JINJIANG, China – The Autonomous University of Mexico State opened their account at the KELME 2019 FISU University World Cup - Football with a hard fought 1-0 win over Beijing Institute of Technology. Captain Wilson Graniolati was instrumental in defence, while Manuel Alejandro Lopez Palomares scored the winner in the 52nd minute, ensuring the Mexicans’ first win on the opening day of action at the pathbreaking tournament.
The match between one of the host nation’s teams and the Mexicans took place immediately after a colourful Opening Ceremony that officially signalled the start of the tournament. The ceremony was full of local flavour, traditional dance, martial arts and acrobatics and set the tone for the event which promises to be distinctive in more ways than one. Not only is it unique in pitting universities against each other, but it is also a first in holding full tournaments for men and women simultaneously.
Matches started earlier in the day, with all four men’s groups in action. Three of the matches were emphatic wins – for Paulista University of Brazil, University of Wollongong from Australia and the BorysGrinchenko Kyiv University who each won with a margin of 4 goals or more.
The marquee match of the day though, was the one between Autonomous University of Mexico State and Beijing Institute of Technology that followed immediately after the Opening Ceremony. The host nation team seemed to have taken the visitors by surprise at the start, as they went in with their attack mode on. Some spirited defence from Mexico in the first half saved them a few scares, including a superb save from Captain Wilson Graniolati in the 10th minute. For much of the first half, the pressure was constantly on the Mexicans but they went into half time at 0-0.
The game turner came in the 52nd minute through a set play goal from Manuel Alejandro Lopez Palomares, which was good enough to last till the end for a hard fought 1-0 win.
The second day of action will see all the eight women’s teams in action. The tournament continues until 1 December when the men’s finals will be played one day after the women’s title game.
Results
University of Malaga (ESP) 2 – 0 Julius Maximilians University of Wurzburg (GER)
Paulista University (BRA) 4 – 1 Myongji University (KOR)
University of Wollongong (AUS) 3 – 0 Taiyuan University of Technology (CHN)
BorysGrinchenko Kyiv University (UKR) 5 – 0 Intnl University of Language & Media (ITA)
Bangkok Thonburi University (THA) 5 – 0 Kotebe Metropolitan University (ETH)
Smolensk State Academy (RUS) 2 – 0 University of Split (CRO)
University of the Republic (URU) 1 – 0 Hohai University (CHN)
(Source: Tina Sharma Tiwari - FISU Press Officer)