After placing second in Group C and qualifying for the KO stage of the competition, Malta had to win vs Scotland on Saturday to pass through to the Finals in Copenhagen.
The match was tense, with both teams hoping to capitalise on a mistake, but it ended 0-0, forcing extra time. Scotland scored and held on to a 1-0 lead after a costly error from Team Malta. Malta dominated possession throughout the two legs, but that defeat forced us to compete in the second chance bracket.
Hungary was the next team in the second chance bracket, and a win would give us two more chances to qualify for Copenhagen. After some spectacular plays, the boys showed incredible grit and desire to win the match 3-1.
We faced a massive battle on Sunday when we challenged Italy for a place in the FIFAe Nations Cup. The Azzurri passed their round by thrashing Bosnia and Herzegovina 7-1. We proved we were no pushovers by forcing the Italians to their limits with some excellent defending and forcing three halves to end 0-0. Unfortunately, it would be a replay of what happened against Scotland, where a costly error was the difference! As we attempted to equalise, Italy found another, and the game ended 2-0.
It all came down to the final match of the day, which pitted Malta against France, the reigning FIFAe Nations Cup champions. The French took an early lead thanks to a penalty kick, but our players rallied and scored two quick goals to make the score 2-1. Lukebartolo99 and Brandsha tried again and again to get another, but they couldn't hit the back of the net. The blues equalised after a counterattack from a huge Malta miss and held on for a 2-2 draw.
Again, it was 90 minutes of FIFA 22 football between Copenhagen and us, but we were caught sleeping early on, and France scored to make it 2-0. Team Malta pushed hard to get back into the game and scored twice. However, one of the goals was disallowed. France won the second match 2-1, putting an end to our hopes of making local Esports history!
Heartfelt congratulations to Luke "Lukebartolo99" Bartolo, Shaun "Brandsha" Galea and Michael Owen "xmizumt" Micallef, who, despite being minnows, showed courage and determination and got excellent results at this stage.