Sport | Football
UAE could be 'surprise package' of beach soccer mini World Cup
The UAE is expected to come up with something special as Mundialito 2009 takes off in Portimao, Portugal from Friday.
- By Alaric Gomes Senior Reporter
- Published: 22:38 August 5, 2009
- Image Credit: Gulf News archive
- The UAE in action against Japan during the Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup at Al Mamzar Beach. The UAE are gearing up for the main competition, to be held in Dubai in November, by playing in Portugal.
Dubai: The UAE is expected to come up with something special as Mundialito 2009 takes off in Portimao, Portugal from Friday.
"This weekend all the other teams will be paying special attention to the UAE," stated Hans Vandamme, the press manager for Beach Soccer Worldwide.
"The hosts of this year's World Cup travel to Portugal to prepare for the tough task of conquering the ... title in front of their home crowd in November and the UAE could well be the surprise package of the Mundialito," Vandamme added.
This is no vain boast as the UAE secured a 2-1 victory against the three-time world champions in their backyard on Cocacabana Beach last month.
With the event held on the famed Praia de Rocha in Portimão, the UAE will clash with the three best teams in the world of beach soccer - defending world champions Brazil, European champions Spain and runners-up and hosts Portugal - until August 9.
This tournament is considered the unofficial mini World Cup in the build-up to the main competition scheduled to be held in Dubai next November 16-22.
Hosts Portugal are on a roll after qualifying for a fifth straight time for the Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup and snatching the EBSL preliminary title in Minehead with maximum points. The Lusitanians seem as on target as ever, but tend to struggle in defence as the retirement of longtime captain Hernani left quite a mark on the Portuguese backline.
In Portimão, the defending champions will start off the competition against the UAE, take on Spain on Saturday to generate more than enough excitement for the clash with arch-rivals Brazil on the final day on Sunday.
The World Champions may have lost their 73-game unbeaten streak at last year's edition (when they went down 5-4 to Portugal) but, over a period of time, no real damage seems to have been done.
The Auriverde stood up and went on comfortably to conquer every single trophy and proved that on any kind of stage they are the team to beat.
The Brazilians have conquered 10 out of the 13 Mundialito editions, of which eight were obtained by overcoming Portugal in the final.
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