Finals lineup complete for Regions' Cup
Thursday, April 28, 2011
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The lineup for the UEFA Regions' Cup finals draw on 11 May is complete, with hosts Braga faced with teams from Germany, the Republic of Ireland, Serbia, the Czech Republic, Russia, Ukraine and Turkey.
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The lineup for the seventh UEFA Regions' Cup finals in northern Portugal has been completed, with the eight sides to be divided into two groups with the draw on 11 May.
Host side Braga, losing finalists in 2001, will hope to go a step better in 2011, with the tournament to run from 21 June until the final at the Estádio Cidade de Barcelos exactly a week later. The two group winners will progress to that showpiece.
German contenders Württemberg also have previous Regions' Cup pedigree, having hosted the 2003 final tournament, where they bowed out in the group stage. They impressed in qualifying with a 14-1 victory against Greek side Fthiodia, which included seven goals in the last ten-minutes, including an eight-minute Julian Schwarz hat-trick. That was important as Württemberg qualified on goal difference ahead of Gallega, who had hoped to keep the trophy in Spain after Castilla y León won in Croatia two years ago.
Ankara are the only side to have battled through from the preliminary round, making Turkey the 25th nation to be represented at the finals. South Region Russia's Sergei Lednev was the top scorer in qualifying with six goals. Ukraine's Yednyst Plysky averaged five goals a game in their intermediary round and did not concede, giving them the best goal difference in qualifying.
Serbian side Belgrade had the most unusual path to the finals. They won their qualifying group by the drawing of lots after they finished Group 5 with exactly the same record as hosts South-West Bulgaria. Leinster & Munster, meanwhile, will represent the Republic of Ireland, with Gerry Smith set to lead a side out at the finals for a fourth time.
Zlín Region completed the lineup by winning the final mini-tournament on home soil; they are the fourth Czech side to reach the finals and the first since 2005. Indeed, Zlín are the only finalists from a nation that has previously won the competition. Central Moravia's success as 2001 hosts against Braga ensured the Czech Republic of a place on a roll of honour that also includes Spain, Poland and Italy.
