So,
who would take their place in the Final from
the second Semi-Final? The two teams set to
do battle were PFC (Bra) against RAF2 (Por).
RAF
were staging their third campaign to try and
secure Lisbon glory. At the 2019 edition of
the tournament they won the Plate competition
(as Hellgarve's Kraken) but it was the Cup they
really craved. They were so close last year
as they reached the Cup Final but missed out
on winners' medals to CDAL (2-0).
PFC
(Bra) also had a rich history in this tournament.
They were champions here in 2017, Plate winners
in 2018, runners-up in 2019 and lost in the
Cup Quarter-Finals last year. This was also
to the eventual champions, CDAL.
Today
there was little to choose between the teams
in the group phase with RAF1 taking 15 points
from 18 (the only game they lost was to their
sister squad RAF3). PFC took 13 points from
18 in Group B which included a 1-1 draw against
RA2. Interestingly, they dropped points in 2
games – to the teams that finished in the bottom
2. This suggests they raise their game against
the top teams.
We
expected a close game and that is exactly what
we got. In a game with few chances the defining
moment of the game came from Gerson Teixeira
– his sixth goal of the tournament. It was a
goal that sent PFC through to a third Cup Final
at this event.
For
RAF it was to be disappointment for another
season but they seem to be so close to glory
we are sure it will come soon but it was not
to be in 2023.
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