The Phygital Games international competition has started in Kazan. On the first day of the phygital football tournament, four group-stage matches were held. Each game consisted of two parts — digital, in which the teams played against each other in a football simulator, and physical – a match of two halves of 5 minutes in a 5 on 5 format according to the rules of futsal. At the same time, all the goals scored at both stages are summed up.
Persian Gulf (Iran) – Penarol (Uruguay) – 6:4 (2:4 after the digital stage)
The first match of the tournament gave the audience a lot of bright emotions, beautiful goals and intrigue until the last seconds of the game. The Uruguayan team Penarol took a 4-2 lead after the digital part of the game, with all four goals scored by Lucas Temciuc. The Latin Americans had a few more good chances to increase the advantage, but Iran resisted. However, in the second half of the game, the physical stage, the Iranian team looked much better and deservedly won. They scored 4 unanswered goals. Ali Salek scored twice, and Emad Javadi struck the decisive blow. He also brought his team two goals in the digital part of the match.
“We had a great start to the game, but we didn’t expect Iran to be so good on the football pitch. We will draw conclusions and prepare for the next match. Overall, everything was fine. Everything happens in sports. I am dissatisfied with my play, I think my teammates also have something to improve,” said the goalkeeper of the Uruguayan team Brian Gambera.
“Our coach thoroughly studied the opponent, and we knew about their strengths and weaknesses. We knew that we were better than Uruguay on the football pitch, and they were more confident than us in the simulator. After the defeat in the digital part of the match, the professionalism of the players helped us. I would like to thank Russia for the invitation and organising a tournament like this. Everything is great, everything is amazing! We are very happy to be here,” Ali Salek shared his emotions.
3 Estrellas FC (Argentina) – Tatar Squad (Russia) — 6:5 (3:3 after the digital stage)
3 Estrellas team, made up of the leading players of the Argentine streamers league, admitted before the start of the tournament that it was the digital stage of the competition that worried them. Nevertheless, in the match against the hosts of the Games from Tatar Squad, they showed that they are good at controlling the console in the simulator. After Juan Sala’s double, the Argentines led 2-0, but they allowed Kirill Kim to even the score — 2:2. Ilya Protsky responded to Mateo Leszkiewicz’s goal with an exact bow, and before the teams played the second part of the match, on the scoreboard burned two threes — 3:3.
In the physical stage, the Tatar Squad team led the score twice, but one of the leaders of the 3 Estrellas, Franco Bartucci, scored two irresistible blows and brought his team a victory – 3:2 (6:5 in the sum of the two stages). Tatar Squad had a little more than a minute to recoup, but the Argentine goalkeeper Luciano Cedrola was more reliable than his colleague Ilya Protsky.
“I want to say that Ilya is engaged in swimming, he is not a football goalkeeper. But he has helped us out. Nothing terrible happened. The impressions of the match are great — the audience, the stands, the lighting. Everything is very cool. We were looking forward to the game with the Argentines. The atmosphere was amazing. What are the conclusions? You need to be calmer. A little more luck and composure — and everything will work out,” said Tatar Squad player Anton Bulyshev.
“I will not hide it — I was a little lucky when I scored the second goal. The goalkeeper of our opponents lost his position a little, and I just hit. 50 percent luck, 50 percent — my merit. I was pleasantly impressed by the level of our opponents. They have a very good team,” said Franco Bartucci, the hero of the match.
Obilić eSports (Serbia) – R10 TEAM (Brazil) — 6:11 (3:7 after the digital stage)
The Brazilian team named after the legendary footballer Ronaldinho has shown that it can be considered one of the main favourites of the tournament. Already at the 11th second of the digital match with Obilić eSports from Serbia, Silva opened the score with a beautiful blow, after which the balls fell one after another into the gates of their opponents. Da Silva scored a hat-trick, and Eduardinho scored with his heel!
But Obilić eSports did not give up and started the physical part of the match very confidently. The Serbian team scored two goals in a row and reduced the gap in the score to 5:7, but then the Brazilian goalkeeper Luan Teles played out. He saved his team several times, scored with a beautiful shot from the centre of the pitch and made two assists. Obilić eSports did not have an answer to such a goalkeeping feat, although its players fought and tried to even the score until the last seconds of the match.
“Luan is a fantastic player! He helped us a lot in this difficult moment of the match. His kick increased our confidence. I would also mention our guys who played in the digital part of the match. Sometimes it seems to me that they train too much — they do it so clearly during the game,” Marcellinho praised his goalkeeper.
“What can I say, the Brazilians are very strong. And we couldn’t imagine that their goalkeeper could hit like that. We didn’t build a defence when we needed to. But it was a pleasure to play against such a team. Brazilians are cool young guys. I am grateful to them for the game! The impressions of my first phygital football match are the most incredible. This is a new sport, a cool idea to combine football and a computer game. I hope we will see you in Belgrade and play phygital football there!” – said Saša Jovanović from Obilić eSports.
ROTOR (Volgograd, Russia) – PHOENIX (Moscow, Russia) — 13:6 (10:3 after the digital stage)
Roman Shishkin and Alexander Sheshukov became the first players of the Russian national team to participate in the Phygital Games, but their experience did not help Phoenix in the match with the Volgograd’s Rotor. After the first minutes of the digital part of the match, it became clear that the Volgograd players were very serious – before the break the score was 6:1. And after the line-up change, they continued to play just as brightly and effectively, setting a difficult task for the opponents.
Everything is possible in phygital football, even winning back 7 goals. But Rotor did not lose to Phoenix in the physical part of the match, and only at the end of the match allowed ex-Spartak player Vladislav Ryzhkov to reduce the gap in the score.
“The impressions are amazing! Everything is at the highest level. You can communicate with guys from other countries, watch games, train, eat in the same canteen. Everyone is seriously tuning in against us. You saw how the guys fought! Our experience and technique have not gone away, but still we are not the players we used to be. Today in digital not everything worked out, and in physical they could have done better… But we are newcomers. We will get used to it! The mood for the next match will be completely different. Now, in the locker room, I’ll “kick” the guys for a game like this. We must win tomorrow!” – noted the Phoenix football player Roman Shishkin.
“As I warned, Rotor is one of the favourites of the tournament. We were more fortunate in the digital part. Maybe we’re better prepared. Great feeling of playing on the same field with the guys from the Russian national team. I’ve never played football professionally, and this is a big event for me. And we also played a draw. And I could even score. It’s a pity they didn’t give me a pass,” Danil Generalov from Rotor shared his impressions.
On the second day of the Phygital Games, the group stage will end, according to the results of which the playoff pairs will be determined. The Tennis Academy will host 4 games.
- Persian Gulf (Iran) – R10 (Brazil)
- Penarol (Uruguay) – Obilic Esports (Serbia)
- Tres Estrellas (Argentina) – Rotor (Russia)
- Tatar Squad (Russia) – PHOENIX (Russia)
The entrance to the games of the tournament will be free, but to attend the matches you need to book seats on the website kassir.ru
