We arrived at the Plate Quarter-Final stage and we would shortly see the six remaining teams reduced to four teams.

To begin we had Pique Blinders versus Men Behaving Chadli – who were both from the same travelling group. It is not often teams from the same club meet in eurofootballfives competition but when they do it often has a strange atmosphere – sometimes the games can lack a little intensity or sometimes the games can have a bit too much intensity with players determined not to lose to their tour-mates.

One thing was for sure that the group would have a team in the Semi-Finals and that bragging rights were at stake for the rest of the Algarve tour and beyond. The Pique Blinders squad had the better of the two group records but would they be favourites? Men Behaving Chadli had more victories on the pitch itself. As with most derbies the form book would no doubt go out the proverbial window.

In normal time we finished 1-1 with a Danny Reading goal (Pique Blinders) and a Nick Goold goal (Men Behaving Chadli) cancelling each other out. We would need penalties to decide it.

The first two round of penalties were exemplary with Danny Reading and Jack Hill both converting for Pique Blinders. Nick Goold and Andy MacMillan were both successful for Men Behaving Chadli. The final round of penalties proved decisive – James Szulczeski scored, Robert Partner missed. It was Pique Blinders who progressed to the Semi-Final.

The second Quarter-Final was a BYE. It was due to be 6th in Group A (Wealdstone Raiders) versus 7th in Group B – Huddingpool or Indoorsoccer. The 2 no-shows meant Wealdstone Raiders would go straight through to the Semi-Finals and meet Pique Blinders

We now knew the teams to compete in the first Semi-Final. In the lower half of the Quarter-Final draw it was Real De Groot versus AC Motxo International. AC Motxo had already played Real De Groot's sister squad, Elbersiktas, in the group phase but lost 2-0. Could they get their revenge here

AC Motxo International were on debut and in new territory. The Dutch were well versed in our Plate competition though. In the Plate competition at the 2017 Mallorca Tournament they had 3 (of their 4 teams) qualify. FC De Rimmer and Het Sterretje fell at the Quarter-Final stage. Mannenliefde went all the way to the Plate Final where they drew 1-1 with FC Shark before losing on penalties.

With the match under starter's orders it was AC Motxo International who hit the front – they had failed to score in their last four matches so will have been relieved to be on target again when Ruben Torres Mejias made it 1-0. AC Motxo International built on this lead with Luis Ricardo Denche Pulido's first strike of the tournament making it 2-0.

AC Motxo International were in control. Isaac Barriguete Franco in goal for the Spanish team kept his fourth clean sheet of the tournament and the job was done. They were through.

The final Quarter-Final was another BYE. It was due to be 5th in Group A (Elbersiktas) versus 8th in Group – Huddingpool or Indoorsoccer – take your pick. The 2 no-shows meant Elbersiktas would go straight through to the Semi-Finals.