The host, Russia, and Japan, both semifinalists two years ago, will play on Sunday the beach soccer World Cup final after defeating Switzerland and Senegal, respectively.
The Russians came back and beat the Swiss to penalties after regulation time ended in a draw (5-5), While the Japanese got rid of the Africans with more difficulties than the final score indicates (5-2).
With a pavilion full of Russian fans, the Slavs took the lead after five minutes with goals from Krasheninnikov and Nikonorov (2-0). The Helvetians cut back by Ott before the end of the first set (2-1).
In the second period the Russian scored first Kotenev, but the Swiss took control of the game and the scoreboard with three goals in five minutes from Hodel (2) and Stankovic (4-3).
A penalty goal from Hodel after half an hour seemed to put the finishing touches on the locals, but they did not give up. Nikonorov and Shkarin sealed the tie in the last minutes (5-5).
Penalties handed down the sentence. The bad guy in the movie fell to Steinemann, who missed his team’s second pitch. The Russian pitchers did not miss a single maximum penalty.
Thus, the Russians return to a World Cup final, something that had not happened since 2013, when they achieved their second title by defeating Spain in the final.
Japan only managed to open the Senegalese penalty lock in the quarter hour after a goalless first half. Thus ended the second set. (1-0) Africans tied early in the third period, but within two minutes the Asians scored three goals and secured victory.
The Senegalese closed the gap with five minutes to go, but the Japanese put the finishing touches a few seconds later and qualified for their first final (5-2).
On Sunday, Russians and Japanese will compete for the title, while the match for third and fourth place will face Senegalese and Swiss, the revelation teams of the World Cup tournament.
The current champion, Portugal, fell in the first phase, while Brazil, which has fourteen twisted, was felled in the quarterfinals by Senegal.
Spain also fell in the quarterfinals against the Russians (4-2) and Uruguay was crushed in the same phase by Switzerland (10-1). El Salvador and Paraguay they did not pass the group stage.
The World Cup is played in the Festival Square, which is located in front of the Luzhniki Olympic Stadium, where the end of the Russia World Cup match in 2018 between France and Croatia (4-2).
The FIFA has managed the World Cup since 2005, although the first tournament was played in 1995 in Rio de Janeiro. Since 2009 this World Cup has been played every two years.