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Brazil retained its beach soccer World Cup crown |
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Tuesday, 24 November 2009 18:36 |
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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Brazil retained its beach soccer World Cup crown with a 10-5 victory over Switzerland in the final on Sunday.
Brazil, which has now won its fourth consecutive world title, was a class apart despite a gutsy performance from the Swiss.
Buru, Betinho and Andre scored a brace each while Sidney, Benjamin, Bueno and Daniel Souza were also on the scoresheet. Dejan Stankovic, Mo Jaeggy, Michael Rodrigues, Stephan Meier and Angelo Schirinzi grabbed replied for the Swiss, who finished runners-up at the 2009 European Championships.
Brazil opened the scoring through Andre who beat Nico Jung in the Swiss goal with a superb overhead kick. Betinho doubled the lead with a long-range effort and Buru added a third a little later.
The Swiss pulled one back through skipper Jaeggy, but Brazil restored its three-goal lead before the first break when Souza poked the ball home three seconds from time. Luckless Switzerland had a goal ruled out as the ball appeared to have crossed the line after the sounding of the hooter.
Buru scored his second with a powerful shot from a distance and Brazil captain Benjamin made it 6-1 from a free-kick before Andre and Betinho collected their second goals before the break.
The third session witnessed end-to-end football with both sides on the attack. The Swiss were the first to find the net with Meier beating substitute goalkeeper Alessandro with a volley.
Brazil hit back when Sidney converted from the spot, but the Swiss scored their third goal with a shot by Rodrigues from 10 metres. Brazil keeper Alessandro was beaten a third time in the half when Schirinzi headed home following a neat build up with Leu.
Stankovic's header at the end following a corner rounded off the scoring for Switzerland, but Bueno's thunderbolt of a free-hit gave substitute Swiss goalie Valentin Jaeggy no chance.
 Portugal skipper Madjer led from the front in the third-place play-off, scoring seven times as his side demolished Uruguay 14-7. It was a repeat performance for the Portuguese, who finished third last year in Marseille, France.
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UAE shooting for World Cup glory |
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Monday, 19 October 2009 18:36 |
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The UAE national beach soccer team practice with the coach Marcelo Mendes, wearing black, at Mamzar beach park. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National
DUBAI // As the sun sets over the palm-lined coves of Mamzar Beach Park, fathers play games with their sons while mothers and daughters paddle in the sea.
In the midst of this tranquil scene, a practice match is being played that is anything but a walk in the park.
In less than a month these players, all members of the UAE national beach soccer squad, will step from this sandy idyll into a 6,000-capacity stadium and the international spotlight.
Looking on is the national team coach, Brazil-born Marcelo Mendes, 38. He greets every stray pass and fumble with the stern rebuke “there must be no mistakes” echoing in his players’ ears.
But they are fully aware that the stakes could not be higher. When Dubai hosts the Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup next month, the UAE team, the current Asian champions, will not only be playing for national pride. They will also be hoping their performances may help turn their pastime into a professional career.
For Mr Mendes, a top international manager who has worked with some of the world’s best sides, including Portugal, the beach tournament represents a milestone.
“We have been building towards this tournament for two years,” he said.
“The players have been released from their jobs for the last six weeks and are being paid a subsistence grant by the Government so that I can work with them in an intensive preparation programme.”
The sport originated in Brazil but beach soccer was formally founded by Beach Soccer Worldwide (BSWW) in 1992 and the first World Cup took place in 1995 in Rio de Janeiro.
In 2005 the world governing body of football, Fifa, became a partner and the sport has seen a rapid growth globally since.
From 1995 to 2007 the World Cup was held annually in Rio de Janeiro. In response to the sport’s global appeal, Fifa and BSWW then decided to hold the finals in different countries. Last year they took place in Marseilles, France.
Beach soccer is now played in more than 170 countries and is recognised as the world’s fastest growing sport.
Since the inception of the World Cup, Brazil have won all but two finals: in 2001, Portugal took the crown and in 2005 France won with a team headed by the enigmatic French ex-footballer Eric Cantona, a former English Premier League superstar with Leeds and Manchester United.
The UAE beach soccer team will not find success at this year’s finals easy to achieve, with Brazil, Portugal and Spain starting as favourites.
But Mr Mendes believes the competition can produce the sort of high-profile upset that could see the UAE become a respected nation in the game.
“There is a greater chance of success [in beach soccer rather than football] because the games are shorter and there is a history of unexpected results. We recently defeated Brazil, the best team in the world. It is a realistic target for us to be in the top five in the world within five years,” he said.
That at least would give home fans some relief from the frustration of seeing the national football team struggle on the world stage.
Targeting the world top five also sets out a blueprint for the future development of the game in the UAE.
“The Dubai Sports Council (DSC) has invested for the long term. There are plans to run a programme to recruit and train local coaches and in 2010 we aim to start a professional UAE Beach Soccer League,” said Mr Mendes.
According to Salah Talak, tournament director for the Beach Soccer World Cup and board member of the DSC, the success of the tournament will be measured by the legacy it leaves as much as how the team performs.
“It is one of the DSC’s objectives to professionalise the sport. Discussions have been held on creating a league and expanding the number players throughout every Emirate. ”
The Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup will be held at Umm Suqeim Beach from November 16 to 22 and Fifa expects up to 40,000 spectators to attend.
Tickets for the event are now on sale online for Visa card holders only until October 31 at www.fifa.com/beachsoccerworldcup/index.html. From November 1, tickets can be bought using other major credit cards. Main Pitch prices range from Dh195 to Dh395 for the VIP stand and up to Dh100 for the grandstand. Entry to Pitch 2 is free. The UAE’s first opponents will be Portugal, followed by Uruguay and the Solomon Islands. If they progress, they are expected to face Brazil in the semi-finals.
A win there really would put the UAE on the world beach soccer map.
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The LOC of Dubai 2009 visits the Home of FIFA |
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Sunday, 18 October 2009 18:20 |
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Submitted by editor on October 18, 2009 - 15:57
FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter has said he will make every effort to attend the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Dubai next month and said that he believes it will be a phenomenal tournament.
Senior officials of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, Tournament Director, Salah Tahlak, Deputy Tournament Director, Dr. Khalid Mohammed Al Zahed and Director of Communications, Ammar Al Yasin recently travelled to FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland for high level talks on the tournament.
Welcoming the LOC delegation, the FIFA President said that he was confident that Dubai was an unequivocal location for the Beach Soccer World Cup. &I have great expectations for the tournament. Dubai has a good track record for hosting major international events and the LOC team is doing an excellent job to ensure it is a great success,& added the President Joseph S. Blatter.
Also in attendance at the meeting were other senior officials from FIFA and FIFA Beach Soccer who are instrumental in the Tournament, including Joan Cusco, Member of the FIFA Futsal and Beach Soccer Committee. During the meeting Joan Cusco expressed thanks to H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al- Maktoum, patron of the tournament, for his invaluable support and commitment to the success of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Dubai.
Also on the agenda at the Zurich meeting were the preparations for an official FIFA visit to Dubai in the next few days, when Joan Cusco and his team will take a tour of the especially designed, temporary, 6,000 seated stadium, set to be the largest Beach Soccer stadium ever built and three times bigger than the previous site for the Asian Qualifiers.
There is a tremendous amount of work involved in staging an event of this magnitude, but we are very happy with how things are progressing,& said Salah Tahlak. &Combining the flair that only Dubai can bring to such occasions with the seasoned experience of our FIFA colleagues and the best beach soccer players in the world, gives us all the ingredients for a successful showcase. But not forgetting the spectators of course.
The FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Dubai 2009 will be held from 16 to 22 November, under the patronage of H.H Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Sports Council.
Source: FIFA |
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Beach Soccer World Cup in Dubai |
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Saturday, 17 October 2009 18:08 |
Dubai: Fifa President Sepp Blatter has assured local organisers he will make every effort to attend next month's Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup in Dubai.
Given Dubai's long-standing record, the Fifa chief believes this edition of the competition will be a phenomenal success.
Senior officials of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup, including tournament director, Salah Tahlak, deputy tournament director, Dr Khalid Mohammad Al Zahed and director of communications, Ammar Al Yasin, last week travelled to the Fifa headquarters in Zurich for talks on the tournament.
Welcoming the delegation, the Fifa president said that he was confident that Dubai was an unequivocal location for the Beach Soccer World Cup.
"I have great expectations for the tournament. Dubai has a good track record for hosting major international events and the LOC team is doing an excellent job to ensure it is a great success," Blatter told the delegation.
Also attending the meeting were other senior officials from Fifa and Fifa Beach Soccer, including Joan Cusco, member of the Fifa futsal and beach soccer committee.
During the meeting Cusco expressed thanks to Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and patron of the tournament.
Also on the agenda at the Zurich meeting were the preparations for an official Fifa visit to Dubai in the next few days, when Cusco and his team will take a tour of the specially designed, temporary, 6,000- seat stadium.
by: Gomes, Gulf News
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BRAZILIAN FIFA WORLD CUP 2009 Team |
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Friday, 16 October 2009 18:18 |
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ELECTION AND BRAZILIAN FIFA WORLD CUP 2009 (DUBAI FROM 16 TO 22 NOVEMBER): TEAM TRAVELS WITH 16 PLAYERS FOR PRE-SEASON TRAINING CAMP IN CAPO FRIO
The brazilizan team traveled today to Cabo Frio, confident enough to continue the preparatory work that the locals were already doing here in Rio de Janeiro, joining players from other states. The team will make a special preparatory stage of about 01 months in this city in the Lagos Region, aimed at winning the fourth title of FIFA World Cup in Dubai, which will be played every 16 to 22 November next.
The 16-man squad are:
Hand, Alessandro and Wagner (goalkeepers);
Bueno, Daniel, Anderson, Dino Tambaú Betinho and Buru (defenders);
Sidney, Andrew, Edward, Fred, Bruno gleaming, Daniel Souza and Benjamin (strikers).
This "pre-list" of 16, only 12 picked to Dubai where it will try to bring a mug to Brazil! All these 16 players pre-squad have shown their values and have great quality, the group is very strong and, of course, come to Dubai as the fourth championship favorite! The basis of the Brazilian team is very strong and has been maintained since the first title of FIFA WORLD CUP 2006! The ComissãoTécnica has shown its value with all the latest achievement, the coach Alexandre Soares led the team in 3 titles FIFA WORLD CUP.
By: Gomes and Jr. Negao in 10/16/2009
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