2017 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup final

The 2017 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Final was the last match of the 2017 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup which took place on May 7, 2017 at the National Beach Soccer Arena in Nassau, the Bahamas.[1] The final was contested between Tahiti, who had previously competed in one World Cup final, the last World Cup final in 2015 which they lost to Portugal, and Brazil, who were back into a World Cup final after their last appearance six years ago in 2011, their sixth FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup final and their 15th overall when taking into account the pre-FIFA era Beach Soccer World Championships, beating the defending champions Portugal on their way to this year's final.[2]

2017 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Final
Brazil (pictured here in 2015) won their fifth FIFA crown
Event2017 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup
Date7 May 2017
VenueNational Beach Soccer Arena, Nassau
RefereeBakhtiyor Namazov (Uzbekistan)
Attendance3,500
WeatherSunny
27 °C (81 °F)
46% humidity
10 m/s wind speed
2015
2019

Brazil competently won the final by 6 unanswered goals to win their fifth FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup and 14th world title overall since 1995, their first title for eight years since defeating Switzerland in the 2009 final.[3] This condemned Tahiti to two successive World Cup final losses and the islanders became only the second team ever to fail to score in a World Cup final after Uruguay in 1996.

Background edit

Going into the match, Tahiti were still a relatively new beach soccer nation having only first competed in 2006 and at their first World Cup in 2011, however had gained experience and solidified their place as a top team having reached three consecutive World Cup semi finals in doing so at this year's tournament[4] and now two consecutive World Cup finals too after losing to hosts Portugal 5–3 in the last occurring World Cup final, in 2015.[5] Tahiti were also world ranked 6th prior to the match.[6]

Comparatively, Brazil have dominated the international beach soccer scene since the start of the World Championships in 1995 and until 2009 appeared in 13 of the 15 finals played (4 of 5 FIFA finals), winning all 13.[7] However since then the Brazilian team have experienced a gradual decline at the World Cups, losing in a final for the first time in 2011 at the hands of Russia, only reaching the semi-finals in 2013 and most notably, for the first time ever, not even finishing in a top 4 position in 2015, losing in the quarter-finals. However since losing that match in 2015 Brazil have been on a 34 match winning streak in all competitions leading up to this match,[8] their first final in six years, finally ending their final drought.[9] Brazil were world ranked 3rd prior to the match.[6]

Before the final, the teams had met on three previous occasions, twice at the World Cup, first in 2013 and at this very World Cup as they were both in Group D. The three meetings are documented in the below table:

Previous matches

Date Tournament Round Result
28 September 2013 2013 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Third place play-off Brazil 7–7 Tahiti, (1–0 pens.)
3 November 2016 2016 Intercontinental Cup Group stage Tahiti 4–10 Brazil
28 April 2017 2017 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Group stage Brazil 4–1 Tahiti
Total wins
  Tahiti   Brazil
0 3

Road to the final edit

Tahiti Round Brazil
Opponent Result Group stage Opponent Result
  Brazil 1–4 Match 1   Tahiti 4–1
  Japan 4–3 Match 2   Poland 7–4
  Poland 8–4 Match 3   Japan 9–3
Group D runners-up
Team Pld W W+ L GF GA GD Pts
  Brazil 3 3 0 0 20 8 +12 9
  Tahiti 3 2 0 1 13 11 +2 6
  Japan 3 1 0 2 15 17 −2 3
  Poland 3 0 0 3 12 24 −12 0
Final standings Group D winners
Team Pld W W+ L GF GA GD Pts
  Brazil 3 3 0 0 20 8 +12 9
  Tahiti 3 2 0 1 13 11 +2 6
  Japan 3 1 0 2 15 17 −2 3
  Poland 3 0 0 3 12 24 −12 0
Opponent Result Knockout stage Opponent Result
  Paraguay 6–4 Quarter-finals   Portugal 4–3
  Iran 1–1 (a.e.t.), (3–2 pens.) Semi-finals   Italy 8–4

Match details edit

Summary edit

With 2,000 Tiki Toa fans gathered in front of a giant screen back home in Tahiti,[10] Brazil's Mauricinho opened the scoring after a mere 14 seconds following intercepting Zaveroni's misplaced pass, finishing through the legs of Torohia, and then assisted Datinha to comfortably take a 2–0 lead into the break after the first period. Despite opportunities for Tahiti[11] and a considerable amount of ball possession, Brazil's defence stood firm and limited the shots on target for the islanders, preventing a golden chance for Zavaroni being converted.[12]

Pressing the ball and hitting on the counter attack saw Brazil take further control at the halfway stage of the match in the second period as Mauricinho converted another for a brace to score the only goal of the second set of 12 minutes.[10] Tahiti and Brazil both hit the crossbar but although wayward marking in the Tahitian defence presented a number of chances for Brazil and the islanders also tested goalkeeper Mão, both teams failed to register any new goals on the scoreboard.[12]

Despite Tahiti's Heimanu hitting the post and Labaste striking the crossbar in the opening moments of the final 12 minutes,[11] and surviving some defensive mistakes, Les Tiki Toa finally found themselves exposed and tiring at the back in the third period as Catarino scored a left-footed drive off the post on the counter attack once more to make the score 4–0. As Daniel scored a brace minutes later, first a header from a corner and the second finishing in the top corner from a loose ball at the edge of the Tahitian penalty area, Brazil's lead amassed in 29 minutes at 3–0 was doubled to 6–0 in just 4 minutes as the flood gates opened.[3] The Brazilians went on to see out the final minutes to ease to another world title, the 100th international beach soccer trophy in their history.[13]

Post-match quotes edit

Brazilian captain Bruno Xavier:[13]

"I'm very proud to be a part of it. We are more than a group of players, of men, we are a team that gave the life for this title to honor the name of our country. We are Brazil, we are five-time champions of the world, I am very happy that we can take that conquest back to our country"

Scorer of Brazil's first and third goals, Mauricinho:[14]

"It still hasn’t sunk in, to be honest it’s a dream come true. Ever since I was a kid, I dreamt about playing beach soccer and being a world champion. To do that, and also win the silver ball is a dream come true."

Tahitian goalkeeper, Jonathan Torohia:[15]

"They were a step above us for sure. For us, we didn't start well, so at the start of the match we weren't confident. It was really hard. Brazil deserve the World Cup."

"It's difficult. Two times we have lost the final of a World Cup. But today there are no regrets from us. Brazil was too strong. Even if we made some mistakes. In one year they played so many matches and never lost. We are happy. Brazil stopped us and they were the only team who beat us."

Details edit

Tahiti  0–6  Brazil
Report Mauricinho   1', 18'
Datinha   7'
Catarino   30'
Daniel   32', 33'
Attendance: 3,500[16]
Referee: Bakhtiyor Namazov (Uzbekistan)
Tahiti
Brazil
Starting line up:
GK 1 Jonathan Torohia
DF 4 Heimanu Taiarui
MF 6 Patrick Tepa
MF 7 Raimana Li Fung Kuee (c)
MF 11 Teva Zavaroni
Substitutes:
DF 2 Angelo Tchen  
DF 3 Ariihau Teriitau
MF 5 Raimoana Bennett  
MF 8 Heiarii Tavanae  
FW 9 Naea Bennett (absent)
FW 10 Tearii Labaste  
GK 12 Franck Revel
Manager:
  Teiva Izal
Starting line-ups
Both sides played a 1-1-2-1 formation[17]
Starting line up:
GK 1 Mão
DF 4 Catarino
MF 8 Bruno Xavier (c)
MF 10 Datinha
MF 11 Mauricinho
Substitutes:
FW 2 Fernando  
MF 3 Filipe  
DF 5 Daniel  
FW 6 Lucao  
FW 7 Bokinha  
FW 9 Rodrigo  
GK 12 Rafa Padilha  
Manager:
  Gilberto Sousa

  – substitute came on during the game
† – did not play for religious reasons
[11]

Assistant referees:
Łukasz Ostrowski (Poland)
Gionni Matticoli (Italy)
Timekeeper:
Ebrahim Almansory (United Arab Emirates)

Match rules:

  • 36 minutes; 3 periods of 12 minutes
  • 3 minutes of extra time if scores level
  • Best of 3 penalty shoot-out if scores still level
  • 7 substitutes named, of which all may be used. Rolling substitutions.

Statistics edit

Stat   Tahiti   Brazil
Goals scored   0 6
Total shots 52 45
Shots on target 9 20
Shots blocked 21 7
Own goals 0 0
Overhead kicks 16 5
Ball possession 54% 46%
Corner kicks 10 6
Fouls committed 2 0
Yellow cards   0 0
Red cards   0 0

Source: FIFA

References edit

  1. ^ "Matches". FIFA.com. 2017-05-07. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved 2017-05-07.
  2. ^ "Tahiti, Brazil set up mouthwatering final". FIFA.com. 2017-05-06. Archived from the original on May 7, 2017. Retrieved 2017-05-07.
  3. ^ a b "Brazil win fifth Beach Soccer World Cup". FIFA.com. 2017-05-07. Archived from the original on May 25, 2018. Retrieved 2017-05-07.
  4. ^ "Tahiti edge Paraguay to reach semis". FIFA.com. 2017-05-04. Archived from the original on May 5, 2017. Retrieved 2017-05-07.
  5. ^ "Tahiti reach final after marathon shoot-out". FIFA.com. 2017-05-06. Archived from the original on May 7, 2017. Retrieved 2017-05-07.
  6. ^ a b "Overall World Ranking". FIFA.com. 2017-05-07. Archived from the original on 2017-05-07. Retrieved 2017-05-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  7. ^ "Beach Soccer World Cup - Overview". RSSSF. 2015-07-23. Retrieved 2017-05-07.
  8. ^ "Brazil after fifth trophy, Tahiti out to make history". FIFA.com. 2017-05-06. Archived from the original on May 7, 2017. Retrieved 2017-05-07.
  9. ^ "Brazil return to final after six-year wait". FIFA.com. 2017-05-06. Archived from the original on May 7, 2017. Retrieved 2017-05-07.
  10. ^ a b "Les Tiki Toa impuissants face au Brésil" (in French). tntv.pf. 2017-05-07. Retrieved 2017-05-07.
  11. ^ a b c "Beachsoccer – Coupe du monde – Les Tiki Toa sont vice-champions du monde" (in French). tahiti-infos.com. 2017-05-07. Retrieved 2017-05-07.
  12. ^ a b "Brasil es pentacampeón de fútbol playa" (in Portuguese). abc.com.py. 2017-05-07. Retrieved 2017-05-07.
  13. ^ a b "Brasil goleia o Taiti e conquista o pentacampeonato invicto da Copa do Mundo FIFA" (in Portuguese). cbsb.com.br. 2017-05-07. Retrieved 2017-05-07.
  14. ^ "Brazil take pride in fifth star". fifa.com. 2017-05-08. Retrieved 2017-05-08.[dead link]
  15. ^ "Tahiti's Torohia gracious in defeat". fifa.com. 2017-05-08. Archived from the original on May 8, 2017. Retrieved 2017-05-08.
  16. ^ "Match report – Final – Tahiti v Brazil" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 7 May 2017. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  17. ^ "TECHNICAL REPORT FIFA BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP BAHAMAS 2017" (PDF). FIFA.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 25, 2017. Retrieved 2018-05-21.

External links edit