| The
first Veterans Cup Semi-Final brought together
two sides who had earned their place among the
tournament's leading contenders. FC Moldova Montreal
had been outstanding in Lloret de Mar, winning
all four of their matches and scoring 13 goals
while conceding just three. The Canadians had
shown consistency at both ends of the pitch and
looked well equipped to continue their challenge
for the title. FC Mahou, had recorded four wins
from six matches, scoring nine goals and conceding
six. The English side had experienced a few more
ups and downs, but their tournament pedigree and
ability to deliver in knockout football meant
they could not be underestimated. With a place
in the Cup Final at stake, both teams knew they
would need to be at their best to progress.
The
semi-final proved a tense and closely fought affair,
with neither side able to find a breakthrough
during normal time. FC Moldova Montreal had been
so prolific during the group stage, but FC Mahou's
defensive organisation helped keep the Canadians
at bay. At the other end, Montreal also stood
firm, ensuring that the English side could not
turn their opportunities into a decisive goal.
The contest remained goalless at half-time and,
despite both teams continuing to battle for an
opening, the deadlock remained unbroken through
to the final whistle. At 0-0 after full-time,
the semi-final would have to be settled by the
dreaded penalty shootout, leaving both teams just
a few kicks away from either reaching the final
or seeing their title hopes come to an end.
FC
Mahou made the perfect start in the shootout as
Oliver James converted their opening penalty to
put the English side 1-0 ahead. FC Moldova Montreal
responded to level the score at 1-1 through Arama
Vadim, but Gamada Yousuf restored Mahou's advantage
with a successful kick for 2-1. Montreal then
missed their next penalty, giving the English
side a golden opportunity to move closer to qualification.
Steve Sachro duly converted to make it 3-1, sealing
the shootout and sending FC Mahou through to another
Veterans Cup Final.
For
FC Moldova Montreal this was a remarkable symmetry.
In Lisbon, they won 4 out of 4 in the group phase
with a goal difference of 13-2 before going out
on penalties in the Cup SF. Today it was 4 out
of 4 with a goal difference of 13-2, then they
went out on penalties in the Cup SF. So, they
have been eliminated in Lisbon and Lloret de Mar
without losing a game. They remain unbeaten in
eurofootballfives.com competition. It's an amazing
situation but surely that first title will arrive
soon.
|
FC
Poloboc's pursuit of a fifth eurofootballfives
title came to a halt in the second Cup semi-final,
as The Legends produced a disciplined performance
to secure a narrow 1-0 victory and book their
place in the final. The Moldovan side arrived
in Lloret de Mar with titles won in Barcelona,
Prague, Porto and Lisbon behind them, but now
faced a Bulgarian team determined to go one step
further than their semi-final appearance at last
year's Barcelona Veterans tournament.
The
group-stage statistics suggested a closely fought
encounter. The Legends shared the scoring honours
among the leading teams, while FC Poloboc ranked
third for goals scored. Defensively, Poloboc had
been the second-best side in the group phase,
with The Legends just behind in third. It was
Aleksander Shabanov who made the decisive contribution,
finding the net in the first half to give the
Bulgarians a precious 1-0 advantage. His sixth
goal of the tournament also took him to the top
of the individual scoring charts.
That
strike proved enough to settle the contest. FC
Poloboc were unable to find an equaliser as The
Legends protected their lead through to the final
whistle, turning their strong group-stage form
into a place in the tournament's showpiece match.
For the Bulgarians, it was a significant step
forward after last year's semi-final exit.
For
Poloboc, the quest for a fifth title ended just
short of the final. It ended a remarkable run
of 4 successive title wins, but they still had
a phenomenal record in our events of 4 victories
plus a Cup runners-up (2023 Mallorca Veterans)
and a Cup Semi-Final today. We are sure they will
bounce back in style next time.
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