2024 Krakow Trophy 7-a-side Football Tournament Tour Report Group A Round 1

Results

Solly March FC (Eng)	1	v	1	RSC Andylecht (Eng)
Third Degree Burnley (Eng)	0	V	3	Ball Bashers (Eng)
World Pinteur (Fra)	2	V	0	Big Time Krakow (Pol)

We wish you a warm welcome to Poland and the fourteenth edition of the Krakow Trophy. It was the destination for our very first tournament back in 2007 and this year's event represented our 140th tournament in Europe.

This tournament has been hugely successful over the years and our roll of honour can be seen below.

2007 Northern Monkeys (Eng)

2008 Red Light Runners (Sco)

2009 Rigford Seahawks (Eng)

2010 Hutnik (Pol)

2010 Azmot (Pol)

2011 Apsley House (Eng)

2012 Skidmarks (Eng)

2013 Budapest Celtic Lions (Hun)

2016 Tinnided & Tobaco (Eng)

2017 Big Time Krakow (Pol)

2021 Banerka (Pol)

2022 Alea Iacta Est (Pol)

2023 Colonel Getafe (Eng)

The opening match in the tournament was Solly March FC versus RSC Andylecht – two regular teams on our circuit who we will preview in more detail as we proceed with this tournament report. Both teams started the match with plenty of energy, eager to get off to a winning start in the tournament but it was Solly March FC who struck first. They took an early lead through Ian Rosie, coolly finishing to put his side 1-0 up. However, RSC Andylecht remained patient and grew into the game. Before halftime they were level, John Wrigley capitalized on his chance with a well-taken equalizer. His goal made it 1-1 at the break, setting up an evenly poised second half.

Both teams pushed for a winner after the restart, but despite some half-chances, neither side was able to break the deadlock. The game ended 1-1, with each team taking a point from their opening match. It was a solid platform for both teams to lay the foundations for their campaign for Krakow glory.

The first phase of the 2024 Krakow Trophy would be decided on a group basis. There were two groups with 6 teams in each group. The teams finishing 1st and 2nd in each group would progress to the Cup competition. This would be played as a knock-out phase with Semi-Finals and Final. The teams finishing 3rd and 4th in each group would progress to the Plate competition. This would be played as a knock-out phase with Semi-Finals and Final. The teams finishing 5th and 6th in each group would be eliminated at this stage.

With a history of success in our tournaments, Ball Bashers were eager to get off to a strong start, and they did just that with a dominant first-half performance against Third Degree Burnley. The latter were on debut and it was a baptism of fire against strong opposition. Ball Bashers quickly took control of the game, dictating the tempo and putting Third Degree Burnley on the back foot. The pressure soon paid off when Mati Ortiz opened the scoring with a well-placed strike, putting his team 1-0 up. Just before halftime, Ben Williams doubled the lead.

Third Degree Burnley struggled to create chances against a well-organized Ball Bashers defence, and the second half saw more of the same as Ball Bashers continued to dominate possession. Mati Ortiz capped off his superb performance with a second goal, making it 3-0 and effectively sealing the victory for his team.

Job done for Ball Bashers who had made an emphatic statement in their opening match. Third Degree Burnley, meanwhile, will need to regroup and bounce back in their next fixture – not all games would be this tough.

Big Time Krakow (Pol) made their debut at the 2017 Krakow Trophy. They secured 2 wins and 2 draws from their 5 group games as they finished second to Switzerland's Krakowcaine. They qualified for the Cup Semi-Finals and defeated Fylde FC B 2-1. In the Cup Final they drew 0-0 with Slovakia's GSF Drunkerz but won 4-3 on penalties. Could they regain their title 7 years on from that debut success? Their first opponents would be World Pinteur of France.

With both teams looking to start their Krakow Trophy campaign on the right foot, it was World Pinteur who seized the initiative early on. The French side looked the sharper of the two from the first whistle, moving the ball well and applying early pressure. Their efforts were rewarded when Kevin Payet found the back of the net in the first half. The Polish side tried to respond, but World Pinteur's defense held firm, limiting their opponents to only a few half-chances. As the second half began, it was clear that Big Time Krakow needed something special to break through, but World Pinteur's organization and pressing made it difficult for them to gain any real momentum. Adrien Maurel doubled World Pinteur's lead in the second half with a composed finish. The 2-0 advantage proved too much for the home side to overcome, and World Pinteur saw the game out for all 3 points.

Table

Team	Pld	Won	Drawn	Lost	For	Agst	Pts
Ball Bashers (Eng)	1	1	0	0	3	0	3
World Pinteur (Fra)	1	1	0	0	2	0	3
RSC Andylecht (Eng)	1	0	1	0	1	1	1
Solly March FC (Eng)	1	0	1	0	1	1	1
Big Time Krakow (Pol)	1	0	0	1	0	2	0
Third Degree Burnley (Eng)	1	0	0	1	0	3	0

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