Results
 

Easter Island FC (Eng)

1

V

0

CF Fuego (Eng)

Sharks (Spa)

1

v

0

Cream of the South (Eng)

 
 

It's not often that two teams from the same club meet in the knockout phase of a eurofootballfives.com tournament, but when they do, it can go one of two ways — ultra-fierce or ultra-relaxed. Thankfully, this Easter Island FC v CF Fuego semi-final struck exactly the right balance. With both squads assembled for a stag weekend, there was plenty of friendly banter, but neither side was about to give an inch when a place in the Barcelona Fives Cup Final was on the line.

In statistical terms, this semi-final had the makings of a classic — the top-scoring team in the tournament (Easter Island FC) against the third-highest scorers (CF Fuego), and likewise, the best goal difference facing the third-best. It was not the goal frenzy we may have anticipated though. The first half was tightly contested, with both teams displaying strong defensive structure and the familiarity between them cancelling out any clear openings.

Easter Island were troubled at one point, with Joe Blackburn bullying Arthur Jebb off the ball, and using his electric pace to launch a counter-attack. Unfortunately for CF Fuego, and reflective of the game more broadly, despite all of their bluster, nothing came from it. The match was decided by a single, decisive moment, and it came courtesy of Ryan Smith, who struck what proved to be the only goal of the game. It was his second consecutive match on the scoresheet, and his finish carried huge weight — sending Easter Island FC into the final. For CF Fuego, it was a rare afternoon of frustration in front of goal. Their main marksman Ed Goggs, who had scored in every game up to this point, found himself shut out by a disciplined and determined Easter Island backline. The result underlined the defensive quality of the English side when they had to call upon those skills. Not only did Easter Island FC have the tournament's best attack but also demonstrated their ability to dig in and win ugly when required.

 
 
 

The second Cup Semi-Final brought together two teams at different stages of their eurofootballfives.com journeys — Sharks, seasoned campaigners with a rich pedigree in Barcelona, and Cream of the South, a side enjoying their best ever tournament performance. The Spanish outfit were appearing in the Cup for the fourth time in four tournaments, a Cup Semi-Final for the third time and aiming to make it a 100% success at this stage by reaching a third Cup Final - a remarkable record of consistency that underlined their quality.

Their experience showed early on as they settled quickly, dictating possession and tempo. Cream of the South, meanwhile, could take great pride in reaching this stage — their first ever Cup qualification — built on a platform of defensive resilience that had seen them keep three clean sheets, the most of any team in the competition. In a contest that was always going to be tight, given the two best defensive records in the tournament, there was very little between them. The game's only goal arrived in the first half, when Tomas Navarro struck decisively for Sharks. His well-taken finish was a reward for the Spanish side's patient build-up and control of territory.

Despite the narrow scoreline, Sharks had shown why they were statistically one of the best-balanced sides in the tournament — the second top scorers overall, boasting both the best defence and the second-best goal difference. Their ability to combine attacking quality with defensive assurance once again proved the winning formula.

Cream of the South refused to go quietly, and they kept the semi-final alive deep into the second half with a disciplined and spirited display. However, Sharks' experience in managing knockout games shone through, as they saw out the 1-0 victory with composure and control. Although Cream of the South fell just short of a place in the final, they could take immense pride in a performance that capped their most successful tournament to date — proving that their defensive foundation and team unity could compete with the very best. After today, they'll be looking forward to their pre-tour preview in advance of their next European appearance.

 
 
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For the 2025 Barcelona Sevens report click here.

For the 2025 Barcelona Veterans report click here.

For the 2025 Barcelona Super Veterans report click here.
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
   
 
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