U.S. Beach Men’s National Team falls to Russia in FIFA Beach World Cup opener

MOSCOW – The U.S. Beach Soccer Men’s National Team came up just short in its opening match of 2021 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, falling to the Football Union of Russia 5-4 in added extra time at the Luzhniki Beach Soccer Stadium.

Braces from Alessandro Canale and Nicolas Perea helped the USA come back from a two-goal deficit in the third period to send the match to overtime. However the host took the points on a well-placed free kick with just 13 seconds left in the extra period.

Canale became the first USA player to score two goals in a game in three Beach Soccer World Cups. His three multi-goal World Cup games are a team record and his six career World Cup goals bring him to within one of scoring co-leaders Anthony Chimiente, current assistant coach Ben Astorga and current teammate Nick Perera. Nicolas Perea is the 21st U.S. player to score a Beach Soccer World Cup goal, and eighth to score two or more in a game.

Head coach Francis Farberoff went with experience for the first shift, starting three-time World Cup veterans Chris Toth, Nick Perera and Canale. They were joined by 2019 World Cup veteran Jason Santos and experienced pro Nicolas Perea. The five responded with all four goals and three assists.

The USA threw the first figurative punch in a see-saw match. Not long after Toth clanked a shot off the crossbar, Perea blasted in a goal from a tight angle to put the USA ahead. The Football Union of Russia leveled just before the break on a contested shot by Boris Nikonorov that found its way past Toth into the back of the net.

The second period also started brightly for the USA when Canale put away a penalty kick, but Football Union of Russia scored three unanswered on a direct free kick by Anton Shkarin and back-door headers from Boris Nikonorov and Andrei Novikov.

Canale brought the USA back to a one-goal deficit on a nice play at the far post from Nick Perera’s second assist on the night, and Nicolas Perea made it even on a header at the back post from Santos’s quick throw-in.

Seconds away from penalty kicks, Football Union of Russia’s Aleksey Makarov placed a freekick to the lower right from 18 yards out to secure the two points for victory in added time.

The USA now prepares to face Japan on Saturday, August 21 before closing out group play against Paraguay on August 23.

-U.S. BEACH MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT-

Match: United States Beach Men’s National Team vs. Football Union of Russia
Date: August 19, 2021
Competition: 2021 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup – Group A
Venue: Luzhniki Beach Soccer Stadium; Moscow, Russia
Attendance: 2000
Kickoff: 1:30 p.m. ET (8:30 p.m. local time)
Weather: 75 degrees; clear

Scoring Summary: 1 2 3 AET F
USA 1 1 2 0 4
RFU 1 3 0 1 5

USA – Nicolas Perea (Nick Perera) 10’32” (1st Period)
RFU – Boris Nikonorov 00’21” (1st)
USA – Alessandro Canale (PK) 9’41” (2nd)
RFU – Anton Shkarin 7’20” (2nd)
RFU – Boris Nikonorov 4’07” (2nd)
RFU – Andrei Novikov 3’43” (2nd)
USA – Alessandro Canale (Nick Perera) 11’22” (3rd )
USA – Nicolas Perea (Jason Santos) 4’18” (1st )
RFU – Aleksey Makarov 00’13” (AET)

Lineups:

USA: 1-Chris Toth, 5-Nicolas Perea, 6-Jason Santos, 7-Nick Perera (Captain), 9-Alessandro Canale

Substitutes: 12-Estaban Sapetnitzky, 3-David Mondragon, 8-Lucas Roque, 10-Gabriel Silveira, 13-Fredo Dilbert, 14-Conner Rezende

Alternates: 4-Tanner Akol, 11-Xavier Snaer-Williams

Head coach: Francis Farberoff

RFU: 1-Maksim Chuzhkov, 2-Andrei Novikov, 4-Aleksey Makarov, 7-Anton Shkarin (Captain)

Substitutes: 13-Stanislav Kosharnyi, 3-Kirill Romanov, 5-Yury Krash, 6-Dmitrii Shishin, 8-Ostap Fedorov, 9-Boris Nikonorov, 10-Artur Paporotnyi

Alternates: 12-Denis Parkhomenko, 14-Andrey Kotenev

Head coach: Mikhail Likhachev

Misconduct Summary:
RFU – Varvara Bychkova (caution 6’ (3rd)
USA – Lauren Leslie (caution) 8’ (3rd)

Officials:
Referee: Lucas Estevao (BRA)
Second Referee: Hamdi Bchir (TUN)
3rd Referee: Mariano Romo (ARG)
Timekeeper: Micke Palomino (PER)