Shaheens United followed up their 2023 title success 12 months ago in a bid to defend their title. They began with a solid 1-1 draw against FC23 before a 3-0 win over Empty Glasses FC. Another 1-1 draw followed against FC NoeNoe which preceded a 2-0 win over FC Twente Bag. They needed a win over Elderly Support in their final group game to keep their Cup hopes alive but a 0-0 draw saw them finish third in the table. It meant Plate qualification for Shaheens United as they played Los Perros. It was a 4 th draw of the day as they finished 1-1 but progressed 2-0 on penalties. In the final they were looking to join a select group of teams who had won both Cup and Plate titles in our events but they missed out on the trophy, 3-0 to Dnipro.

With their previous result, Shaheens United knew that winning the Cup would now be beyond them for this year but they were still in with a realistic chance of reaching the Plate and picking up another trophy.

TNT Kent and Shaheens United battled to a hard-fought 1-1 draw in Game 10 of Group A. The first half was a cagey affair with both teams showing solid defensive organization, resulting in a goalless halftime score. Chances were limited as each side looked to gain the upper hand without overcommitting.

In the second half, the deadlock was finally broken with goals from Noe Misumi for Shaheens United and Deniss Bondarevs for TNT Kent which cancelled each other out. Both teams fought hard to claim the win, but neither could find a decisive breakthrough, leaving the points shared. The draw kept the standings tight, with both sides eager to build momentum in their upcoming matches as they battled for a place in the Plate.

The final game of Round 4 in Group A saw Humble Goats versus One Last Dance FC. The Humble Goats came into this game with a formidable record in the group stages of our tournaments. Including today, they had played 33 games, won 27, drawn 5 and lost just 1. That game was all the way back at the 2022 Amsterdam Sixes when they lost 3-1 in their opening game to Dolce and Lallana. In this period, they had scored 89 goals and conceded just 15 securing 86 points out of a possible 99. They were currently in second place in the table with a game in hand over league leaders Young Stars.

The game in hand was against One Last Dance FC who had just picked up their first win and currently sat 5 points behind their opponents in the table. They could still qualify for the Cup but would have to win their final two games and hope Humble Goats lost their final two games. We reached half-time in this match and it was so far, so good with the teams level at 0-0.

As the game continued the opening goal was going to become increasingly crucial and when it came it went to One Last Dance FC with Tom Arnold on target. The English team now had something to hold on to. As Humble Goats poured forward, One Last Dance FC had chances on the break but ultimately the one goal was enough as a solid defensive performance helped them keep a clean sheet. It was a massive performance from One Last Dance FC who retained third position but were now just 2 points behind Humble Goats. Humble Goats last game was against the league leaders so it was definitely all to play for in Group A.