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 News from Around Banderas Bay | April 2008 
Mexico and United States Win Opening Round Beach Soccer Matches
 Hans Vandamme & Bob Cohen - PVNN
 BanderasNews is very fortunate to have Beach Soccer Press Manager Hans Vandamme of Belgium and now residing in Barcelona, Spain assist us in reporting daily match results, photos and quotes from coaches and players. Hans will also be keeping our readers updated on all the qualifiers around the globe until the final 16 teams reach the finals in Marseilles, France. It is great to have Hans on board the BanderasNews team. To access more information about the growing sport, visit BeachSoccer.com.
US Firepower Convince Crowd in Puerto Vallarta Opener
No surprises in the opening game of this year’s CONCACAF Qualifier. The USA did what they had to do and beat Costa Rica without too many problems. An early goal by Chimienti in the first period gave USA the lead which they never gave away. Costa Rica tried very hard to come back in the game, but never succeeded and it was just a matter of time before Roberto Ceciliano’s boys scored a couple of more, which gave them a comfortable 5-1 lead after the second period. Costa Rica was defenceless against a strong American side in the outset of the tournament. Final result: 7-2.
“My boys played a very good opening game today, we controlled the game very well throughout the first period and that’s what eventually made the difference. My players are in very good shape and with some slight adjustments here and there, I think the USA will be a tough team to beat”, said US Coach Roberto Ceciliano after the well deserved win.
A full stadium for host Mexico’s first game in this CONCACAF Qualifier. The runner-up from last year’s global showpiece weren’t that convincing against a hard working El Salvador side, but do take 3 important points into day two of the Puerto Vallarta competition.
“Our priority is to qualify for the World Cup so I’m happy with the result, but not satisfied with the way we played today. There’s lots of room for improvement if we want to beat a hard working team like Costa Rica or the USA on the last matchday”, concluded Raya. Final result: 4-2.
2008 World Cup Beach Soccer Qualifying Results:
April 20 - click here for report
Mexico 5 x All Stars 2
April 19 - click here for report
El Salvador 4 x Costa Rica 3
Mexico 2 - USA 1
April 18 - click here for report
El Salvador 6 x USA 5
Mexico 7 - Costa Rica 0
April 17
USA 7 x Costa Rica 2
Mexico 4 - El Salvador 2
 Click here for the complete first matchday report (PDF)
The play has quite different rules than traditional soccer. The games are played in three 12 minute periods and if won in regulation the winner receives 3 points. If the game is tied and goes to overtime and the extra period is only 3 minutes. If still tied, it goes to a shootout until a winner is determined. An overtime victory is worth only 2 points. The top two teams in the Puerto Vallarta qualifier will play for the championship in France in July.
There will be 16 qualifying teams that reach the championship and will be divided into four groups that will play round robin games; the same system utilized in Puerto Vallarta. The top two teams in each division will reach the quarterfinals, leaving 8 teams remaining. These teams will play only one game to determine who advances to the semifinals. The winners will play in the finals for the world championship. In 2007, in Rio De Janeiro Brazil defeated Mexico in the finals. The U.S.A. team finished 13th.
 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2008
Follow the competition from Durban, to Puerto Vallarta, Buenos Aires, Dubai, and Benidorm on the road leading up to the final championship matches in Marseille, France, the host country for the 2008 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup. |
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