As the 2017 Mallorca Fives Quarter-Finals were about to get underway we were down to the elite 8 teams in the tournament with Argentina, England, France, Holland and Spain (x3) all represented.

We started on Pitch B with FC Maroon versus Forn De N'aina. FC Maroon was the most experienced team left in the draw (their fifth appearance) but they were entering unchartered territory by reaching the Cup competition for the very first time. They'd produced a remarkable display in the group phase – they were unbeaten and were yet to concede a goal.

In fact FC Maroon became the first team to go through a group phase in Mallorca without conceding since La Briocha in 2015. They were only the fourth team to do it (also Cosegur Balear in 2012, Policia Local in 2013) and were the first non-Spanish team to do so.

It was quite a task Forn De N'aina had in front of them. They had 3 wins and 2 defeats in the group phase and qualified for the Cup despite a negative goal difference (-1). Despite this, it was Forn De N'aina who took the lead as Mattias De Llano found the net in the first half.

As brilliant as FC Maroon's defence had been they were a little short on goals today – 6 in their previous 5 games. They were in fact the lowest scorers of the 8 teams in the Cup. They desperately needed a goal to take this one into a shoot-out at least.

FC Maroon were unable to level it up and they were out – it was their only defeat of the day to the first goal conceded on the day – but it came just at the wrong time.It was a cruel exit for the English team.

Quarter-Final three was Mariano FC versus Valecuatro. This promised to be the closest Quarter-Final tie yet as it was the winners' of Group C versus the 2nd placed team in Group B.

Our first tip, Blue Collar Revolution, was safely through. Mariano FC was bidding to join them. Mariano FC were aiming to become the first team to defend a eurofootballfives.com title since Athletico de Hollande won the Algarve Open in 2010 and 2011. In fact, it is amazing that in 86 European tournaments we have only had one successful defence. Could Mariano FC be the second?

They were certainly on fine form with 5 wins out 5. They would play Valecuatro who started and ended Group B with defeat but recorded 3 successive wins in a row in between. This was their toughest task yet. They got off to an absolute flyer though as Pascal Moreno Cortes and Abraham Moreno Cortes put them 2-0 up at half-time.

The pressure was really on the defending champions now. They were back in it with a Rafael Rivero Rigo goal. Then, sensationally, they were back to 2-2 thanks to a Mariano Llamas Andreu strike. It was a great comeback and a penalty shoot-out would decide this one.

Mariano FC would take the first penalty. Jose Salinas Acosta had three goals today but he saw his penalty saved by Mauricio Moreno Cortes. Abraham Moreno Cortes kept it in the family to put Valecuatro 1-0 up. Mariano FC would have to come from behind again and they did when David Rivero Rigo converted his penalty.

Juan Garcia converted his penalty to make it 2-1 and all the pressure was on Mariano Llamas Andreu. He had also scored three today. He struck his penalty sweetly but Mauricio Moreno Cortes made a sensational save to send his team through to the next round.

The final Quarter-Final was KML (Hol) versus FC Broxelona A (Eng). It was the Runners-Up from Group A and Group C respectively so the two teams should have been well matched and they proved to be so.

This was one of many thrilling encounters in the knock-out phase of the 2017 Mallorca Fives. It was FC Broxelona A who broke the deadlock thanks to Jack Baker's third goal of the day. The goal was good enough to give them a 1-0 lead at the break.

In the second half KML turned the game on its head. Jurre van Putten equalized to bring the Dutch level. The men from Holland then forged ahead as it was van Putten again with a crucial goal. It looked like that might be enough to send KML through to the Semi-Final.

FC Broxelona A had other ideas though. Just as it looked like time may defeat the English team, up stepped Adam Henderson to lash home a last minute equalizer. It was to prove the last kick of the game and we finished honours even at 2-2.

We went into penalties…

0-0, Up stepped Remy Maduro but he put his penalty high and wide. It was advantage Broxelona.

0-1, Luke Blackwell was the first man up for the English team. He struck it to the bottom right corner to put his team ahead.

1-1, Jeffrey Speek struck it to the bottom right corner and KML stayed in the contest.

1-2, Scott Morgan added to his 5 tournament goals with one in the shoot-out. As the goalkeeper went right, Morgan struck it to the goalkeeper's left.

1-2, Brian Vreugdenhil had to score to keep KML in it. He went down the middle and but Jack Wakefield charged the ball down and saved it.

We glanced over at the referee as we thought the goalkeeper was a fair bit off his line when the ball was struck but the referee was happy, there were no appeals from KML and FC Broxelona A were too busy celebrating to worry.