The all-Spanish final goes right to the wire as Madrid slip up from the penalty spot
The fourth Women’s Euro Winners Cup has been won by Spain’s AIS Playas de San Javier.
They defeated fellow Spaniards, Madrid CFF, on penalties after normal time couldn’t separate the sides.
After having finished third last year, the Playas went all the way in the 2019 edition, becoming the fourth team to win the title in the years that the Euro Winners Cup has been in existence, and the first Spanish club.
The MVP went to Carolina Gonzalez of AIS Playas de San Javier while Melissa Gomes took home the trophy for Top Scorer after netting 14 goals for Stade de Reims
The French team also claimed the Best Goalkeeper, which went to Phallon Tullis Joyce.
Click here for all of today’s matches and highlights.
FINAL
Playas de San Javier 3(2) – (0)3 Madrid CFF
Someone’s Euro WInners dreams were about to come true, but victory, predictably came far from easily…
In a tense opening run of play, neither side were able to find the net, despite shots bouncing of posts and bars. The breakthrough eventually came for Sara Gonzalez, as she hit the first goal of the match.
Playas de San Javier led at the break, but they couldn’t keep Madrid out forever and towards the end of the second period, the number ten, Alba Mellado, levelled up.
As soon as the final period begun, the women in blue were back and this time it was Carolina Gonzalez, who at this point was unaware she would be named MVP, who scored to put them ahead again. At the end of normal time the scores were tied and when extra time saw no more goals, it was penalties.
The cruelest test of nerves denied the Madrileños the chance at glory, as they were unable to convert any of their spotkicks and Joaquin Castaño’s Playas scored two.
The players celebrated wildly, and after going undefeated throughout the whole tournament, have achieved a truly-deserved accomplishment.
All hail the new queens of Europe, AIS Playas de San Javier!
PLAY-OFFS
Stade De Reims 9 – 3 Lokrians Beach Club (3rd-place)
The French secured a third-place finish in their maiden event by beating Lokrians of Italy in their final match in the Euro Winners Cup.
They had a three-goal lead by the first break and in the second they extended their tally to seven.
Lokrians managed to score three of their own but Stade De Reims were too far ahead, and when Gomes scored number nine for the French – her fifth of the game! – securing the number three spot for her team in the final standings.
Djurgardens IF 3 – 4 Terracina Feminile (5th-place)
One last win and a seventh-place finish awaited today winner, and it was the Swedish who looked the more likely of the two to take the points.
After a goalless first period, they hit three in five minutes to steam ahead. Privitera pulled one back for Terracina Feminile and then, in an incredible turnaround, the Italians netted three to snatch fifth place.
Lady Grembach Lodz 2 – 1 Roses Platja (7th-place)
After having grand ambitions of lifting their first ever Euro Winners Cup shattered, Lady Grembach Lodz and Roses Platja now tussled for a seventh-place finish.
Withing six minutes Lady Grembach were in front when Borowiec scored but it didn’t take long for a response to come when Pascu score. In the second period Saki netted a second for Grembach and this turned out to be the winner.
Despite promising chances being created at both ends, the whistle blew at 2-1 as the Polish side took fifth as Roses Platja take eighth.
WFC Zvedza 3(1) – (2)3 Higicontrol Melilla (9th-place)
WFC Zvezda were on the inevitable brink of having their crowns taken from them by a new Spanish champion, but they had one more chance to taste victory.
They had a tight play-off against Higicontrol Melilla which saw the scores tied after the three period of normal time. After extra time it was the Spanish who held their nerve to take ninth place from the penalty spot.
Fundacio Terrassa 1906 5 – 4 ACD O Sotao (11th-place)
After leading for the vast majority of the match, ACD O Sotao will have been pained to end their home comeptiton in narrow defeat to Fundacio Terrassa.
But the Spaniards found a fresh burst of energy in the dying minutes of the game to turn it around and finish the Euro Winners Cup in 11th place. The Nazaré ladies take seventh.
Havana Shots Aargau 7 – 4 ASD Lady Terracina (13th-place)
Havana Shots met Lady Terracina in their last game of the Euro Winners 2019 campaign and although they manage to end the time in Nazaré with a win, they found the Italians hard to shake off.
The sides were drawing at the first whistle, after four goals were evenly split, but in the second the former champions managed to get their noses in front and in the final period they pulled away from Lady Terracina to finish the match at 7-4.
Williams and Buck each scored a brace as Havana Shots finish in 13th place.
Marseille Beach Team 2 – 3 CFP Caceres Femenino (15th-place)
The play-off for 15th place took a while to get underway and saw no goal in the oeping 12 minutes. However, in the second period, Caceres took a 0-2 lead through Martinez and Garcia.
Marseille came back to 2-2 but a second from Garcia wrapped up the points for the Spanish side, who go home with a final win under their belts.
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
MVP: Carol Gonzalez (AIS Playas de San Javier)
Top Scorer: Melissa Gomes (Stade de Reims)
Best Goalkeeper: Phallon Tullis Joyce (Stade de Reims)
FINAL STANDINGS:
1st – AIS Playas de San Javier
2nd – Madrid CFF
3rd – Stade de Reims
4th – Lokrians Beach Club
5th – Terracina Feminile
6th – Djurgardens IF
7th – Lady Grembach Lodz
8th – Roses Platja
9th – Higicontrol Melilla
10th – WFC Zvedza
11th – Fundacio Terrassa 1906
12th – ACD O Sotao
13th – Havana Shots Aargau
14th – ASD Lady Terracina
15th – CFP Caceres Femenino
16th – Marseille Beach Team
