Tahiti see off Russia to top group

Both teams will still be heading to the quarter-finals but an intense match sends Tahiti through as the Group winner

Tahiti surprised reigning FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup champions Russia with a 7-6 win which saw them top Group D. In a topsy-turvy game that saw its fair share of spectacular finishes, and a goal each from the sides’ goalkeepers, the Pacific island nation triumphed to make it three wins out of three.

Raimana Li Fung Kuee got the goal glut started under two minutes into the match with a slide rule finish, before Andrey Bukhlitskiy became only the second goalkeeper to score in Espinho. Heimanu Taiarui pushed the Tahitians ahead before Dmitrii Shishin equalised seconds later. Li Fung Kuee grabbed his second to leave the Toa Aito ahead at the first interval.

Tahiti’s No7 completed his hat-trick to put his side further ahead just after the first interval and the crowd had to wait a full six minutes before Artur Paporotnyi reduced the deficit. Li Fung Kuee hit the post from a penalty kick, and was made to pay minutes later when Yury ‘Krash’ Krasheninnikov smashed home an equaliser. Just ten seconds later, Tainui Lehartel put the underdogs ahead before Anatoliy Peremitin missed a chance to level from the penalty spot. 

In the third period, further goals from Li Fung Kuee and Tahiti’s substitute goalkeeper Jonathon ‘Jo’ Torohia seemed to have the game wrapped up, but Kirill Romanov and Alexey Makarov’s efforts made it a tense finale, with Torohia saving a last gasp Russian chance.

Both sides will learn their quarter-final opponents, one of Brazil, Spain or Iran, after the former two play in the final game of the group stages.

(Source: FIFA.com)