The host, Russia, and Japan, both semifinalists two years ago, will play the beach soccer World Cup final on Sunday after defeating Switzerland and Senegal, respectively.

The Russians came back and beat the Swiss to penalties after regulation time ended in a draw (5-5), while the Japanese got rid of the Africans with more difficulties than indicated by the final score (5-2).

With a pavilion full of Russian fans, the Slavs took the lead after five minutes with goals from Krasheninnikov and Nikonorov (2-0). The Helvetians cut through Ott before the end of the first set (2-1).

In the second period, the Russian Kotenev scored first, but the Swiss took control of the game and the scoreboard with three goals in five minutes from Hodel (2) and Stankovic (4-3).

A penalty goal from Hodel after half an hour seemed to put the finishing touches on the locals, but they did not give up. Nikonorov and Shkarin sealed the tie in the final minutes (5-5).

Penalties handed down the sentence. The role of baddie in the film fell to Steinemann, who missed his team’s second pitch. The Russian pitchers did not miss a single maximum penalty.

In this way, the Russians return to a World Cup final, something that had not happened since 2013, when they won their second title by defeating Spain in the final.

Japan only managed to open the Senegalese penalty lock in the quarter hour after a goalless first half. Thus ended the second set (1-0). The Africans tied at the start of the third period, but within two minutes the Asians scored three goals and secured the victory.

The Senegalese closed the gap with five minutes to go, but the Japanese put the finishing touches a few seconds later and qualified for their first final (5-2).

On Sunday, Russians and Japanese will compete for the title, while the match for third and fourth places will face Senegalese and Swiss, the revelation teams of the World Cup tournament.

The current champion, Portugal, fell in the first phase, while Brazil, which has fourteen wound, was dismounted in the quarterfinals by Senegal.

Spain also fell in the quarterfinals against the Russians (4-2) and Uruguay was crushed in the same phase by Switzerland (10-1). El Salvador and Paraguay did not pass the group stage.

The World Cup is held in the Festival Square, which is located in front of the Luzhnikí Olympic Stadium, where the final of the 2018 World Cup in Russia was played between France and Croatia (4-2).

FIFA has managed the World Cup since 2005, although the first tournament was played in 1995 in Rio de Janeiro. Since 2009 this World Cup has been played every two years.

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