The 2006 Euro Beach Soccer League – Last chance bracket, simply known as the Last chance bracket was an additional round of the 2006 Euro Beach Soccer League (EBSL) that was specially organised to determine the fifth and final European nation that would qualify for the 2006 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.[1]
Five berths were allocated to European teams in the 2006 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, four of which were filled when Portugal, Spain, Italy and Poland reached the semi-finals of the Superfinal.[2] This meant there was still one final berth at the World Cup to be filled. In order to decide which nation would get this fifth and final spot at the World Cup, BSWW decided the prospective nations would compete in a knockout tournament called the Last chance bracket, with the winner claiming the final World Cup ticket.
France won the event by beating Switzerland in the final and claimed the last remaining World Cup berth.[3]
Teams
This round of the 2006 EBSL was a distinctly separate and unique event from the regular structure of the league, but nevertheless related to the league since it involved inviting back all the teams previously knocked out of World Cup qualifying contention during this year's EBSL to compete in the event for a second chance at qualification, as well as four wild-card entries, as listed below.
From Division B
These nations finished in 5th through 9th in Division B, failing to qualify for Division A
The success of teams in this season's EBSL also affected what round the nations began their last chance bracket campaign's in as follows:
With the least credentials, the four wild cards and four Division B teams who failed to qualify into Division A, were drawn against each other and started in the first round.
With the most credentials, the two Division A nations who failed to make the Superfinal, and the two who were knocked out in the group stage of the Superfinal, received a bye in the first round, and entered straight into the quarter-finals
1 No qualifiers took place as the representatives were selected by the confederation. 2 CONCACAF and CONMEBOL held a joint championship for qualification. 3 Qualification was achieved through the Euro Beach Soccer League. (p) This indicates an additional play-off round, supplement to the main qualification event.