Brazil lived up to their top billing to emerge winners of the Intercontinental Beach Soccer Cup after a 2-0 win over Portugal in the final at the Marasi Business Bay in Dubai on Saturday.
Rafael Borkina fired the opening goal after being set up by Lucao and Felipe doubled the lead, both in the second period, to stretch Brazil’s winning run to 47 matches.
Gilberto Costa, the Brazil manager, credited his players for an outstanding tournament.
“We arrived with a record to maintain and the boys played incredibly well to keep that record intact,” he said.
“There was a lot of pressure on us because as a team we have won every competition we played in the last two years. The Intercontinental Cup was a strong competition and winning it was another feather in the cap for this side.”
Brazil, who were crowned the Fifa World Beach Soccer champions in the Bahamas in May, were meeting Portugal for the second time in Dubai having already defeated them 4-1 in the group stage last week.
“This was the game that really mattered at the end,” Gilberto said. “All other results in this competition would have counted for nothing had we not won tonight. And fortunately we did.”
Iran took third place after a 4-2 win over Russia in the preceding game.
Russia were in front following Boris Nikonorov’s finish at the far post after neat build-up work from Yury Krashenninikov and Artur Paporotnyi.
Hamid Behzadpour, the Iran goalkeeper, cancelled the lead when his shot bobbled awkwardly to deceive Maksim Chuzhkov.
Mohamad Ahmadzadeh put Iran ahead and Moradi provided them a two-goal cushion going into the final seven minutes.
Kirill Romanov reduced that advantage but Mostafa found the net from a free-kick to complete the win over and for the European champions to finish outside the top three for the first time in the competition’s history.
Ali Karim’s teammates react after his winner for the UAE against Egypt. Courtesy Intercontinental Beach Soccer Cup
A late strike from Ali Karim powered the UAE to victory over Egypt 2-1 in the play-off for fifth.
It was sweet revenge for the hosts, who were beaten 4-3 when the two teams met in the group stage.
Abbas Daryaei broke the deadlock for the hosts with an inch-perfect set-piece into the far corner past Sabah Abdelaziz.
Egypt got back on level terms when Shika stole in and made the most of a loose ball at the back to equalise with an exquisite lob in to the far corner.
However, Ali Karim’s precise free kick with a minute left on the clock proved the key moment in a tightly contested match as the hosts ensured a creditable fifth-place finish.
Paraguay finished seventh in the eight-team tournament after beating Mexico 3-0..
Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
David Einhorn closed out 2018 with his biggest annual loss ever for the 22-year-old Greenlight Capital.
The firm’s main hedge fund fell 9 per cent in December, extending this year’s decline to 34 percent, according to an investor update viewed by Bloomberg.
Greenlight posted some of the industry’s best returns in its early years, but has stumbled since losing more than 20 per cent in 2015.
Other value-investing managers have also struggled, as a decade of historically low interest rates and the rise of passive investing and quant trading pushed growth stocks past their inexpensive brethren. Three Bays Capital and SPO Partners & Co., which sought to make wagers on undervalued stocks, closed in 2018. Mr Einhorn has repeatedly expressed his frustration with the poor performance this year, while remaining steadfast in his commitment to value investing.
Greenlight, which posted gains only in May and October, underperformed both the broader market and its peers in 2018. The S&P 500 Index dropped 4.4 per cent, including dividends, while the HFRX Global Hedge Fund Index, an early indicator of industry performance, fell 7 per cent through December. 28.
At the start of the year, Greenlight managed $6.3 billion in assets, according to a regulatory filing. By May, the firm was down to $5.5bn.
