Brazil, the defending champions at the NEOM Beach Soccer Cup, have made it to the final and won the crown fair and square. The milestone achieved comes after defeating Japan by 5-2. Shining at the top of the team are Mauricinho and Edson Hulk.
Japan is the runner-up for this year’s edition, and the UAE finished in the third spot. Both teams are working to claim the title in the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup UAE 2024.
The 8-team competition was pretty fierce; however, Brazil was full of confidence, knowing that the title only had to be defended. The confidence was evident when they entered the field to beat some of the most talented teams. This includes Turkey, the UAE, and Spain, losing to Brazil by 11-2, 8-3, and 8-2, respectively.
A broader margin registered once could be a fluke or a good day. But Brazil has done that on multiple occasions. Making things interesting is the fact that they have now successfully concluded five competitions in 2023, winning all of them and now eyeing whatever comes next to them.
The most recent win for Brazil was earlier this month in Mundialito.
The other standings for the NEOM Beach Soccer Cup are as follows:
Germany – Fourth Position
England – Fifth Position
Spain – Sixth Position
Saudi Arabia – Seventh Position
Turkey – Eighth Position
Both top scorers hail from the winning team: Edson Hulk with seven goals and Mauricinho with the same number of nets to his name. The latter having also won MVP, Yusuke Kawai was featured as the best goalkeeper throughout the tournament.
Brazil is currently in the process of qualifying for the World Cup qualifiers. The segment lasts from 2023 to 2025 before teams qualify for the subsequent global competition. Brazil presently occupies the third position with seven points against them. The team has won two games, lost one, and drawn one. Argentina is ranked first and will encounter Brazil on November 22, 2023.
Before that, Brazil has the task of registering a win against Colombia, considering they have lost 2-0 to Uruguay.
The team is attempting to bounce back from their quarter-final defeat to Croatia in the FIFA World Cup. Each side was formidable, scoring a solitary goal. It was ultimately a penalty shootout that determined who would advance to the semifinals. This was followed promptly by a 2-1 loss to Morocco.
Brazi’s recent wins have come against Guinea and Bolivia. This is apart from the NEOM Beach Soccer Cup. Losing to teams like Senegal and Uruguay could cost them a portion of their self-confidence. The betting odds at many soccer betting sites are quite high considering the fact that the team has always been the most favorite amongst the soccer fans.
Despite triumphs, Brazil has a massive task before becoming favorites to lift the cup for fans all over the world.
Brazil, for now, sports the NEOM Beach Soccer Cup crown, having defended it by beating Japan in the finals.
