Euro Winners Cup.
Sporting CP 7 – 2 BSC CSKA
A painful exit to a Spanish Levante side in yesterday’s Round of 16 saw Sporting fighting for a ninth-place finish against Moscow’s CSKA.
Madjer took a lead in the first period, but the game was tight. However, in the second period Sporting began to become more clinical with the numerous chances they created, and by the final whistle, Madjer had a brace and Ze Lucas had claimed four!
Unable to better last year’s fifth-place finish, Sporting are on track to compete for ninth place in this edition, after taking the game by seven goals to two.
BSC Vybor 2 – 10 BSC Kristall
Kristall took yesterday’s rage out on today’s Ukrainian rivals after their countrymen, Euroformat Bodon, eliminated the Russians from the Euro Winners Cup in the Round of 16.
They pushed a 0-6 lead in the first period and although Vybor eventually got off the mark in the second, netting twice, Angelo Schirinzi’s accumulated a total of ten to put a comeback beyond the Ukrainians.
Shishin bagged a hat-trick and the Brazilians stars, Mauricinho and Rodrigo, netted two each, as the men in orange return to winning ways.
Alanya Belediye 9 – 5 Grande Motte
Alanya Belediye may have been knocked out of the European title running this year, but they were not about to turn down the chance to taste victory again before leaving Nazaré.
A killer partnership in attack saw both Turkey star, Cem Keskin and Swiss number nine, Dejan Stankovic grab a hat-trick in a decisive victory over their French rivals.
They pushed the advantage and, despite Grande Motte finding the net five times, the Turkish side we too far ahead to be caught and secured a comfortable win.
Remember that all games will be streamed live at beachsoocer.com/live!
Stay up-to-date on all of the action from the Euro Winners Challenge, Women’s Euro Winners Cup and Euro Winners Cup on the Beach Soccer Worldwide website!
https://beachsoccer.com/events/women-s-euro-winners-cup-nazare-2019
https://beachsoccer.com/events/euro-winners-cup-nazare-2019
https://beachsoccer.com/events/euro-winners-challenge-2019
