DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (Feb. 17, 2024) – Trailing 2-0 at the start of the third period, the U.S. Men’s Beach Soccer National Team utilized goals from veterans Chris Toth and Alessandro Canale to force extra time, but conceded the game winner in heart breaking fashion with just two seconds remaining to fall 3-2 to hosts United Arab Emirates in its second match of the 2024 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup. With the result, the USA will close out its participation at the 2024 World Cup when it takes on Egypt in its group stage finale on Monday, Feb. 19.
“I’m very proud of the guys because they left everything on the field,” said U.S. Men’s Beach Soccer National Team head coach Francis Farberoff. “UAE are the hosts and they’ve been training together for months in preparation for this moment. We played a strong match at the same level with a very good team, but the end result is unfortunate.
“The players worked so hard to get here, and they make a ton of sacrifice in their lives in order to represent this country. We showed that we belong at this stage and we will use it as motivation to improve, qualify and play at the World Cup next year in Seychelles. In the short term, we still have a match to play, and we have a goal of leaving Dubai with a win on Monday against Egypt.”
Playing the host nation for the fourth-straight World Cup, the USA did well to handle the intensity of the home crowd and played evenly with UAE through a scoreless first period. Making his record 99th Beach MNT appearance, goalkeeper Chris Toth and his UAE counterpart Humaid Jamal were both involved throughout the first frame.
Toth, who made 18 saves on the night, created the best U.S. chance of the period, when at 7:18, he stepped to midfielder and hit a whipping volley from 30 yards that Jamal punched away. Back at the other end, the U.S. goalkeeper did well to save Waleed Beshr’s volley at the near post with 3:29 remaining in the first, keeping it scoreless going into the break.
UAE broke through just over three minutes into the second period. Jamal started the play with a simple pass to the right, and his cross from midfield and a cross from midfield found Rashed Eid who dove to tuck home a header at the back post at 8:44.
The hosts tested Toth two more times before the end of the second, with substitute ‘keeper Mohamed Aljasmi stepping forward with a long hit that the American netminder had to tip over the bar at 3:40. A minute later, forward Conner Rezende was dispossessed and UAE’s Ali Mohammad went down the middle and curled a shot that Toth fully extended to tip wide.
UAE got another with just 50 seconds left in the period. With Eid down on the ground after a play, he subbed off for Abdulla Abbas. A short throw found the sub, who hit a solid bike to the back post to give the hosts a 2-0 lead going into the third.
Undeterred by the two-goal deficit, the U.S. fought back valiantly from the beginning of the third period. At 11:30, striker Gabe Silveira stole the ball, and drew a defender in before flicking back to Canale whose close-range shot was saved by the outstretched Jamal. Seconds later, Canale’s corner found Silveira in front of goal, and the ‘keeper made another close-range save.
With UAE content to sit back and absorb pressure, the USA broke through with 9:15 remaining. Nico Perea, who played the entire third period and all of extra time, received a goal kick from Toth, before playing it back to the ‘keeper. When no one came up to pressure him, Toth hit a hard volley from 30 yards out that skipped inside the left post. The goal was the 17th of Toth’s international career and second in the Beach Soccer World Cup, after finding the back of the net against Japan in 2019.
At 6:27, Toth hit another long-range volley that dipped before being punched away again by Jamal. Back at the other end, the ‘keeper kept the USA in the game with another important stop, diving to save Ali Mohammad’s shot at the right post with 2:07 remaining.
With the game at a furious pace, the USA finally pulled level with 47 seconds remaining in regulation. Chris Albiston’s corner from the right found Canale with a diving header at the back post. The goal was Canale’s 10th at the World Cup, pushing him past Ben Chimienti for the most by a USBMNT player in the tournament all-time.
In the extra frame, Toth twice kept the USA in the match with heroic stops. When Ali Mohammed had an open look at the right at 2:03, Toth came of his line to smother effort. With one minute remaining, Jamal’s throw found Abbas at the right post, but the U.S. ‘keeper denied his effort.
With the match looking destined for penalties, disaster struck with just two seconds remaining, as the ball came back for Toth who juggled it and went to hit a volley on goal, only to have Ali Mohammad deflect it away mid-air and finish into the back of the net.
“Chris has been our captain and leader in this tournament, he has played an amazing tournament and the play at the end was unfortunate,” Farberoff said of Toth. “We can’t ask him to do everything. He scored a goal, he had multiple challenging saves and kept us in it throughout the match. We know the quality Chris brings to this team. He’s our captain here and he will rebound in the next game and end this tournament on a high note.
Sitting third in Group A, the USA will close out the 2024 Beach Soccer World Cup against Egypt in the group finale on Monday, Feb. 19 (6:30 a.m. ET; FS2, Universo).
With his third period goal, Alessandro Canale became the first U.S. player to score at four Beach Soccer World Cups, and also moved past Anthony Chimienti for the all-time U.S. lead in scoring at the World Cup with 10 goals.
Canale also earned his 11th World Cup cap, moving him into a tie with Francis Farberoff for most in USBMNT history.
Earning his 99th cap tonight, goalkeeper Chris Toth made 18 saves, scored his 17th career international goal and second at the Beach Soccer World Cup, having tallied against Japan at the 2019 edition.
Becoming just the 10th USBMNT player to earn 50 caps, Chris Albiston recorded his eighth career assist and first in World Cup play.
The USA is now an even 3-3 in six all-time meetings with United Arab Emirates.
The result sees the USA move to 3-16 all-time at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.
Match: United States Beach Men’s National Team vs. United Arab Emirates
Date: February 17, 2024
Competition: 2024 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup – Group A
Venue: Design District Stadium; Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Attendance: 3127
Kickoff: 10:30 a.m. ET (7:30 p.m. local time)
Weather: 76 degrees, clear
Scoring Summary: 1 2 3 ET FT
USA 0 2 0 0 2
UAE 0 0 2 1 3
UAE – Rashed Eid (Waleed Beshr) 8’44” (2nd Period)
UAE - Abdulla Abbas (Abbas Ali) 6’23” (2nd Period)
USA - Chris Toth (Nico Perea) 9’15” (3rd Period)
USA - Alessandro Canale (Chris Albiston) :47” (3rd Period)
UAE - Ali Mohammad :02” (Extra Time)
Lineups:
USA: 1-Chris Toth (Capt.); 5-Nico Perea, 8-Conner Rezende, 10-Gabe Silveira, 11-Chris Albiston
Substitutes: 2-Tanner Akol, 3-Antonio Chavez, 4-Ricardo Carvalho, 6-Cody Valcarcel, 7-Andres Navas, 9-Alessandro Canale
Did not play: 12-Austin Collier
Head coach: Francis Farberoff
UAE: 12-Humaid Jamal, 4-Waleed Beshr, 7-Ahmad Malahi, 8-Ali Mohammad, 9-Abdulla Abbas
Substitutes: 1-Mohamed Al Bahri, 2-Haitham Mohamed, 5-Abbas Ali, 6-Kamal Ali, 10-Walid Mohammad, 11-Rashed Eid
Suspended: 3-Ahmed Beshr
Head coach: Victor Vasques
Misconduct Summary:
UAE – Ali Mohammad (caution) 6:23 (Second Period)
USA - Gabriel Silveira (caution) 9:15 (Third)
USA - Ricardo Carvalho (caution) 6:42 (Third)
UAE - Abdulla Abbas (caution) 6:14 (Third)
UAE - Walid Mohammad (caution) 3:41 (Third)
Officials:
Referee: Vladmir Tashkov (BUL)
Second Referee: Sergio Soares (POR)
3rd Referee: Aurelien Planchais-Godefroy (TAH)
4th Referee: Mariano Romo (ARG)
Timekeeper: Said Hachim (MAD)