12 Jul 2015

Quartet braced for decisive duels

Last day of group play for Group A and Group B has nearly everyone gearing up for a win-or-go home battle

The eight teams in Groups A and B are in action again on Monday as the final round of matches in the group phase of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Portugal 2015™ begins.

While Switzerland and Italy have already secured the top two places in the second pool, the four teams in the first still have everything to play for, with Portugal, Argentina, Japan and Senegal all tied on three points.

FIFA.com looks ahead to a crucial day in the competition.

Match of the day

Portugal-Argentina, 14:30 local time

After kicking off with victory over Japan, Portugal made life difficult for themselves by losing to Senegal, a game they led on four occasions before letting the points slip in the third period. Argentina can tell a similar tale, having overcome the Africans on day one only to then lose to the Japanese, leaving them in exactly the same position as the hosts, with a place in the last eight the prize for the winners of this enticing duel.

The other matches

The situation is exactly the same for Japan and Senegal. Losers on the opening day, they both roared back into contention with victories in their second games and now face what amounts to a play-off for a place in the quarters.

While the top two places have already been decided in Group B, that does not mean to say the final two games in the section lack interest. Oman and Costa Rica will contest the day’s first match, with both sides determined to sign off on a winning note, having lost both their opening two encounters.

Their conquerors, Switzerland and Italy, will bring Monday’s events to a close in a match that will decide who tops Group B. The Italians lead the section thanks to their superior goal difference, having scored ten and conceded three, while their opponents’ record reads nine goals for and five against.

Player to watch

Madjer (Portugal)

Portugal need their captain to be at his very best for the make-or-break game against Argentina. The scorer of a brace in the hosts’ opening-day win over Japan, the three-time winner of the adidas Golden Scorer award drew a blank against Senegal and will be keen to get back in among the goals again on Monday.

The stat

6 - the number of survivors in the Japan and Senegal squads from the two sides’ only previous world finals encounter in 2007. On that occasion Al Seyni N'Diaye and Ngalla Sylla helped the Africans score a 4-1 win over a Japan side containing Shingo Terukina, Teruki Tabata, Shusei Yamauchi and Takasuke Goto.

The words

“I wasn’t surprised that we beat Argentina because we are samurais and we don’t give up. Now we’ve got to go and do the same against Senegal,” Ozu Moreira, Japan defender.

Match schedule, 13 July

Group A

Portugal-Argentina (14:30)

Japan-Senegal (16:00)

Group B

Oman-Costa Rica (13:00)

Switzerland-Italy (17:30)

(Source: FIFA.com)