The Ukrainian beach soccer team made it to the quarterfinals of the World Beach Games from second place

31.08.2022 14:10

Photo by beachsoccer.com

Today, the Ukrainian beach soccer team played the second match in the European selection for the 2023 World Beach Games.

Mykola Kostenko's wards beat Azerbaijan yesterday in Catania (5:4) and ensured their participation in the quarterfinals. Today they faced the Swiss national team, in a match with which the fate of the first place in group C was decided. 

The first period was an equal struggle. The teams exchanged shots on the crossbar, and Noel Ott scored the only goal, putting the Swiss ahead.

At the beginning of the second 12-minute period, Elliott doubled the advantage of our opponent, and in another minute Ihor Borsuk cut the ball into his own goal. At the end of the period, Dejan Stankovic made an interception and made the score 4:0. In the 23rd minute, the goalkeeper of the Swiss national team grossly violated the rules and earned a red card and a penalty. Unfortunately, Oleg Zborovskyi could not beat the opponent's second goalkeeper. In the last seconds, Stankovich also scored a double, taking advantage of the fact that our team released a field player instead of the goalkeeper.

In the third period, the national team of Ukraine finally broke through. Yaroslav Zavorotny was able to dampen the score, and Oleksandr Korniychuk scored the second goal. However, Sandro Spacca immediately extinguished the ray of hope for our team - 6:2. Under the curtain of the meeting, the opponents exchanged goals from Ott and Korniychuk — 7:3.

So, in the quarter-finals of the selection of the World Beach Games, Switzerland took the first place in Group C, and Ukraine took the second place. The opponent of the blue-yellow team at this stage will be Italy. The match will take place on Friday, September 2 (18.30).

World Beach Games 2023. Men Qualification. Group C

Switzerland - Ukraine - 7: 3

Goals: Ott (12, 34), Elliott (13), I. Borsuk (14, own goal), Stankovich (23, 24), Spakka (28) — Zavorotny (26), Korniychuk (28, 35).

Ukraine: Nerush, Kovalenko, I. Borsuk, A. Borsuk, Korniychuk, Hlutsky, Voytok, Shcheritsa, Medvid, Voytenko, Zavorotny, Pashko, Levchenko, Zborovsky.

After 23 minutes excluded Elliott (Switzerland).

29.08. Switzerland — Azerbaijan — 7:4 

30.08. Ukraine — Azerbaijan — 5:4

31.08. Switzerland - Ukraine - 7: 3

Standings

We will remind that tickets to the World Beach Games will be awarded to the five best teams of the tournament. In total, 13 national teams, divided into four groups, entered the competition.