Sudacas
made the perfect start and struck first in the
third minute. Luis Tingo continued his excellent
knockout form by opening the scoring, registering
his third goal of the competition and giving the
Dutch side an early advantage. An early goal could
really open this final up. Mngball FC have shown
throughout the tournament that they are never
out of a game, and they responded quickly. Just
a couple of minutes later, Aaron White found the
net for his second goal of the competition to
bring the score back level at 1-1. Neither side
was able to find another breakthrough before the
interval, meaning the teams went into half-time
level with the Plate title still firmly up for
grabs.
The
second half saw the game open up as both teams
searched for the decisive moment. That moment
appeared to arrive for Sudacas midway through
the half when they produced a devastating two-minute
spell. Mauro Monticello scored his second goal
of the tournament to restore Sudacas' lead at
2-1, before Carlos Lopez struck shortly afterwards
to extend the advantage to 3-1. Lopez had now
scored in every knock-out round. It was a huge
blow for Mngball FC, who suddenly found themselves
two goals behind with time running out.
But
Mngball FC had built their tournament reputation
on fighting until the very end, and they refused
to surrender. They continued to press forward
and were rewarded with just two minutes remaining
when Ben Williamson scored his second goal of
the match to reduce the deficit to 3-2. Suddenly,
the momentum shifted once again, and there was
still time for Mngball FC to find the equaliser
and force a penalty shootout. However, Sudacas
showed great composure under pressure, defending
resolutely during the closing stages and holding
on to secure a thrilling 3-2 victory.
Commiserations
to Mngball FC, who can be extremely proud of their
tournament. They showed tremendous character throughout
the competition, recovering from difficult moments
and never allowing themselves to be beaten until
the final whistle. Their ability to fight back
from behind was one of the defining features of
their campaign, and they pushed Sudacas all the
way in a final that could easily have gone either
way. Although they narrowly missed out on Plate
glory, they were excellent competitors and can
look back on a very strong performance.
Congratulations
to Sudacas on becoming Utrecht Sevens Plate champions.
They were involved in some of the tightest matches
of the tournament, showing resilience and quality
when it mattered most. After progressing through
two tense knockout games before the final, they
produced the decisive moments when required, with
Luis Tingo, Mauro Monticello and Carlos Lopez
all playing key roles in their victory. The final
itself was a fitting conclusion to their campaign
— an entertaining, high-quality contest that saw
them withstand everything Mngball FC threw at
them. A fantastic achievement for Sudacas on their
debut, and they can celebrate being the first
Plate winners of the Utrecht Sevens.
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