MADRID, 15 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish beach soccer team fell this Thursday against Iran on penalties (6-6, 1-3) during its debut in the men's World Championship, which is being held in Dubai (United Arab Emirates), after having wasted an initial score of 3-0.
In fact, the match could not have started better for Spain. In three seconds, Cristian Méndez's team took the lead on the scoreboard with a laboratory kickoff starring the Ardil brothers. Chiky took the center with a pass to David, who almost without thinking beat the Iranian goal with a relentless shot.
Chiky himself scored 2-0 (min.7) for Spain, thanks to a direct free kick hit the left post, and then David added his second goal, with a beautiful overhead kick (min.10). In the final moments of the first quarter, Iran closed the gap with a goal from Moslem Mesigar.
Although the Iranian team tightened the score at the beginning of the second quarter with a goal from Mohammad Mokhtari, the Spanish response did not take long to arrive and did so with two goals; Kuman scored first, who was in the right place to push a previous bicycle kick from David Ardil into the back of the net, and the 5-2 was the work of José Arias, taking advantage of the Iranian goalkeeper's rejection of another Kuman shot.
Mokhtari, with a half volley, scored the 5-3 with which the second period ended. He himself, from a penalty, scored his third goal to bring Iran closer (5-4) and thus liven up the final stretch of the match; Not in vain, Mokhtari tied the score with one minute remaining.
In extra time, Reza Amiri put the Asian team ahead and Chiky Ardil, in the last second of extra time, made it 6-6 to send the game to a penalty shootout. There, the Iranians achieved victory and added the first point for their place in Group B.