The Ukrainian beach soccer team defeated Italy in a dramatic match and qualified for the 2023 World Beach Games

02.09.2022 20:58

Photo by beachsoccer.com

The Ukrainian beach soccer team played in Catania in the quarter-final match of the European selection for the 2023 World Beach Games.

Mykola Kostenko's wards reached the 1/4 finals of the tournament, defeating Azerbaijan in Group C (5:4) and having conceded to Switzerland (3:7). The blue-yellow team took second place and entered the playoffs against the first team of Group A, the host of the selection, Italy. Success in this match guaranteed the winner a ticket to the 2023 World Beach Games.

Despite the clear favorite status of the opponent, because Italy is the eighth team in the world ranking, the Ukrainians immediately took the initiative into their own hands. In the 4th minute, Yurii Shcherytsia and in the 6th minute, Ihor Borsuk made the score 2:0 in favor of the blue-yellow team. Unfortunately, after two minutes, the author of our second goal saw a red card in front of him. 

In the second period, our team increased momentum, and first Shcherytsia scored a double, and then Yaroslav Zavorotny scored the fourth goal against the Italians. 

At this point, the Ukrainians calmed down too much and allowed Gianmarco Genovali, Emmanuele Zurlo, Alessandro Remedi and Marco Giordani to equalize the score in the third 12-minute period.

The game went into overtime, in the first minute of which Andriy Pashko again brought the blue-yellow team ahead. This ball became decisive. So, the victory of Ukraine is 5:4.

Thus, the men's beach soccer team of Ukraine reached the semifinals of the tournament and followed by our women's team secured a spot at the 2023 World Beach Games in Bali, Indonesia.

World Beach Games 2023. Men European qualification

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02.09.2022

Italy — Ukraine — 4:5 OT

Goals: Jenovali (30), Zurlo (33), Remedi (34), Jordani (35) — Shcheritsa (4, 20), I. Borsuk (6), Zavorotny (21), Pashko (37).

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

After 8 minutes excluded I. Borsuk (Ukraine).

Switzerland - France - 3:1 

Spain — Germany — 8:3

Portugal — Turkey — 11:4

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03.09.2022

Ukraine - Spain. 13.15

Portugal — Switzerland. 14.45

World Beach Games 2023

It will be held in Bali, Indonesia, from August 6 to 12, 2023. There will be 16 teams in the men's final tournament and 12 in the women's final. Five continental qualifiers are scheduled to take place until July 2, 2023, with the top teams earning a spot at the World Beach Games.

Distribution of seats by continental confederations for men:

UEFA (Europe) — 5 teams;

CONMEBOL (South America) — 3 teams;

CAF (Africa) — 2 teams;

CONCACAF (North and Central America) — 2 teams;

AFC (Asia) and AFC (Oceania) — 2 teams.

Distribution of seats by continental confederations for women:

UEFA (Europe) — 4 teams;

CONMEBOL (South America) — 2 teams;

CONCACAF (North and Central America) — 2 teams;

CAF (Africa) — 1 team;

AFC (Asia) and AFC (Oceania) — 1 team.

In addition, the finals of the 2023 World Beach Games will feature the Indonesian men's and women's national teams as hosts, as well as one specially invited team each that did not take part in the qualifying tournaments. 

If a participant's National Olympic Committee withdraws or does not confirm their participation by July 2, 2023, that tournament spot will be awarded to the next highest-ranked team on the continent.

If the continental selection tournament does not take place by July 2, 2023, then the world ranking of beach soccer as of July 1, 2023 will be used to determine the participating teams.

Let's add that the current winners of the World Beach Games are the teams of Brazil (for men) and Spain (for women), who won the 2019 titles in Qatar.