Gauci maintains positive streak with Greek double

As the Malta Table Football Sports Association (MTFSA), buoyed by its national team’s triumph at the World Cup, prepares for the start of the new season, Mark Gauci maintained his successful streak after clinching two important titles.

Gauci, the captain of the national team, won the International Open of Greece both individually and also with his new team from Athens, Atlas TFC.

Last season, Gauci, Derek Conti and Samuel Bartolo played for Serie A team CCT Roma. In the last transfer window, Gauci and Conti left CCT Roma to join Atlas. Conti had spent eight seasons with the Italian side.

The International Open of Greece was the first competition on the FISTF 2010/11 calendar.

Gauci had an impressive run to the final. In the last 16, he obtained a 6-2 victory over Adrianos Dervis.

In the quarter-finals, the Maltese player knocked out one of the best players of Falcons, another top Greek team. Gauci won 3-2.

In the semi-finals, Gauci faced Atlas team-mate Nikos Beis and won 2-1 to book his place in the final. Spyros Hatzaras, of Falcons, was Gauci’s opponent in the final. Hatzaras took a 3-0 lead inside the opening 10 minutes but Gauci gained a lifeline by pulling one back late in the first half.

The second half was dominated by Gauci who scored twice to level matters. He missed two clear chances to seal the title but still had the final say in the penalty shoot-out.

Conti made it to the quarter-finals of the Greece International Open where he lost to Giannis Dakas on golden goal after the match ended 3-3.

In the teams’ category, the favourites were Atlas and Falcons, the latter having dominated the scene in recent years. The draw placed the two teams in Group A in the qualifying round.

Atlas beat Falcons 3-1 but both qualified for the next round. They went on to reach the final. Balance prevailed as the match ended in a draw with shots needed to determine the winner.

The team captains, who had met in the individual final the day before, took the shots with Gauci again having the better of Hatzaras to hand Atlas the title.