2024 Krakow Trophy 7-a-side Tournnament Plate Semi Final Report

Results

Solly March FC (Eng)	1	V	2	Alea Iacta Est (Pol)
Barrymoore's Swim Club (Eng)	2	V	1	World Pinteur (Fra)

The Plate competition's semi-finals featured two teams that finished in 3rd and 4th positions in their respective groups. Solly March FC, who had claimed the 3rd spot in Group A, faced off against Alea Iacta Est, who secured the 4th position in Group B.

These two teams had met before when Solly March FC (competing as Only Kruls & Horses) played Alea Iacta Est in Group A. Only Kruls & Horses won it 1-0 thanks to a goal from Ian Rosie. Essentially that result meant Only Kruls & Horses qualified for the Cup whilst Alea Iacta Est went to the Plate – a competition they went on to win.

This would be a tough match to call as usually you would plump for the 3rd placed team. Solly March FC certainly had the credentials with the superior points record, greater number of goals scored and the better goal difference of the two teams. However, Alea Iacta Est had won titles with us before and reached Cup SF and QF's. The Polish team could certainly not be discounted and the 1-0 result from 2021 showed the teams were well matched with both squads largely being similar today as they were 3 years ago.

Alea Iacta Est took control early in the match, with Arkadiusz Chrostowski scoring the opening goal in the first half. The Polish team extended their lead to 2-0 when Kamil Zawada found the back of the net, further solidifying their advantage. Despite a determined effort from Solly March FC, who had shown strong form throughout the day, they were unable to prevent Alea Iacta Est from maintaining their lead. Solly March FC did manage to pull a goal back through Christopher John, but it was not enough to overturn the deficit.

The final score of 2-1 was tough for Solly March FC, marking only their second defeat of the day (their first coming against the 2022 Amsterdam Sixes champions) – a tough school this European football lark. Alea Iacta Est's victory sees them advance to the Plate Final, while Solly March FC will have to reflect on a valiant effort and look ahead to future opportunities.

So who would meet Alea Iacta Est in the Plate Final? The two teams set to do battle were Barrymoore's Swimming Club and World Pinteur. Barrymoore's would be the favourites with the superior group record but World Pinteur could not be discounted as they'd only lost once today. 3 draws had prevented them finishing higher up the table. Both teams had previously competed in the Cup competitions of our events so this was a high quality Plate line-up.

World Pinteur had reached the Plate Semi-Finals in our events on two previous occasions – both in Mallorca. At the 2022 edition of the tournament they bowed out at this stage losing 2-1 to Bayern Badonde. Last year they were victorious against FC Tpaktop en route to winning the Plate competition.

The match was a gritty, intensely fought encounter with both teams displaying considerable determination. Barrymoore's Swimming Club took the lead with a first-half goal from Ryan Reed (his fifth of the day), which provided them with a crucial advantage heading into the second half. The intensity continued into the second half, where Barrymoore's Swimming Club extended their lead to 2-0 thanks to a goal from Richie Murphy. Despite their efforts to maintain control, the match remained highly competitive and closely fought throughout.

World Pinteur, refusing to go down without a fight, managed to pull a goal back late in the game through Richard Leibovici. However, despite their late surge, World Pinteur was unable to find an equalizer as time was running out.

The final score of 2-1 saw Barrymoore's Swimming Club advance to the Plate Final, while World Pinteur's tournament journey came to an end. The match was marked by its niggling, tense nature, reflecting the high stakes and fierce competition characteristic of the Plate Semi-Finals.

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