Switzerland was the first to hit up with a long distance shot who surprised the Italians and only after equalizing with a penalty, Italy seemed to regain the strenght, concentration and energy needed to take the lead. Another long distance shot and Switzerland equalized, but Motaran hitten up and the first time finished 2 - 3 for Italy. In the second time Italian team was clearly stronger and in vain Switzerland tried to get back on the game: the goal by Greimel that moved the score to 5-3 was not enough to reopen the match.
Thrilling match between France and Portugal with a 40 minutes of pure energy! The Portuguese team won, but it was France the one who scored first and the match was not easy at all for the men of Luis Senica. France defended neatly by closing to the Portuguese counterattack and showing interesting technical potential, thinking on the young age of the team. At the end of the match both the Portuguese and French coach, Senica and Savreux, declared to be satisfied by the result:
due to the consciousness of having ride out an insidious obstacle to the title, for Portugal, and to the feeling that the podium could be reached for real, on France side.
SWITZERLAND-ITALY 3-7
TEAM FAULTS: 9-10
SCORERS: 1st half: 5.01 Kissling, 6.22 Tataranni (penalty), 11.33 Tataranni, 14.45 Imhof, 17.59 Motaran. 2nd half: 1.15 Tataranni, 7.02 Illuzzi (penalty), 10.59 Greimel, 13.10 Cocco, 17.51 Tataranni.
CARDS: 2nd half 19.34 2' Matter
SWITZERLAND: Jean-Pierre Vizio, Kevin Gmur, Michel Matter, Andrea Grassi, Patrik Muller, Patrick Greimel, Pascal Kissling, Joshua Imhof, Marzio Vanina, Guillaume Oberson. Coach: Mateo De Ramon Vilella.
ITALY: Leonardo Barozzi, Davide Motaran, Leonardo Squeo, Federico Ambrosio, Massimo Tataranni, Domenico Illuzzi, Alessandro Verona, Marco Pagnini, Mattia Cocco, Riccardo Gnata. Coach: Massimo Mariotti.
REFEREES: Rui Torres and Miguel Guilherme (Portugal). 3rd referee: Frank Schaefer (Germany).
STARTING FIVE
SWITZERLAND:Oberson, Vanina, Greimel, Imhof, Kissling.
ITALY: Barozzi, Motaran, Ambrosio, Illuzzi, Tataranni.
FRANCE-PORTUGAL 1-3
TEAM FAULTS: 8-10
SCORERS: 7.25 Di Benedetto (direct), 15.58 Viana (penalty), 18.48 Alves. 2nd half: 1.43 Rafael
CARDS: 1st half 12.02 2' A.Le Roux, 19.14 2' Alves. 2nd half 5.40 2' M.Le Roux
FRANCE: Alan Audelin, Mathieu Le Roux, Wilfried Roux, Anthony Le Roux, Cirilo Garcia, Corentin Turluer, Corentin Le Polodec, Florent David, Carlo Di Benedetto, Xavier Tanguy. Coach: Fabien Savreux.
PORTUGAL: Angelo Girao, Valter Neves, Gonçalo Alves, Diogo Rafael, Hélder Nunes, Luis Viana, Ricardo Barreiros, Jorge Silva, João Rodrigues, Jorge Correia. Coach: Luis Senica.
REFEREES: Oscar Valverde and Francisco Garcia (Spain). 3rd referee: Alessandro Eccelsi (Italy).
STARTING FIVE
FRANCE: Tanguy, M.Le Roux, David, Roux, Di Benedetto
PORTUGAL: Girao, Neves, Rafael, Barreiros, Silva
TODAY RESULTS
Switzerland - Italy 3-7
France - Portugal 1-3
STANDING: Spain, Italy and Portugal 3 points, France, Switzerland and Germany 0 points.
TOMORROW SCHEDULE
6.30 PM Italy - Germany (live on Raisport 2 and FIRS Web TV firs.rollersports.tv)
8.00 PM Portugal - Switzerland (live on RTP 2 and FIRS Web TV firs.rollersports.tv)
9.30 PM Spain - France (live on Teledeport and FIRS Web TV firs.rollersports.tv)