Likhachev?s side bend Brazil again to reedit the title in presence of Maradona, as hosts UAE clinch a historic third place
Receiving the Intercontinental Cup trophy from the hands of football legend Diego Armando Maradona is quite a sweet way to get yourself on top of the Beach Soccer world again… And if you do it in such a brilliant fashion as Russia did today, giving Brazil no chance, then the whole thing comes even better. Mikhail Likhachev’s team had targeted this Samsung Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup Dubai 2012 as their opportunity to ascend to an uncontestable dominant position, after the defeats suffered in the Euro Beach Soccer League and the final of the European Qualifier for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup2013, and they absolutely accomplished the mission.
The strong pace the defending champions imposed in the beginning of the match got them remarkable dividends. Already in the first period, the tsars had built a 3-0 advantage that had the canarinha on the robes. The tournament’s MVP, Shaykov, completed his second consecutive goal-poker in two days to widen the distance to 5-0 by mid second period. Only the efforts by Fernando DDI kept offering some resistance to such a tyrannical dominion, but his first two goals, which got him awarded as the competition’s top scorer, were far not enough to contest the strength the World Champions were fielding.
In the last minutes of the game, Brazil tried to dress up the score a bit, and Bruno Malias and André fired home for the 7-4. That was the only concession the Russians were to make, and time ran out without giving the Verdeamarela any other real chance to revert the situation. With the final whistle, Likhachev’s side wins all credit back, not only for having conquered this new edition of the Samsung Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup Dubai, but specially because of the way they have achieved so. Was last summer just a little impasse? Today, it seemed it was, but only time will tell.
Goals: 1-0: Makarov, min. 7 (1); 2-0: Shaykov, min. 6 (1); 3-0: Shaykov, min. 0 (1); 4-0: Shaykov, min. 9 (2); 5-0: Shaykov, min. 3 (2); 5-1: Fernando DDI, min. 2 (2); 6-1: Shishin, min. 1 (2); 7-1: Makarov, min. 8 (3); 7-2: Fernando DDI, min. 6 (3); 7-3: Bruno Malias, min. 5 (3); 7-4: Andre, min. 0 (3);
Amazing UAE clinch bronze after goal shower (7-8)
UAE jumped a new step in their international growth today. Marcelo Mendes’ side clinched the bronze medal in this Samsung Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup they have hosted in Dubai Festival City after edging Nigeria in the extra time. In a match in which both sides immediately neutralized any advantage by their opponent, only the fifteenth hit, bagged by local hero Rami in the second minute of the extra time, made the difference and had the Emirati jumping to the podium of this top-class international Beach Soccer competition.
The crowd packing the colourful stands of the Beach Soccer stadium did not have to wait long before seeing the first of Rashid missiles today. The UAE left-footed wing got his team always finding a way to harm the African rearguard, and he did brilliantly, with three terrific goals. On the other side, though, and in the absence of Ibenegbu, captain Olawale, took the leading voice for Nigeria in scoring tasks. Considered the best player in Africa, the Nigerian maestro turned into a real nightmare for the UAE, bagging four goals that got the Green Eagles the lead in the second period. Ali could insufflate the hosts some fresh air with the 5-4, but misfortune fell again on the Emirati side, with Rami’s own goal in the opening of the last leg.
Just eleven minutes to go, and the UAE were forced to fight against one of the physically strongest teams in the world trying to wound them, at least twice… They did it, and even went a little beyond, with Adel netting the 6-7. Mendes lads saw the third place closer than ever, but the whole thing crumbled with Abu’s late equalizer to send things to extra time. The hosts could not let the chance of giving their crowd and themselves such a valuable prize, and Rami got things right for them with a brilliant winner in the additional three minutes. The third place seized by the Emirati must be read in two different ways: first, the prize to a team which is working really hard to become a model in the whole continent, and, second, the demonstration that the Beach Soccer is getting more and more competitive, simultaneously, in many different regions in the world.
Goals: 0-1: Rashid, min. 10 (1); 1-1: Olawale, min. 7 (1); 1-2: Rashid, min. 10 (2); 2-2: Olawale, min. 7 (2); 3-2: Olawale, min. 6 (2); 3-3: Rashid, min. 5 (2); 4-3: Akor, min. 3 (2); 5-3: Olawale, min. 2 (2); 5-4: A. Ali, min. 0 (2); 6-4: Rami (og), min. 11 (3); 6-5: Ali Karim, min. 10 (3); 6-6: Rami, min. 6 (3); 6-7: Adel, min. 5 (1); 7-7: Abu, min. 1 (3); 7-8: Rami, min. 2 (et)
SAMSUNG BEACH SOCCER INTERCONTINENTAL CUP DUBAI 2012
Results today
19:15 –Nigeria 7-8(et) UAE (3rd/4th place)
20:30 – Russia 7-4 Brazil (FINAL)
Final standings
Winner: RUSSIA
Runner-ups: Brazil
3rd place: UAE
Individual awards
MVP: Egor Shaykov (RUS)
Top Scorer: Fernando DDI (BRA), 10 goals
Best Goalkeeper: Andrei Bukhlitskiy (RUS)
