Yesterday, the blue-and-yellow team, which had already completed their main tournament task by securing a spot in the 2023 World Beach Games, lost to Spain (4:7) in the semifinal match. Today, however, the players coached by Mykola Kostenko faced Switzerland for third place.

The rivals had already met during the group stage of these competitions, and back then the Swiss were victorious (7:3). Today, our boys managed to take revenge.

In the first period, the teams exchanged goals. After Dmytro Voytenko's goal, opponents responded with a successful shot by Patrick Rüttermann.

At the beginning of the second 12-minute interval, Voytenko scored another goal and put Ukraine ahead. Five minutes later, Oleh Zborovsky increased our team's lead to 3:1.

In the third period, on the 26th minute, Oleksandr Korniychuk extended the gap to three goals; however, shortly after Tobias Steinemann managed to score back one goal. More than that, with half a minute remaining before the final whistle, Ariel reduced Ukraine's lead to the minimum. However, the Swiss could not achieve more—4:3 in favor of Mykola Kostenko’s team.

Thus, the Ukrainian team secured third place in the qualification for the 2023 World Beach Games. The tournament winner on Sicily will be determined in a match between Spain and Portugal later.

World Beach Games 2023. European Qualification. Men

04.09.2022

Semifinal for Third Place

Ukraine — Switzerland — 4:3

Goals: Voytenko (8, 13), Zborovsky (18), Korniychuk (26) — Rüttermann (9), Steinemann (28), Ariel (35).

Ukraine: Kovalenko, Nerush, I. Borsuk, A. Borsuk, Korniychuk, Glutsyk, Voytok, Shevrytsya, Voytenko, Zavorotnyy, Pashko, Levchenko, Zborovsky.

Final

Spain — Portugal — 6:2

World Beach Games 2023

They will take place in Indonesia, on Bali, from August 6 to 12, 2023. In the men's final tournament, 16 teams will compete, and in the women's—12. Until July 2, 2023, five continental qualification tournaments must be held, and the best teams will earn spots at the World Beach Games.

Distribution of places by continental confederations for men:

UEFA (Europe) — 5 teams;

CONMEBOL (South America) — 3 teams;

CAF (Africa) — 2 teams;

CONCACAF (North and Central America) — 2 teams;

AFC (Asia) and OFC (Oceania) — 2 teams.

Distribution of places by continental confederations for women:

UEFA (Europe) — 4 teams;

CONMEBOL (South America) — 2 teams;

CONCACAF (North and Central America) — 2 teams;

CAF (Africa) — 1 team;

AFC (Asia) and OFC (Oceania) — 1 team.

In addition, the men's and women's national teams of Indonesia will participate in the finals of the World Beach Games 2023 as hosts, along with one specially invited team that did not qualify through qualification tournaments.

If a national Olympic committee of any participant refuses or does not confirm their participation by July 2, 2023, then this place in the tournament will be given to the next highest-ranked team on the continent.

If no continental qualification tournament takes place until July 2, 2023, then for determining the participating teams, the world beach soccer ranking as of July 1, 2023, will be used.

We note that the current World Beach Games champions are Brazil (men) and Spain (women), who won their titles in Qatar in 2019.