Lisbon 2019 Tour Report Cup Semi Finals

Results

Indoorsoccer Café o Trem (Por)	2	V	0	Spider Mans 5hitters (Eng)
PMPCAR (Por)	1	v	3	Pangare Futebol Clube (Bra)

We were at the 2019 Lisbon Tournament Cup Semi-Final stage and from the 14 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 Indoorsoccer Café O Trem versus Spider Mans 5hitters.

At the 2015 and 2017 editions of this tournament Indoorsoccer had gone out at the Cup Semi-Final stage and last year at the Quarter-Final stage. Their first appearance in a Cup Final was at stake. Indoorsoccer had won 5 and lost 1 in the group phase – that defeat against Spider Mans Ones. Could Spider Mans 5hitters exploit that and make it 2 out of 2 for the English touring party?

Spider Mans had also appeared in Cup Semi-Finals at two of our tournaments. The 2015 Budapest Fives and the 2016 Krakow Trophy. They reached the final in Krakow but just missed out on a maiden title. The Spider Mans group can also boast a Plate victory at the 2017 Amsterdam Sixes. Two of that Amsterdam squad were in the 5hitters squad today (Liam Angel, Sam A'Court).

It was the Portuguese team who took the lead. There was a fourth goal of the tournament for Nelson Pinto. It was a really tough task for the 5hitters now – since the Ones squad beat them, Indoorsoccer Café O Trem had never been behind in a game and only conceded once. It would be an uphill task but a task the 5hitters stuck at. They were always in the game and an equalizer would not have been beyond them whilst it stayed at 1-0. At 2-0 you felt they were fighting a losing battle. Andre Lopes bagged his first goal of the day at just the right time for Indoorsoccer Café O Trem.

It was the end of the road for Spider Mans 5hitters but maybe they could take some solace from the fact they enjoyed the top finish of all the travelling teams. Scant consolation I know.

So, who would take their place in the Final from the second Semi-Final? The two teams set to do battle were PMPCAR (Por) against Pangare Futebol Clube (Bra).

PMPCAR were already enjoying their most successful tournament to date. In 2017 and 2018 they started off well but faded. Today they started well and continued playing well to finish with a maximum 18 points from the group phase. In 2017 and 2018 they went out at the Plate Semi-Final stage on both occasions. In 2018, it was against Pangare Futebol Clube!

12 months ago, Pangare Futebol Clube won 6-1 when these teams met. PMPCAR were a stronger and tougher proposition today though. Looking at Pangare Futebol Clube, they had mixed results today even with a tournament goal difference of 17-2 they had 2 draws and 1 defeat. When they won, they won big.

It was PMPCAR who opened the scoring as they took their tournament goal difference to 25-2. It was Tiago Sousa who scored – his eighth of the day and potentially the most important yet.

Pangare Futebol Clube showed why they were crowned champions in 2017 as they responded superbly. Gustavo Pereira was the Brazilian's top scorer today and his 7 th of the tournament levelled the tie up at 1-1. His eighth of the tournament put his team 2-1 up.

Into the final minute of the game and it was still 2-1. Just 1 goal for PMPCAR would take us to penalties but instead Filipe Alewcon scored at the death to make it 3-1 to Pangare Futebol Clube. Game over.

For PMPCAR it was a third successive semi-final defeat – maybe that first final will come in 2020.

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