The Eight elite teams
in the morning group phase progressed to the
afternoon Cup quarter-finals. The eight teams
were made up of 3 teams from Spain, 3 from England,
1 from Scotland and 1 from the Czech Republic.
All eight with one goal - to lift the 2008 Barca
Fives trophy.
The
first quarter-final saw the Yorvik
Blades meet DHL
Prague Blue. The Yorvik Blades had produced
a very solid display so far with 8 points from
12 in the group phase and yet to concede a goal.
The onus would be on the DHL Prague Blue forwards
to end that record in order to progress to the
semi-finals. These two sides met in the group
phase and on that occasion a solitary Jack Kennedy
goal won it for the Blades.
The
Cup Quarter-Final proved to be an equally close
affair with both defences proving miserly and
at the end of normal time the teams could not
be seperated at 0-0. There are not too many
0-0's in eurofootballfives tournaments but Yorvik
Blades had now produced 3 in 5 games. Into extra
time we went with both sides fully aware of
the golden goal situation. Unfortunately for
DHL Prague Blue history repeated itself and
that vital goal fell to Stevan Simonovic of
the Yorvik Blades to see them march on to the
semi-finals.
In
the semi-finals they would play the winner of
the second quarter-final which was a local derby
between United
and Rapid Bosco Navas
of Spain. In a strange quirk of fate, these
two teams also met in the group phase with United
being the victors on that occasion, 2-1,before
going on to win Group B. Rapid Bosco Navas could
only finish 3rd in the group so they would have
it all to do to reach the semi-finals. They
did what they had to do though and enacted their
revenge in comprehensive fashion. Juan Martinez
Prieto got the ball rolling before Luis Beato
added a second and Oscar Fuster put the icing
on the cake in a 3-0 win.
Tournament favourites Red
Light Runners were up next to continue
their challenge for a second eurofootballfives
title. They would face Hanson
Vets who finished second in Group A.
Red Light Runners had swept aside Hanson Old
Boys 11-0 in the group stage but the Hanson
Vets was always going to be a sterner test.
Just how stern that test was nobody quite expected.
They gave the Red Light Runners a real fright
and ran them very close. In fact, the game could
have gone either way and it was to be just one
goal that would seperate the teams. That goal
was a captain's goal from Alan Ritchie to put
the Red Light Runners through, 1-0. Hanson Vets
performed admirably and can count themselves
unlucky to have been dealt such a tough draw.
It was commented that this game would have been
good enough to grace the final.
The
final quarter-final matched up Uxama
of Spain against Bristol
Bridge Supporters of England. Both teams
had been on fine form so far with Uxama's only
defeat thus far to the Red Light Runners and
the Bristol Bridge Supporters losing their opening
fixture to the Prisoners in which they will
still be wondering how they lost it. This would
again prove to be a closely contested game with
the odd goal in three deciding it. The winning
goal was scored by Oscar Linde Alvarez for Uxama.
His goal proved the crucial one and the one
that set them up with a re-match against Red
Light Runners. Mario Rujo Camello had scored
Uxama's first while Peter Phillips scored for
Bristol Bridge Supporters - his 5th and final
goal of the competition.
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