The second edition of the Football 5’s World Championships, a tournament to crown the planet’s finest amateur five-a-side football team, takes place in Dubai next week. It was officially launched yesterday at Emirates Golf Club.
WHERE AND WHEN?
The three-day event takes place April 23-25, from 11am-9pm each day, at Sky Dive Dubai, The Palm. Admission is free for spectators.
GLOBAL EVENT
This year’s F5WC tournament has been increased to 48 teams, each representing a different country. To determine which side would wear their national colours in Dubai, each team embarked on a six-month qualifying campaign, with approximately 15,000 sides competing in England alone. In the United States, 28 states were represented. In all, more than one million players - aged 16 and above - registered to take part.
FORMAT
Matches begin midday Thursday 23, with 12 groups comprising four teams. The top two in each pool progress and are then ranked on points (1-24). Those ranked 1-8 go through to the last 16, while teams 9-24 play an eliminator to join the top eight. The final is set for 8pm on Saturday April 25. Each match, played on a 40mx20m pitch, lasts 20 minutes (10 minutes each half).
BEING THE BEST
Andy Gray, the former Scotland, Aston Villa and Everton striker and F5WC ambassador, said: “I’ve been with these 300-plus players who arrive here next week and they have just one ambition: to be the best. They’re coming to represent their country, which fortunately I’ve experienced as well. There’s no greater feeling if you’re a footballer or an athlete. It will mean the world to them.”
SPECIAL SKILLSET
“The beauty is we see so many different ways of playing 11-a-side football, and you’ll find the same next week,” Gray said. “The one thing I will guarantee is that in five-a-side football you’ll see more technical ability than on any football pitch anywhere. It’s condensed, the skill level has to be higher, and it has to happen more often. Five-a-side’s tight, confined and quick, and if you’re not sharp or up to speed you’ll get left behind.”
REIGNING CHAMPIONS
Teams from Europe, North America, South America, the Middle East and Asia will battle for the trophy, won last year by Denmark. The Danes defeated Jordan on penalties. Last year, two players were scouted by representatives from Manchester City and Chelsea, respectively. “I grew up playing five-a-side football on the streets of Glasgow and I was a late developer,” Gray said. “I was 17 before I got a chance to play professional football and some of these guys will be a similar age. So it’s never too late. We might just find a nugget, that one out of 350-odd footballers who might be special.”
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Result
UAE (S. Tagliabue 90 1') 1-2 Uzbekistan (Shokhruz Norkhonov 48', 86')
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
england euro squad
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Man Utd), Sam Johnstone (West Brom), Jordan Pickford (Everton)
Defenders: John Stones (Man City), Luke Shaw (Man Utd), Harry Maguire (Man Utd), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Kyle Walker (Man City), Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa), Reece James (Chelsea), Conor Coady (Wolves), Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Kieran Trippier (Atletico Madrid)
Midfielders: Mason Mount (Chelsea), Declan Rice (West Ham), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Kalvin Phillips (Leeds)
Forwards: Harry Kane (Tottenham), Marcus Rashford (Man Utd), Raheem Sterling (Man City), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Phil Foden (Man City), Jack Grealish (Aston Villa), Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
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Squid Game season two
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Match info
Newcastle United 1
Joselu (11')
Tottenham Hotspur 2
Vertonghen (8'), Alli (18')
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Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
ORDER OF PLAY ON SHOW COURTS
Centre Court - 4pm (UAE)
Gael Monfils (15) v Kyle Edmund
Karolina Pliskova (3) v Magdalena Rybarikova
Dusan Lajovic v Roger Federer (3)
Court 1 - 4pm
Adam Pavlasek v Novak Djokovic (2)
Dominic Thiem (8) v Gilles Simon
Angelique Kerber (1) v Kirsten Flipkens
Court 2 - 2.30pm
Grigor Dimitrov (13) v Marcos Baghdatis
Agnieszka Radwanska (9) v Christina McHale
Milos Raonic (6) v Mikhail Youzhny
Tsvetana Pironkova v Caroline Wozniacki (5)
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Match info:
Portugal 1
Ronaldo (4')
Morocco 0
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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