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MY BEACH SOCCER 
The defending champions, England, and Russia saw off their Czech and Swiss challengers to claim three points each at the opening day of the Women’s Euro Beach Soccer Cup
With 22 goal being scored in just two games, day 1 of the Women’s Euro Beach Soccer Cup Nazaré 2018 was full of beach soccer prowess.
Switzerland and Russia had the Women’s Euro Beach Soccer Cup Nazaré kicked off in style with a 14-goal thriller, but Russia prevailed after a close contest.
The match plunged into immediate action as Russia’s Gorshkova drilled home early in the first period to open the scoring. But a reply came swiftly in the form of a lovely pivot from the Swiss number ten, Heer, who found the corner to level things up. After initially falling behind, Switzerland then took the lead with a long-range shot from Natalie Schenk, but two quick-fire goals from Fedorova and Zaitseva pulled Russia back to end the first period in the lead.
However, it only took two seconds for the Swiss to respond with Meyer scoring straight from the kick off. A real end-to-end game, the goals just kept coming and by the time the second period was over the teams shared a total of nine goals, with Switzerland enjoying five of them, and a slender lead.
The intensity showed no signs of subsiding, as the teams were neck and neck, both with a strong belief that they could win the game. After Ilia Leonov’s ladies had taken the lead once more, Switzerland dragged themselves level again through a Meyer golazo in the third period.
Tied at 6-6 it was clear that there were more goals in this one, and sure enough, Cherniakova found the net and Zaitseva completed her hat-trick as the Russians found another gear to take all three points.
Goals: 0-1: Gorshkova, min. 8 (1); 1-1: Heer, min. 6 (1); 2-1: Schenk, min. 1 (1); 2-2: Fedorova, min. 1 (1); 2-3: Zaitseva, min. 0 (1); 3-3: Meyer, min. 11 (2); 4-3: Samorova (O.G.), min. 9 (2); 4-4: Zaitseva, min. 8 (2); 5-4: Samorova (O.G.), min. 9 (2); 5-5: Fedorova, min. 11 (3); 5-6: Gorshkova, min. 10 (3); 6-6: Meyer, min. 9 (3); 6-7: Cherniakova, min. 8 (3); 6-8: Zaitseva, min. 1 (3);
The defending champions take care of business
A tight contest between the defending Euro Beach Soccer Cup champions and their Czech challengers saw a dominant English performance, as Perry Northeast’s team walk away with three points.
In the day’s second game, England were looking to retain last year’s title with a win against Petr Visek’s Czech side. But the first period was quiet in terms of goal-scoring opportunities, and it wasn’t until the final minute when the deadlock was broken by a goal from Mody, the Czech captain.
Enjoying a slim lead at the start of the second period, the Czechs defended well, but as the pressure built, they couldn’t keep out England’s stars. Two goals in quick succession from James and then Clark put England in control and the Czech Republic found themselves playing catch up.
This is how the second period ended, with England looking the more dominant of the two sides. They then extended their lead when captain, Kempson, found the net too, making it 3-1.
But a response came immediately as Jungova beat the English keeper, Haughton, to a misjudged pass-back to slot in a second for her team and reduce the deficit to just one. As the final period drew to a close, Bazan pounced on a loose ball which had come back off the Czech crossbar, to make it four for England.
With time running out for Visek’s side, they just couldn’t find the back of the net again, despite creating some inviting chances, and the defending champions started this year’s campaign in winning fashion.
Goals: 0-1:Mody, min. 1 (1); 1-1: James, min. 9 (2); 2-1: Clark, min. 8 (2); 3-1: Kempson, min. 11 (3); 3-2: Jungova, min. 11 (3); 4-2: Bazan, min. 4 (3); 5-2: Kempson, min. 0 (3);
