A strong Tournament from the boys from Croatia finished with a flurry and a dominant Final as Croatia claimed gold in Gibraltar.
Match 20: (Final) Switzerland v Croatia 4-5
Switzerland and Croatia playoff in the final match of the tournament to determine who comes first. There was a tense atmosphere on the pitch as both teams were determined to win the tournament. Insane skill, speed and precision was displayed throughout the match and both teams managed to secure a goal in the first half. In the second half, Croatia’s aggressive offence paid off as they took the lead with four more goals. The Swiss players continued to persist and were able to score another goal in a short corner which was then shortly followed by two more goals. The final score was 5 – 4, making Croatia the winners of the tournament!
Goalscorers from Croatia
#2 Lucas Maximilian Bachmann x2
#22 Toni Premilovac
#27 Anže Fujs
#13 Filip Zlimen
Goalscorers from Switzerland
#21 Sebastian Schneider
#17 Boris Stomps x3
Match 19: (3/4) Portugal v Gibraltar 2-7
The third game of the day saw Gibraltar and Portugal play for 3rd and 4th place. The first quarter of the game was at first dominated by Portugal, with the ball mainly in their possession. However, Gibraltar soon took the lead with a goal from a short corner. In the second quarter, Gibraltar scored three more goals, two from short corners and one field goal. In the second half, possession of the ball continued to switch, and the intensity of the game was bringing out some excellent plays from both teams. The overall score was 7-2 to Gibraltar.
Gibraltar’s Goal Scorer’s:
#10 Shane Ramagge
#9 Julian Lopez x2
#5 Carl Ramagge
#30 Julian Hernandez
#6 Kayron Stagno
#12 Gareth Henwood
Portugal’s Goal Scorer’s:
#2 Luis Tavares (C)
#7 Miguel Rodriguez
Earlier today we concluded the Pool C games
Match 17: Turkey v Malta (Pool C) 1-1
Today the first match of the finals was kicked off by Turkey and Malta. The first quarter showed equal play from both teams as they were playing with determination and a great attitude. Turkey was the first to take the lead after being awarded a short corner. Malta soon caught up with a goal of their own during the third quarter and both teams continued to fight to break the tie. But unfortunately, both teams were unable to score any other goals and the game ended in a tie. Turkey won overall due to goal difference, but the final score of the game was 1-1.
Goalscorers from Turkey
#5 Onur Acikgoz (C)
Goalscorers from Malta
#17 Keith Calleja
Match 18: Slovakia v Lithuania (Pool C) 2-1
In the second match of the day, Slovakia and Lithuania play against each other in an attempt to determine 5th and 6th place. Both teams had equal pace and technique, allowing balanced and ample opportunities for a goal as possession swapped back and forth. The first goal of the match was scored by Lithuania in a penalty stroke. Slovakia then caught up with their first short corner, and a second short corner put them ahead of Lithuania. Lithuania spent the entire last quarter attempting to at least get an equaliser, but their attempts fell short. The final score was 2-1 to Slovakia.
Goal scorers for Lithuania
#4 Zygimantas Balsiukas (C)
Goal scorers for Slovakia
#13 Matej Jelačič
#7 Tomáš Vacha
Final Ranking Pool C: