Lebanon squeak by Argentina
by George Akpayen 16 December 2012, 16:45
Surprise team of the 2012 Copa Lagos Beach Soccer Worldwide got their second win of the competition with a 5-4 win over Argentina on Sunday.
Lebanon started without their talisman, Haitham Fattal, who was suspended but Hussein Abdullah shouldered the goal-scoring responsibility netting a hat-trick.
As early as the second minute, German Spinelli's free kick was stopped by Mohammed Choukor before Abdullah put the Lebanese in front two minutes later with a spectacular finish for his first goal of Copa Lagos.
Facundo Minici and Santiago Hilaire came close to breaking the duck for Argentina but it was Abdullah who pounced on a loose ball to give Lebanon a two-nil lead inside five minutes.
And Argentina finally scored their first goal of Copa Lagos through Ezequiel Hilaire's free kick. It took the South Americans an hour and 17 minutes in the competition's third round of games to find the net.
Eight minutes into the first period, Mohamad Merhi's shot from the halfway line flew past Salgueiro and rattled the Argentine's crossbar.
A minute later, German Spinelli from an acute angle put Argentina level.
It was the turn of 19-year-old Dupiellet to score from all of 20 yards as Choukor could only palm into his goal to allow Argentina go in front for the first time.
But straight from kick-off Mohamad Halawi shot Lebanon back to 3-3 to bring the first period to a close.
The second period was bugged down as both teams went physical. Christian Cuevas stung the palms of Choukor twice in quick succession including an overhead kick.
But Mohamad Matar's right-footed strike which left Argentina goalkeeper, Cesar Mendoza, was the only difference of the second period as Lebanon went 4-3 ahead.
Minici's cute little back heel as early as two minutes into the final period put Argentina on level terms.
And Karim Mokdad thought he had scored after kicking the ball off Mendoza's hands to score but referee Ogunmuyiwa Jelili struck it off for an infringement.
But it was Lebanon's number 10, Abdullah who scored the winner and his third goal of the afternoon after wriggling clear from his marker to plant the ball into the corner to give the Asians a 5-4 win.
There was a finally drama as Minici ended the tournament with a red card for shoving Choukor in front of the referee.
