So the Cup Group would see the tournament's elite five teams assemble to do battle in a five team group. Each team had four games to prove they would be the worthy winners of the 2016 Algarve Open title. The team in second place would pick up the Runners-Up medals….so, where's your money?

On Pitch A to kick us off we had two unbeaten teams as RC Lens met Cheesecake FC. Historically, this was the 2015 Algarve Open Runners-Up versus the 2014 Mallorca Tournament winners and 2011 Algarve Open Runners-Up. Today, it was the Group B winners versus the Group A Runners-Up.

We expected this to be a close contest with RC Lens claiming 10 points from 12 this morning and Cheesecake FC returning a haul of 8 points. This game could be interesting in the sense that RC Lens had been free-scoring this morning and were the top scorers so far with 10 goals – an average of 2.5 per game. Cheesecake FC had found the route to goal a little harder (admittedly in a lower scoring group) with just 2 goals but their strength was undoubtedly defence. Cheesecake FC were yet to concede a goal (RC Lens had conceded 4 to date).

With the action underway it was the free-scoring RC Lens that held sway over Cheesecake FC and they quickly established a 2-0 lead. Josh Hart opened the scoring before Kieran Turner doubled the lead. Turner scored 5 here last year and he was up to 4 already today. It ended a fine run of 4 and a bit games without conceding for David Smith in the Cheesecake goal.

RC Lens were off and running with their unbeaten record intact.

We didn't fully introduce Saipan FC in Group B so let's address that here. 12 months ago in Spain they recorded their maiden victory at the 2015 Mallorca Tournament. This followed hot on the heels of their first eurofootballfives.com trophy in 2014 when they won the Valencia Fives Plate! They beat Budapest Celtic Tigers 4-1 to win what was their 4 th appearance in a final. They had reached the final with regularity before that but hadn't managed to get over the winning line – that Valencia win has sparked a run of success.

Their previous Runner-Up appearances were at the 2013 Berlin Fives Plate, 2011 Prague Masters Plate and the 2012 Barcelona Fives Cup. Add to that an appearance in the 2013 Budapest Plate Champion of Champions (finished 3 rd ) and you have one of our most experienced teams.

Before their Mallorca victory last year they had already competed at the 2015 Bratislava Fives where they finished 2nd in their 5 team group and qualified for the Cup. They exited at the Quarter-Final stage by the narrowest of margins, 1-0, to Slovakian side Fireball. The 2016 Algarve Open was their 7th eurofootballfives.com appearance and their Cup qualification today meant 3 successive Cup campaigns.

They would kick off in today's Cup against Galacticos – a team they beat 1-0 at the start of Group B in the very first game of the day. On that occasion the teams were level, 0-0, at half time before a second half winner. We were to witness déjà vu but déjà vu with a twist as this time it was Galacticos who emerged victorious courtesy of a knock-out blow from Ali. Final score, 1-0.

Mini FC were the final team to get their Cup campaign started and it would be against Cheesecake FC. These were the two top teams in Group A and earlier in the day the teams played out a 0-0 draw in their opening fixtures of the tournament.

Although it was early in the Cup Group, Cheesecake FC already needed a win to keep their hopes of tournament victory alive. This afternoon's game followed much the same pattern as the morning encounter between the two teams –plenty of attacking intent but defences on top in a very even contest. We reached half-time at 0-0.

In the second half we were beginning to wonder if anything could separate these two teams but along came the decisive moment. Justin Rees had possession on the right hand side of the Mini FC penalty area and there appeared to be nothing on. He then threaded a delicate little ball between two defenders into the penalty area with the perfect weight to meet Kevin Raphael's run into the box. Raphael, who evaded his marker, arrived right on cue to find the back of the net with aplomb.

It was the defining moment of the game and could it be the defining moment of Cheesecake FC's campaign.

.

Game #4 of the Cup Group looked like it could well be one of the most crucial. It was RC Lens versus Galacticos – both teams had won their first game and a second victory here would instil them as favourites for the title with a 3 point lead at the top.

The form book after the morning group phase would bill Galacticos as the underdogs being the lowest ranked of all the teams in the group having finished 3rd in Group B this morning. We therefore made Group B winners RC Lens the favourites for this game and, if they did, it would be a brave person to bet against them winning the whole tournament. However, when these two teams met this morning it was a 2-2 thriller in one of the most entertaining games of the day.

This re-match proved to be an equally exciting contest. RC Lens hardly needed any help today but they got it courtesy of a goalkeeping error. Galacticos had gone ahead in this morning's game but this time it was RC Lens who hit the front through Tommy Twelves with a shot that squirmed through the Galacticos goalkeeper. RC Lens had won every game they had lead in so far today so the signs were ominous for Galacticos. The Portuguese team hit back quickly through Ali to make it 1-1. They were not level for long though as Tommy Twelves took his tally to the day to 4 as he restored the English team's lead.

After the break we were level again at 2-2 after some nifty work from Ali in the box created an opening that he neatly finished. As things stood we had a repeat of this morning's score but that would change when Galacticos were awarded a penalty. Galacticos were applying the pressure and had a great chance to score. RC Lens were throwing their bodies on the line to block the shot and as one of the defenders threw himself into a block a penalty was awarded for handball. It was difficult to see if the contact was with his hands but the defender had dived to make the block as a goalkeeper would so it was perfectly plausible. The referee had a better view than us and he had already denied an earlier similar shout but this one was given. Up stepped Telmo who fired the penalty into the back of the net and with it give his team a vital 3-2 win.

Although we were still only approaching the half-way point in the Cup Group it was do or die time for Mini FC and Saipan FC. Both teams had suffered defeat in their opening fixtures and, with Galacticos sitting on 6 points, a win and three points here was essential to give either side a chance of taking the Algarve Open title.

Mini FC came into the game on the back of their first defeat of the day and would be looking to bounce back quickly. They got off to the perfect start when Pedro Santos found the back of the net for the third time today and give Mini FC a 1-0 lead. It was a lead they would retain until the half-time break.

Could Saipan FC find a way back in the second half? They would not have an easy job as Toi Cabecinho in the Mini FC goal had only been beaten twice today. Despite Saipan FC pressure the Mini FC defence held out as Cabecinho claimed his fourth clean sheet in six games to help his team towards their first win of the afternoon. Mini FC were still in this Cup Group.

For Saipan FC it was a second successive 1-0 defeat and despite being highly competitive in this tournament and in this Cup Group it showed the fine margins in such a high quality competition. Barring a remarkable set of results their chances of winning were over but second place and Runners-Up medals were still very much in reach.