facebooktwittertelegramwhatsapp
copy short urlprintemail
+ A
A -
webmaster
Tribune News Network
Doha
Brazil added another piece of silverware to the cabinet, adding the inaugural ANOC World Beach Games gold medal to their 14 world championships.
Brazil’s skills were fully on display, scoring twice in the first period, and though the Russians pushed them, Maurico Pereira Braz took over the game, scoring a hat-trick within one minute to push the lead to five.
Just when it seemed Brazil were going to run away with the match, Artur Paporotnyi scored from a free kick and Fedor Zemskov added a second a minute later. But as soon as Russia started to gain some momentum, Bokinha scored a settler for the Brazilians, with a minute remaining in the second period.
Leading 6-2, the Brazilians started to have fun and the party tricks began to come out. Not even a red card to Rodrigo Ribeiro Souto could dampen the mood. Fans and players celebrating early, as only Brazilians do. And why not, when you win the gold medal match 9-3, proving to the world that you are truly number one.
In the men’s bronze medal match, Iran controlled the first half of the match, scoring twice and repelling the Italian attack. Italy was feeling the pressure and raised their intensity in the hope of finding the back of the net.
Their efforts were finally rewarded when their goal scoring superstar, Gabriele Gori, cleaned up the goalkeeper’s scraps and opened with Italian account in the 18th minute, with a second coming minutes later.
Italy pushed it again out to a two-goal lead, thanks to a successful penalty from Alessio Frainetti.
But Iran was not dead yet, as Mostafa Kianiharchegani singlehandedly equalising with two successful free kicks with 93 seconds remaining. And after they couldn’t split in extra time; it was again Kianiharchegani nailing the penalty shot to win bronze for the Iranians.
Women’s gold for Spain
The slow start, that plagued the Spanish women in their semi-final, was nowhere to be seen in the women’s gold medal match, as they bombarded the British goals. But it was Molly Lacey Clark that scored the opener for Britain.
That lead didn’t last long, with Spain equalising 30 seconds later, through Lorena Del Carmen Asensio, who casually grabbed a second a minute later, and Carmen Fresneda Morga scoring a third for the Spaniards, to end the first period.
An arm wrestle ensued in the second, with the period ending in a stalemate. The 19-minute deadlock was finally broken, with Rebecca Ashleigh Barron bringing Britain within one with 8:34 remaining.
Motivated, the British women began to throw everything into it, and thought they finally had the equaliser with four minutes remaining, but Clark’s shot didn’t fully cross the tape.
Skills went out the window, as they desperately tried to level the score. But it was to no avail. Europe’s number one team, now the world’s best.
copy short url   Copy
17/10/2019
214