The Cup Quarter-Finals saw the elite 8 teams of the 18 team draw come head to head to see which team would emerge as 2014 Amsterdam Fives champions. Which of these fine teams would be celebrating glory in just a few hours?

The first Quarter-Final saw the Group A champions, Athletico Do Hollande, meet the second best 3rd placed team which was Damn Big Dogs. Having worked so hard to qualify from the group it was scant reward to come up against the 2010 and 2011 Algarve Open winners. Athletico Do Hollande had not reached the same heights at home in Amsterdam although had still reached a Cup Semi-Final and Cup Final.

Athletico Do Hollande had excelled in the group phase with a 100% record and 15 goals along the way with just 4 conceded. Damn Big Dogs had been on a run of 3 wins in a row before a narrow defeat to Group B winners Team Extreme.

The Dutch team showed no mercy in this fixture as they secured their biggest win of the day thus far. Captain Jerrel Fraenk opened the scoring with Owairan Cloenise making it 2-0. Giorgio Fraenk made it 3-0 before Mitchel Vriendryk scored his second of the day. Moises Alves became the fifth different scorer in the game and completed the 5-0 win.

It was farewell to the Damn Big Dogs lads but they still had their sister squad to cheer on (or heckle as the case may be).

Cup Quarter Final 3 had a lot to live up to after the first two Quarter-Finals….and it did as we witnessed another top quality encounter. Return of the Dancing Horses III, Group C champions, were up against Big Dogs. This was the heavyweight contest of the Quarter-Finals as the two teams had taken 28 points out of a possible 30 between them in the group stage. It was certainly going to be tough on whoever lost this one.

Return of the Dancing Horses III boasted the best record of all the teams in the group phase. Their 15 points was matched by Athletico Do Hollande in Group A but they had scored more and conceded less than the Dutch team and could well be seen as the favourites to win this tournament on their morning showing. They started off well here with Gary Harrison giving them a crucial lead.

Return of the Dancing Horses III had won their only Cup Quarter-Final to date in our tournaments before today and maybe they put that experience to good use as they held off the spirited challenge from Big Dogs. In the second half Michael Winkworth's third goal of the tournament made it 2-0 and there was no way back for the Big Dogs.

It was a tough exit for Big Dogs who had made a superb debut and on another day could easily have reached the Semi-Finals and who knows what could have happened then. There was certainly enough potential there. Thank you to them and the Damn Big Dogs for supporting the tournament.

After all the drama in the other Quarter-Finals what could East Compton Eagles and Melee FC serve up? These two teams had always reached a minimum of the Cup Semi-Finals in their previous eurofootballfives.com appearances so there would be disappointment for one team today.

The two teams had both finished Runners-Up in their groups and both finished on 9 points so there was little to choose between them on paper. There was also little to choose between them on the pitch as the first half came and went with the teams locked together at 1-1. Andy Cockrean (East Compton Eagles) and Chris Pilsbury (Melee FC) goals cancelling each other out in the opening period.

The second half also came and went with the teams still locked together but this time at 2-2. Sean McCullough (East Compton Eagles) and Kevin Lewis (Melee FC) goals cancelling each other out after the break. A penalty shootout would be needed to split these two teams.

It was East Compton Eagles to strike first as Rich Manns saw his driven effort cannon back off the cross-bar. Chris Pilsbury took full advantage with the first Melee FC penalty to put his team 1-0 up. Sean McCullough then stepped up with 7 goals to his name already today but he saw his penalty saved by Fabio Zuchelli to put Melee FC in a great position. Jack Dell could seal it for his team and that he did as he swept the ball home to make it 2-0 and put Melee FC through to the Cup Semi-Finals.

Penalties is always a cruel way to go out and so it was true again today as East Compton Eagles narrowly missed out on their third consecutive Cup Semi-Final.