Egypt enter semis as Brazil outplay UAE in beach soccer

Dubai - The win deprived hosts UAE of a slot in the last four

When the going gets tough, the tough get going .. this phrase applied to Egypt on Thursday when, from a hopeless situation when they were trailing 4-6 and with a minute to go for the final hooter, the Pharaohs found the net thrice to beat bottom-placed Spain 7-6 and make the semifinals of the Huawei Intercontinental Beach Soccer Cup Dubai at the Kite Beach Jumeirah.
The win deprived hosts UAE of a slot in the last four even before they could take on multiple World Cup champions Brazil later in a Group A encounter. For the record, the hosts were outplayed by table-toppers 1-9 in the tournament which is being organised by the Dubai Sports Council.
Filipe Duarte Da Silva (2), Igor Matheus Melo Rangel (2), goalkeeper Jenilson Brito Rodrigues, Mauricio Pereira, Antonio Bernardo, Bruno Da Silva Xavier and Rafael Amorim Silva netted one each to complete the rout.
UAE scored a consolation goal through Abbas Ali. UAE were closely monitoring the Egypt-Spain match as a defeat to Egypt would have given the hosts an outside chance of making the semis. But Moustafa Aly Mohammed's hat trick, a goal each from Mohamed Abdulnaby Hassan and Mohamed Hussein and Ahmed Elshahat Mohamed's last-gasp winner not only denied Spain of a win in the tournament, but it also put a spoke in UAE's wheel.
In the battle between the bottom two sides from Group B, runners-up of the two previous World Cups, Tahiti pipped USA 7-6 via extra-time. Russia and Iran had already qualified from this group into the semifinals.
The match between Egypt and Spain was played at a fast pace. The Pharaohs, placed at No. 17 in the world rankings, desperately needed to win to keep their slim hopes of making the semis alive.
They got off to a solid start through Moustafa Aly Mohamed Aly, but La Roja, ranked No. 10, responded in the very next minute through Javier Torres Molina.
Mohamed Abdelnaby Hassan gave Egypt a 2-1 advantage into the second period. Spain were soon reduced to four men when Antonio Jose Mayor was red carded for a chest-high tackle.
Holding a numerical advantage, Egypt should have capitalised but instead Spain showed fighting spirit.
Javier scored again and with goals from Eduard Suarez Molina, Salvador Manuel Ardil and Llorenc they were eyeing their first win until Egypt came back in a big way.
clareto@khaleejtimes.com