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 Americas & Beyond | May 2008 
Usual Suspects Move On To 1/8 Finals
 Beach Soccer Worldwide
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Host Spain spoiled the crowd with a display of skills that reflect the true values of Beach Soccer. The 30-year-old record setting Spaniard Amarelle scored three goals for the ‘Furia Roja’ that overpowered a struggling German side that clearly wasn’t recovered from yesterday’s clash with surprising debutant Belarus. Spain finishes first in group A and will play Norway on Thursday in their 1/8 final encounter.
Shell-shocked Germany will take heart from the fact that, as winning their first two games, they earned a place alongside Spain amongst the last 16, but will have to recharge their batteries if they want to overcome a Greece side that with considerably more sweet than swagger beat a courageous Azerbaijan side and snatched their first victory at the Benidorm showpiece.
Latvia notched their first victory at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2008 Qualifier Benidorm by defeating the Netherlands 2-4. There was no sign of yesterday’s heroes on the third matchday of the Benidorm showdown. ‘Oranje’ was not able to overcome Latvia and saw their dreams for qualification to the 1/8 finals fade away. Latvia finish third and is still in the running for a berth at the global showpiece.
Italy end first in group C and will face Belarus in the 1/8 finals of the Benidorm showpiece. The Azzurri went to their opponents from the off and defeat the Norwegians 5-2 in their last game before entering into the knock out phase where they will have a tough job taking on Belarus who will try to reach the quarterfinals in their first ever appearance at a World Cup Qualifier.
“It’s going pretty well until now; we’ve won every single game”, said Italy coach Giancarlo Magrini. “My team is playing organised and that works as far as the defence is concerned, but were still wasting too many chances, and as from tomorrow we’ll have to avoid that or we’ll bump with our head against the wall”, concluded the Italian.
Portugal stride into the knock-out phase without losing a single game. The lusitanians overpowered England in their last group game with Madjer playing the main role in the outset of the encounter. Alan got the first goal and Madjer’s first would soon follow. He repeated this feat twice at the start of the final period to give the European powerhouse a comfortable 4-1 lead. Hernani and Torres each made one more to complete Portugal’s 6-1 win over England.
Ukraine squeezes home after a titanic struggle in their last game in group E. They beat Poland 3-4 and can start concentrating on the 1/8 finals. As kick-off approached, both teams new exactly what was required of them: the winner would finish first in group E and have the advantage of avoiding powerhouses like Portugal or Russia in the 1/8 finals.
“I'm disappointed, despite the fact that we qualified. We started off well but then we got back into old habits and made the same mistakes as in the previous matches. And they took advantage of that. We're not used to winning in the last second, but Poland obliged us to use all our strength to finally get the three points and the first place in our group”, concluded Ukrainian striker Golovin.
It took the Swiss one period to take distance from an absent Hungary in the last game of group F before the two victors start their respective 1/8 final encounter on Thursday. Both teams secured their spot amongst the last 16 yesterday, and faced each other today to decide whoever would finish first and second in group F. The Swiss team has been playing well at the Benidorm showpiece, and has with Meier, Leu and top scorer Stankovic three leading figures in their ranks, who can decide a game by a glimpse of an eye. Last named is well on his way to become the top scorer of the European Qualifier, scoring three more against the Hungarians, bringing his total to 13 goals in 3 games.
Results and match schedule (GMT+1)
May 11 (Sunday) – Matches
9:00am Hungary 3 x 1 Austria
Ukraine 6 x 2 Andorra
Followed by England (3)2 x 2(2) Estonia ap*
Norway 4 x 3Greece
Followed by Czech Rep 5 x 4 Netherlands
Germany 8 x 3 Romania
Followed by Slovakia 1 x 4 Poland
Followed by Lithuania 3 x 14 Switzerland
Followed by Azerbaijan 2 x 4 Italy
Followed by Latvia 1 x 4 Russia
Followed by Georgia 3 x 15 Portugal
Followed by Belarus 0 x 5 Spain
May 12 (Monday) – Matches
9:00am Germany 3 x 1 Belarus
Czech Rep 7 x 5 Latvia
Followed by Norway 2 x 3 Azerbaijan
England 4 x 1 Georgia
Followed by Ukraine 7 x 4 Slovakia
Hungary 6 x 2 Lithuania
Followed by Poland 4 x 2 Andorra
Followed by Switzerland 4 x 3 Austria
Followed by Italy (2)1 x 1(1) Greece ap*
Followed by Russia (0)4 x 4(1) Netherlands ap*
Followed by Portugal 5 x 2 Estonia
Followed by Spain 8 x 2 Romania
May 13 (Tuesday) – Matches
9:00am Andorra 5 x 7 Slovakia
Netherlands 2 x 4 Latvia
Followed by Estonia 7 x 0 Georgia
Greece 5 x 1 Azerbaijan
Followed by Romania 2 x 6 Belarus
Austria 2 x 4 Lithuania
Followed by Poland 3 x 4 Ukraine
Followed by Switzerland 5 x 1 Hungary
Followed by Italy 5 x 2 Norway
Followed by Russia 6 x 2 Czech Rep
Followed by Portugal 6 x 1 England
Followed by Spain 6 x 1 Germany
May 14 (Wednesday) – Rest Day
May 15 (Thursday) – 1/8 finals
9:00am Czech Republic x Hungary
Followed by Italy x Belarus
Followed by Portugal x Latvia
Followed by Germany x Greece
Followed by Russia x Estonia
Followed by Ukraine x England
Followed by Poland x Switzerland
Followed by Spain x Norway
May 16 (Friday) – Quarter finals
15:00 Winner M37 x Winner M38
Followed by Winner M39 x Winner M40
Followed by Winner M41 x Winner M42
Followed by Winner M43 x Winner M44
May 17 (Saturday) – Semi finals
17:00 Winner M45 x Winner M46
Followed by Winner M47 x Winner M48
May 18 (Sunday) – 3rd & 4th play-off/Final
17:00 Loser M49 x Loser M50
Followed by Winner M49 x Winner M50
Ap*: after penalties
The 24 teams in the European Zone Qualifier to be played from May 11 to 18 were drawn into 6 groups of 4 teams from which sixteen teams will go to the next round and so on towards the semi finals, where we will officially know the 4 teams that qualify for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2008 Marseille.
 Click HERE for the complete matchday report (PDF)
 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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