Krakow Veterans Tournament 5-a-side Football Tour Report Cup Semi Finals

Results

Wtorek Veterans (Pol)	0	V	0*	Thursday Veterans (Pol)
Alea Iacta Est (Pol)	3	v	1	Galbarnia (Pol)
* Thursday Veterans (Pol) won 2-0 on penalties.

We were at the 2022 Krakow Trophy Cup Semi-Final stage and from the 10 teams who signed up we were down to the final 4 – already an achievement for those who were still in the hunt for glory. The first Cup Semi-Final would see Wtorek Veterans versus Thursday Veterans.

This was going to be a hard game to call as both teams had looked good in the group phase. Wtorek Veterans would arguably be the favourites though as they boasted the tournament's only 100% record. They were also the only team in the event who were yet to concede a goal. This was quite an achievement in a tournament that was averaging 4.6 goals per game!

Thursday Veterans were not quite as strong defensively today (9 conceded) but they were joint top scorers in this tournament with 15 goals to date so they would no doubt favour an open game. These teams were sister-squads from the same club so there was a derby feel to the game.

After a competitive first half the two teams were locked together at 0-0. The second half came and went and still there was no score. Both Plate Semi-Finals required a penalty shoot-out to settle matters and so did the first of the two Cup Semi-Finals. Wtorek Veterans would take the first penalty but were immediately on the back foot as Julien Clemet saw his effort saved by Kyle Coughlan. Ruben Mendes slotted home Thursday Veterans first penalty and they lead 1-0. Daniel Tonev was up next for Wtorek Veterans and the situation got worse for them as Coughlan came up trumps again. Borislav Dimitrov had the chance to send his team into the Cup Final and he duly obliged.

It was a cruel exit for Wtorek Veterans not just to go out on penalties but also because they left the tournament without conceding a goal. This was the first time this had happened in our events since La Briocha went out of the 2014 Mallorca Tournament with 0 goals conceded from 6 games as they went out 3-2 to Belgium's ZVC Indoor Gent.

So, who would take their place in the Final from the second Semi-Final? The two teams set to do battle were Alea Iacta Est (Pol) against Galbarnia (Eng).

These two teams had remarkably similar records from the group phase. Both teams had secured 3 wins and 9 points from their 4 group games. Galbarnia had scored 15 goals to Alea Iacta Est's 14. Galbarnia had conceded 2 to Alea Iacta Est's 3. Although they did not win Group A, Galbarnia were the joint top scorers' in the tournament and had the best goal difference in the event so far.

Galbarnia had a defending champion in their team in the form of Ian Corkill who was a member of the 2021 Krakow Trophy winning squad of as Banerka. After the early exchanges it looked like he could well be on his way to back-to-back titles. He'd scored 8 goals so far today but it was the turn of his team-mate Karol Zaczek to put Galbarnia ahead in this one. Alea Iacta Est were bidding for a second Cup Final of their own and they were level before half-time thanks to Pedro Silveria's third goal of the day.

The second half kicked off at 1-1 and it was Alea Iacta Est who kicked on to go 2-1 up. Artur Aksamit scored his fourth of the day to put his team ahead. Alea Iacta Est had made the journey from Warsaw for the tournament and the momentum was with the Varsovians. A one goal lead was vulnerable but they were soon to get a bit of breathing space when Piotr Malenczak scored his second of the day to make it 3-1. He scored 7 goals at the tournament last year but this was only his second this year – however, the goal that confirmed his team's place in the Cup Final was surely the most valuable of all of them.

There was little to choose between the two teams but ultimately it was the extra firepower up front that Alea Iacta Est possessed in this game that proved vital. Commiserations to Galbarnia who had started superbly today but just run out of steam with two defeats on the trot and their day was now sadly over.

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