2017 Budapest Fives 5-a-side Football Tournament Tour Report Cup Semi Finals

Results

Red Light Runners (Ire)	0	V	3	JUBI Titans (Hun)
Paralytic Athletic (Eng)	0	v	0*	Budapest Celtic Hoops (Hun)
* Budapest Celtic Hoops (Hun) won 2-0 on penalties.

We were at the 2017 Budapest Fives Cup Semi-Final stage and from 18 teams who started the day we were down to the final 4. We had quite a line up with 3 previous winners and a Cup Semi-Finalist amongst the contenders.

Up first were JUBI Titans versus Red Light Runners. As we've mentioned before JUBI Titans were technically on debut but featured the nucleus of last year's Meglepetes winning squad. They had started slowly but were now in a rich vein of form. They claimed the scalp of 2016 Krakow Trophy winners Tinniedad & Tobacco in the previous round. They now came up against the 2008 Krakow Trophy winners – Red Light Runners.

Red Light Runners were the stand out team in the group phase. A 5-0 Quarter-Final win (joint biggest win of the tournament) combined with exits for Meglepetes, Spider Mans & Majestic Eagle and Tinniedad & Tobacco in the last round no doubt enhanced their reputation as tournament favourites. They had a 100% success rate in Cup Semi-Finals in our tournaments and were bidding to reach a third Cup Final.

It was JUBI Titans who broke the deadlock once the match got underway. Barnabas Kantor was the man with the goal. He scored 3 goals at the 2016 Budapest Fives and this strike took his tally today to 6. The second half kicked off at 1-0 and was still anyone's game. The second goal of the game really swung momentum in favour of the Hungarian side. Tamas Kovacs claimed it for JUBI Titans and at 2-0 the writing was on the cards for Red Light Runners.

It was always going to be tough for the Irish team from here – they needed to chase the game for goals and there was always the possibility they would leave the back door open. JUBI Titans held firm in defence and then grabbed a third (through Szabolcs Szaman) to kill off the tie. Final score, 3-0.

Red Light Runners had only conceded twice in 6 games before this Semi-Final but they found JUBI Titans in potent form in front of goal. As it was they still ended the tournament as top goalscorers and with the best goal difference on the day. They also had the two top individual scorers. That maybe provided some consolation for Stephen Doherty who added the 2017 Budapest Fives Top Goalscorer trophy to the one he won at the 2008 Barca Fives.

So, who would take their place in the Final from the second Semi-Final? The two teams set to do battle were Paralytic Athletic against Budapest Celtic Hoops?

Paralytic Athletic had reached this stage finishing second in their group (on goal difference) and then dumping out defending champions Meglepetes on penalties. In normal time, they had 3 wins and 3 draws under their belts and remained unbeaten. They kept 4 clean sheets in their first 4 games so had a strong defensive unit. They had scored 7 goals today with Alexander Wood leading the way on 4.

Budapest Celtic Hoops had a record of 3 wins, 2 draws and 1 defeat. They had scored 9 goals and conceded 6 along the way. They also finished second in their group and secured a great comeback win in the Quarter-Finals over Spider Mans & Majestic Eagle.

This game proved to be as tight as they come. The first half came and went with no score. The second half came and went still with no score. The 0-0 full-time result meant that a penalty shoot-out would be required to settle this one. Paralytic Athletic were no strangers to penalty shoot-outs. This would be their third shoot-out in 4 eurofootballfives.com knock-out games. Of the previous two, they had a 50% success rate (1 out of 2). That 1 success was today though so they would be feeling confident.

Budapest Celtic had so far been involved in 10 penalty shoot-outs in our tournament – 5 wins, 5 defeats in all competitions. At home in Budapest their record was a little better with 4 wins and 2 defeats. It would be Budapest Celtic Hoops to take the first penalty here.

Alberto Segantini was the man to step up to the penalty spot. He shaped to go to Joe Walker's left but struck it into the bottom right corner for 1-0. Alexander Wood was first up for Paralytic Athletic. He had scored in the QF shoot-out but here he scuffed his penalty wide and it was advantage Celtic. Daniel Harasztos rammed home that advantage to make it 2-0 as he slotted the ball to the goalkeeper's bottom left hand corner. It meant Edward Sharp had to score to keep his team in it but sadly for him and his team his penalty went over the bar.

Paralytic Athletic were out in a Cup Semi-Final on penalties for the second successive year. We hope they will join us on tour again and it will be third time lucky for reaching a first Cup Final.

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