2024 Mallorca Fives 5-a-side Football Tournament Tour Report Cup Semi Finals

Results

Ecuador 100% (Ecu)	1	V	1*	W London (Eng)
Team Rock (Spa)	5	v	0	Deportivo Dooraoyle (Ire)
* W London (Eng) won 6-5 on penalties

We were at the 2024 Mallorca Fives Cup Semi-Final stage and from 18 teams who started the day we were down to the final 4 with Ecuador, England, Ireland and Spain still in the hunt for glory.

Up first was Ecuador 100% versus W London. Ecuador 100% would be strong favourites having won the last three titles and defeating their opposition in the group phase, 8-2. However, W London have a habit of getting stronger in these events as they go on. At the 2023 Amsterdam Fives they had no win in the first four before going on to lift the Plate with 7-1 and 7-2 wins in the knockout phase. This was next level though.

Having said that, W London gave as good as they got in the opening period and the two teams were level at the break, 0-0. The deadlock was broken in the second half though as Ecuador 100% went ahead through Jose Mosquera. On most days that would have been enough to see them through but not against this spirited W London side. They came roaring back and earned a 1-1 draw thanks to a Maxime Roche goal.

In a tournament of penalty shootouts we had another one – 4 in 5 games so far. Both teams had won their shootouts in the previous round so would have confidence coming into this one. Ecuador 100% had been held to a second successive draw and the pressure was building on them as they hunted down a historic fourth successive title.

What followed was an absolutely epic encounter with some top quality penalties, saves, misses and sudden death. Ecuador 100% missed early but recovered to level at 2-2. In the end we went all the way to 5-5 before the decisive kicks. Malek Mansour in goal prevented Ecuador 100% edging ahead at 6-5. Up stepped with Darius Plummer with the chance to secure a famous win for W London. He made no mistake to spark wild celebrations amongst his team-mates. Incredible scenes.

Commiserations to Ecuador 100%. Their long winning run was over, no doubt they would be back next year to try and regain their crown.

So, who would take their place in the Final from the second Semi-Final? The two teams set to do battle were Team Rock and Deportivo Dooradoyle.

Deportivo Dooradoyle were looking to reach their first Cup Final since the 2015 Barcelona Fives (playing as The Alabama Hotpockets). Back then they won Group C with 10 points. In the Cup, they defeated Freshers FC (2-1) and then drew with Elcombe Old Boys 1-1. They won 3-2 on penalties against the 2016 Barcelona champions. The Alabama Hotpockets just ran out of steam against Club Esportiu Llefia when they went down 5-0 in the Cup Final. The nearest they had come since was here 2 years ago going out to Ecuador 100%. They faced an uphill task to reach another Cup Final as they were up against a very strong Team Rock team.

Team Rock had won Group C with a 100% record, 16 goals for and 2 against. However, Corner Bar had shown they were not invincible by taking them to penalties after a 1-1 draw last time out. Could the Irish team match that or go one step further?

If they were, they were going to need to do it coming from behind. Team Rock seized the early initiative as they went 2-0 up thanks to goals from Chiqui and Jaume Gamundi. The first goal of the second half was likely to be crucial. Deportivo score it and it's game on but Jaume Gamundi made it 3-0 for Team Rock and they had one foot in the Cup Final. When Alberto Faus and Victor Mato made it 5-0 they had both feet in the Cup Final and there was no-one stopping them.

The tournament was over for Deportivo Dooradoyle but they had been superb – a great performance and fantastic to see the guys as always.

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