Beach Socceroos Finish Fourth in China
The United Arab Emirates granted themselves a place in the Asian Beach Soccer Cup Final after edging Australia in the decider of the group B on Saturday July 13 in Haiyang, China.
The UAE clinched three points to secure a place in the fight for the trophy in a tight game only cleared following a 3-0 run in the last stage.
Australia looked to upset the Marcelo Mendes’ side after the Emirati closed the Beach Socceroo’s door to the World Cup in the last Asian Qualifier and managed to hold the UAE scoreless until the third period.
The final period saw the UAE break the draw and gain control of the match. Australia was unfortunately unable to counteract and were defeated 3-0.
Aiming to place third in the tournament Australia met Thailand on Sunday July 14, but were outscored resulting in a 3-4 loss.
Michael Matricciani found the back of the net twice while Jim Bakis scored Australia’s third goal.
The Asian Beach Soccer Cup hosts China took the title on Sunday against the United Arab Emirates with a 2-1 win decided by a penalty shoot out.
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