Zvezda see off a quality Pompey to seal Euro Winners title
The final day of the competition was all about the final, as well as deciding where the teams who hadn’t made it so far finished.
The Final
Portsmouth Ladies BSC vs WFC Zvezda
So far everything had gone right for these two teams but only one could go all the way today. With so much, finely whittled quality on both teams, we were in for a really spectacular showdown.
The stadium was full, the players warmed up and the whistle at the referee’s lips. The match started at top speed, with the Zvezda goalkeeper firing a warning shot at the English side and when it hit its target Portsmouth found themselves trailing after 15 seconds.
It seems that this had an effect on the Pompey morale, as their attempted shots, which had found their targets so mercilessly throughout the tournament, were flying high and wide. Meanwhile, the Russians were demanding more and more saves from the Portsmouth goalkeeper.
In the second period Zvezda found the back of the net again, pushing the English further away from their dream and they became more and more desperate. As frustration increased and time continued to tick away, Pompey just couldn’t find a reply and after such a strong campaign were worthy runners-up.
WFC Zvezda are the 2018 Euro Winners Cup champions!
Position Play-Offs
KU AZS UAM Poznan vs Lokrians Beach Club
Following their previous results, the Polish side KU AZS UAM Poznan and the Italians, Lokrian Beach Club, were to finish in fifteenth and sixteenth position. Today’s joust was all about seeing who would claim which spot.
They met on a rainy pitch two, in the day’s first game, but that didn’t stop the goals flying in! They were on level terms at 2-2 by the time the first whistle blew and going into the second it was still anyone’s game. Marino stepped up to claim a brace for the Italians but it was all square at the second whistle too, at 3-3.
But Marino wasn’t done yet, and by the time the game ended, she brought her own personal tally up to four, and her team’s, to an unassailable five.
Madrid CFF vs Beachkick Ladies Berlin
In their last game of the tournament, both the Spanish and the German side wanted to end their time in Nazaré on a win, and finish in thirteenth rather than fourteenth. The first period ended with the Spanish inching into the lead with two goals from Mellado.
Despite more goals going in for both teams, Madrid managed to remain just one goal ahead of Beachkick Ladies Berlin in the second period, when Mellado completed her hat-trick and Haack nicked a brace for the Germans.
After trailing for most of the game, Beachkick Ladies turned the game around and Hillmann grabbed the winner in the dying minutes of the tie to take all three points and secure the thirteenth-place position.
ASD Lady Terracina vs HTC BS Zwolle
After losing their games yesterday, each team had one last chance to grab some Euro Winners glory. The match started slowly and despite many good chances being created, only one opportunity was actually converted, when Saaltink scored in the seventh minute for Zwolle.
The Dutch side hung on to this delicate lead into the third period, repelling Italian attacks and in the end that one goal was enough to claim victory for HTC BS Zwolle and win them eleventh place in the final standings.
Higicontrol Melilla vs Sporting CP
Winning their games the previous day meant that the prize for a win in today’s bout was a ninth place finish. However, both Higicontrol and Sporting’s victories had been close-cut so today looked like it would be a tight contest.
Tight would be the right word to describe the first period, with just the one goal from Joana Flores separating the Portuguese from their Spanish challengers. Going into the second period Higicontrol were unable to find a response and Sporting extended their lead to three.
A goal from the Spanish came too little too late in the third period and Sporting confirmed their position as ninth place finishers.
CFP Caceres Femenino vs BSC Havana Shots Aagrau
Last year’s champions, BSC Havana Shots Aargau, would have to settle for seventh positon this year… if they could beat the Spanish side CFP Caceres Femenino, that is.
The Spaniards started the stronger of the two, taking the lead very early in the match and then, after having it cancelled out by a goal from Muller, took it back. They maintained this slender advantage for the entirety of the second period too.
However, they managed to widen the gap between them and their Swiss opponents in the final period to make the win just that little bit more comfortable for themselves.
Lady Grembach EE Lodz vs Roses Platja
Being painfully knocked out of the Euro Winners Cup race in the semi-finals yesterday, Roses Platja now turned their sights on fifth place. In their way stood a Lady Grembach, from Poland, who wanted to mark their last day in Nazaré with a win too.
The Poles started the stronger of the two, taking a 2-0 lead into the first break. Roses needed to find a response if they wanted a chance of finishing in fifth and ending the tournament in winning fashion.
In the third period, though, Lady Grembach found another gear and they sped into the distance, scoring three more goals, leaving Roses Platja to take sixth place, whilst the Poles occupied fifth.
CSO Amneville vs AIS Playas de San Javier
After a last second (or rather, half-second!) goal from Molly Clark of Portsmouth BSC knocked CSO Amneville out yesterday in the semi-finals, the play-off for third place had to be fought against AIS Playas de San Javier today.
The Spanish were still hurting after their exit from the competition at the hands of the Russians, WFC Zvezda in the semis. Despite being fairly low-scoring compared to some of the scorelines we’ve become accustomed to, the game was an intense affair. Both teams clearly wanted the third position and Andrea Miron opened the scoring for Playas de San Javier in the first period which the French were able to swiftly reply to to level things up.
After that though, it took until the dying minutes of the second period for the next goals, which both went to the Spanish. This would be the final score as the French side couldn’t muster a response, and they must settle for fourth place.
For full results and standings click here
