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MY BEACH SOCCER 
Seattle and Barcelona manage solid triumphs, but Vasco da Gama and Corinthians get the points from the penalty spot
Seattle Sounders dismantles Sporting Clube
Seattle Sounders achieved their first victory in the Mundialito de Clubes thanks to a brilliant performance against one of the ‘monsters’ of the tournament. After having done enough to get something more in their first two matches, Marcelo Mendes coached side finally found the prize today. The North American team worked efficiently and managed to disarm all the Portuguese weapons and took the best advantage of their chances today.
One of Seattle’s key players, Osmar Moreira, headed in a brilliant collective aerial play to sweep his team ahead in the second minute of the game. That was not unusual, so to say, since Seattle had managed to hit first in their other previous matches. Little afterwards, another of the North American valuable resources, proved he is a nightmare in dead-ball moves and tapped in a corner kick serve by Plata for the 2-0.
The Mexican defender would widen the Portuguese wound in the same minute of the following quarter, again in a corner kick move. Cati headed in for the 3-0 and what began as a warning turned into a real menace for Sporting, who kept finding it impossible to beat a miraculous Nico today. The saves by the Swiss goalkeeper played also a key role in the Seattle Sounders victory today, endorsed by Moreira’s second hit.
Goals: 1-0: Moreira, min. 10 (1); 2-0: Cati, min. 8 (1); 3-0: Cati, min. 8 (2); 4-0: Moreira, min. 4 (3).
Impressive Barcelona win over Boca Juniors
FC Barcelona have secured their place in the quarterfinals of this Mundialito de Clubes with a solid victory over Boca Juniors. The Catalan side recovered from an early hit and pulled the reins of the game, hitting the Argentinean net again and again until the loud final 7-2.
Boca came today to the Praia da Sol grinding their teeth after seeing how points vanished in two unfortunate penalty shootouts, and regarding Barça as the ones to pay that bill. Things worked quite fine for them during the first minutes, in which magician Bruno sent a delightful free kick to Barcelona’s goalmouth, leaving Bukhlitskiy the only chance to look the ball get in. But the azulgrana were not intimidated by that stroke, and just one minute afterwards, Juanma volleyed a ball, ‘folha seca’ style, which turned to be impossible for Del Mestre. That one-one was just the first step for the Catalan, since immediately Javi Torres caught a long ball, chipped it with his chest and performed an amazing overhead kick for the 2-1. From that moment on, Amarelle’s lads tried to control the game, with smart passing game, letting their opponents know that they would not leave his goal uncovered, always waiting for the chance to finish the game.
Shishin did not miss that chance, and with only one minute to go in the last quarter, raised the 3-1 for his team, opening the door to the Catalan goal frenzy about to come. The Barcelona dominion was already uncontestable at that moment, and even more effective it was to become during that last 12 minutes, in which a four goal run would end any chance for the Argentinean. Franceschini could manage a last hit for Boca, but it was already too late for them…
Goals: 0-1: Bruno, min. 9 (1); 1-1: Juanma, min. 7 (1); 2-1: Javi Torres, min. 6 (1); 3-1: Shishin, min. 1 (2); 4-1: Rui Mota (p), min. 11 (3); 5-1: Juanma, min. 7 (3); 6-1: Juanma, min. 6 (3); 7-1 : Shishin, min. 3 (3); 7-2: Franceschini, min. 3 (3)
Vasco keeps as unerring from the penalty spot
Extra times and penalty shootouts came back in the third match of this third matchday in the Mundialito de Clubes, facing Brazilian giants Vasco da Gama and Flamengo. The two carioca superpowers offered a tasteful match, with ten goals in the set time, two more during the extra period, and an exciting penalty shootout. This seems precisely to be Vasco’s territory, since they have clinched two new points from the penalty spot, precisely what they did in their match yesterday against Boca Juniors.
None of the teams left a single meter for his opponent to snatch, the same way that none of them managed any advantage wider than one goal all through the playing time. The match was absolutely electric, giving no time to blink, and both sides exchanged the roles of chased and chaser a couple of times. It was Fla the ones to get ahead for the first time, with the first hit of Anderson’s hat trick today. It was the most-enduring advantage of the whole game, since, when Bruno Xavier and Pampero turned the score around in just one minute by mid second period, equalizers always came rather immediately.
This pattern led to a last-minute 5-5 by Rafinha, taking the match into an equally dramatic extra time. Duda’s hit would have probably been the winner if the match had not been that crazy. But, in such a game as today’s one, a minute and a half was more than room enough for the sixth tie-maker.
Again, the penalty shootout was the only way out, and luck was at Vasco’s side for the second time. André and Bruno Xavier’s attempts went in, and, although, Gabriel did not took advantage of Duda’s mistake, Betinho did so after Salgueiro’s save to secure the two points at stake.
Goals: 0-1: Anderson, min. 4 (1); 1-1: Bruno Xavier, min. 7 (2); 2-1: Pampero, min. 7 (2); 2-2: Anderson, min. 4 (2); 3-2: Bernardo, min. 2 (2); 3-3: Anderson, min. 2 (2); 4-3: Villalobos, min. 11 (3); 4-4: André, min. 10 (3); 4-5: André, min. 5 (3) ; 5-5 : Rafinha, min. 0 (3), min. 5-6 : Duda, min. 1 (et) ; 6-6 : Bruno Xavier, min. 0 (et)
Penalty shootout: André, in ; Bruno Xavier, in ; A. Tavares, out; Gabriel, out; Souza, Salguerio saves; Betinho, in.
Corinthians wins an amazing paulista classico in the penalty shootout
The match between Santos and Corinthians was one of those games that when the final horn signals the end, you never know who is more exhausted, either the fans or the players. Too many emotions, too many breath-taking moments… The paulista derby became an amazing spectacle with up to 16 goals before the penalty shootout gave the Timão the points.
The game had, by far, no clear domineer. Both sides used their weapons to take advantage of the tiniest crack to do harm in their opponent’s resistance. And when having so many top-class players on the sand, this happens quite often. Today’s fixture facing Santos and Corinthians was a terrific stroke exchange between two boxers that would never give up. Every hit by one was replied by the other. All match long. And the pattern kept just like this in an unbelievable extra time, in which Mena slotted the very last possible ball in to neutralize the advantage achieved by Juninho just a couple of minutes before.
Again, the penalty shootout was to pass sentence, and to leave one of the contenders without an absolutely deserved prize. But this is how the way beach soccer is; precisely one of those things that make this sport that attractive. Only one can win, and this one was Corinthians. Fabian was the one to certify it by sending his attempt in after Kuman had not been able to do so for Santos in the previous kick.
Goals: 1-0: Dunga, min. 10 (1); 1-1: Buru, min. 10 (1); 1-2 : Fabian, min. 6 (1) ; 2-2 : Kuman, min. 3 (1) ; 2-3: Buru, min. 3 (1) ; 3-3 : Kuman, min. 2 (1) ; 3-4 : Minici, min. 11 (2) ; 3-5 : Juninho, min. 11 (2) ; 4-5 : Fabricio, min. 7 (2) ; 5-5 : Du Alves, min. 1 (2) ; 5-6 : Fabian, min. 1 (2) ; 6-6 : Kuman, min. 0 (2) ; 7-6 : Mena, min. 5 (3) ; 7-7 : Juninho, min. 4 (3); 8-7: Juninho, min. 2 (et); 8-8: Mena, min. 0 (et)
Penalty shootout : Kuman, Mão saves ; Fabian, in.
