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A day of fierce battles, awesome fight-backs and extra time deciders
The third year of the Women’s Euro Winners Cup kicked off in style today with some dazzling skills on show, ruthless head to heads and unlikely comebacks.
Here’s how the first day went…
Group A
2017’s third-place finisher Higicontrol Melilla gave hosts Sporting Clube de Portugal a difficult first day in the competition. The Spanish team upset the Lisboan, in a game in which it seemed that, no matter how hard they tried, Sporting would never strike Higicontrol down. They came close after balancing things back coming from 2-0 behind during the first leg, but the later reaction by Melilla ended their attempts for points.
Lady Gremback EE Lodz of Poland took on Swedish challengers, Vetlanda United Women in a bout to pick up three points a go joint top of the Group A table. In the end they strode to a comfortable victory after a game that was evenly matched for the most part was taken out of the Swedes’ reach by a Saki hat-trick which increased the one-goal advantage to a four-goal one. Three points in the bag for the Poles ahead of tomorrow’s fixtures.
Group B
2016 runners-up, Beachkick Ladies Berlin, encountered a tough resistance in their debut in the 2018 Euro Winners Cup. Lokrians Beach Soccer made up for their limited international experience with a high dose of will and determination and managed to make things difficult for the German side.
Despite building a 3-0 advantage, Beachkick Berlin saw their opponents fight until the end, but managed to control the game and close all doors on the Lokrians in the last stages of the game.
Group B’s other game today saw Madrid CFF go toe to toe with defending champions BSC Havana Shots Aargau to draw level with Beachkick Ladies Berlin, who has already won earlier in the day. The tie was a tight one and throughout the three periods of time it was still anyone’s game, but a single goal clinched all three points for Swiss, leaving Madrid CFF on zero points, level with Lokrians BS.
Group C
Portsmouth BSC hit the sand in the 2018 Euro Winners Cup against Nomme Kalju Women, showing why they got all the way to the final the last time they were in Nazaré. It was a slow start for Portsmouth in their first game in the competition though, only managing to open the score by the end of first period. But after that, things got pretty crazy, with two 0-7 and 0-8 runs that ended up destroying the Estonian side. Molly Clark and Katie James, with four goals each, had the leading voice on Pompey’s scoresheet, with Gemma Hillier’s hat-trick also adding a significant contribution. The final 16-1 leaves little room for doubt, at the same time propelling Portsmouth to the top of the table in Group C.
After Portsmouth Ladies put a whopping 16 goals past Estonian team, Nomme Kalju Women, in the earlier group fixture, the pressure was on to flex muscles and score goal when HTC BS Zwolle Women came together with CFP Cáceres Femenino in the later match. Although it wasn’t quite the goal-fest the other game had been, the Dutch team outclassed the Spanish enough to secure the three points with three goals and move into second position.
Group D
CSO Amneville clinched the points in a hard-fought win over ASD Lady Terracina, thus going to the top of group D in the opening of the Women’s Euro Winners Cup.
The Transalpine hit first, securing an 1-0 advantage by the end of the first leg. But in the second period, Amneville reacted and turned things around, going 3-1 ahead. All the way from Rio Branco, Noele Bastos chipped a ball over the French goalkeeper to cut deficit in half again, but after that much fighting CSO Amneville would not let the Terracinese upset them. The French used a well-aimed free kick to widen the gap again, and secure three valuable points.
Beach Soccer DTS Ede Women and AIFS Playas de San Javier Women met in the Group D clashes, which resulted in a game of chase which lasted the whole fixture. Playing catch-up was the Dutch side who from the first goal didn’t manage to get back on level terms, despite two late goals in the last period of time. The Spanish were rewarded for their resistance with the three points nicely wrapped up ahead of tomorrow’s clash against CSO Amneville.
Group E
Zvezda Women had to fight harder than most to pick up points today as they were forced into extra time after going neck and neck with Grande Motte Pyramide BS Ladies through the three periods of normal time. The Russian side took away two well-earned points.
A golazo from Chivi helped Roses Platja Women vanquish their Polish opponents, KU AZS UAM Poznan Women, comfortably with a two-goal cushion. As the Spaniards pick up the three points, the Poles must turn to their game against WFC Zvezda tomorrow for their first win.
To see all results and standings click here
