FIFA BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP – BRAZIL SWEEP THE BOARD

RIO DE JANEIRO – Brazil have claimed the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup – Rio de Janeiro 2007 after an 8-2 win over tournament debutants Mexico at the Rio de Janeiro Beach Soccer Arena
earlier this week.

The victory placed the performance of Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) Beach Soccer champions Solomon Islands into perspective after Brazil and Mexico both qualified for the
knock-out stages after sharing a group alongside Russia and the Bilikiki Boys.

Last year Solomon Islands shared a group alongside Portugal, Uruguay and Cameroon with Portugal and Uruguay making it to the last four.

But it was Brazil who were the big winners at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Rio 2007. The hosts and title holders swept all before them, not only winning the tournament at a canter
but also coming away with all of the other trophies on offer. As a result, the award ceremony after the Final turned into a veritable procession of smiling Auriverde.

If the entire Brazilian squad dazzled, one star shone even brighter than the others. Buru was on top form from beginning to end and took home the awards for best player and top
scorer. He even had the pleasure of beating the winner of those two accolades last time around – Portugal’s Madjer – in the quarter-finals.

adidas Golden, Silver and Bronze Ball

adidas Bronze Ball : Morgan Plata (MEX)

The adidas Golden Ball, chosen by the media and awarded to the tournament’s star player, was awarded to Buru of Brazil. Despite the fact that he was surrounded by incredible players,
Buru stood out as the new king of the beach. “I am surprised I’ve won this title,” he said. “When you play alongside the likes of Benjamin, Junior Negao, Sidney and Bruno, you expect them to get
the award. I’m really touched by this, but the most important thing is the medal that I’ve got round my neck. We won this as a team.”

Portugal’s Madjer, the winner of the adidas Golden Ball at the past two FIFA World Cups, finished second in the voting. Even when his team were knocked out by Brazil in the
quarter-finals, Madjer was the star of the show, scoring five of Portugal’s seven goals. Madjer is capable of coming out with every trick in the book. He can dribble, shoot and has perfected the
bicycle kick, but was slightly out of sorts during the group stages.

Morgan Plata, who was third in the voting, was one of the main reasons behind Mexico’s excellent showing at the tournament. He came alive in the semi-final, scoring four of his
team’s five goals to help them into the Final.

adidas Golden, Silver and Bronze Shoe

adidas Bronze Shoe: Bruno (BRA)

Not content with winning the Golden Ball, Buru added the adidas Golden Shoe to his trophy cabinet after finishing the tournament as top scorer. The Brazilian notched a grand total of
ten goals, including a hat-trick, three braces and a goal in the Final. Mexico’s Plata finished with a runners-up medal and another two awards to take home as a souvenir of his time in Rio. Along
with the Bronze Ball, El Tri’s leading scorer won the Silver Shoe for his nine goals in the tournament.

The third top scorer was also involved in the Final, with Brazil’s Bruno finishing on eight goals and adding the Bronze Shoe to his winners’ medal. His brace in the Final drew him
level with Madjer, but the Brazilian edged ahead thanks to his two assists.

Some people are never satisfied. Brazil may have won the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, the adidas Golden Ball and the adidas Golden Shoe but they still wanted more! So to add to an already bulging
trophy cabinet, the defending champions also won the FIFA Fair Play award. Proving that you can play beautiful football and still respect the laws of the game, Alexandre Soares’ men were models of
fair play through the tournament and follow on from France, who won the award in 2006, and Japan in 2005.

Story courtesy FIFA.com