I spent the weekend shooting photos at the North American Sand Soccer Championship tournament in our new home town of Virginia Beach. Virginia Beach has a really strong soccer community and the combination of soccer and beach sand is a natural for this area. With over 1,000 teams, 11,000 players and coaches representing over 20 states and several foreign countries, this was a very exciting event.
The big action was in the Pro/Am stadium where 16 teams from around the US, Canada, Colombia, Netherlands, and Costa Rica, competed in the US Open division for a total purse of $25,000.00. I spent most of my time watching these pro teams put on a masterclass in how to play soccer.
This was my first time watching sand soccer and really my first time watching any live soccer match played at this professional level. Sand soccer is played on a much smaller pitch which means the teams have less space to work. The result is a very aggressive and fast paced game. The 4 fielded players on each time not only fight for opportunities to score, but they have to fight for space on the small field just to get into an advantageous position. Add in they are running on sand for three twelve minute periods in the full sun with only a few breaks for penalties, and you get an idea of the level of athleticism needed to be competitive.
In the end, the Maryzillians, a team of Brazilians from upstate Maryland took home the trophy beating Great Lakes Beach Soccer club 7 goals to 5.
