Beach MNT Earns First Win Under Marcelo Mendes In Third Place Effort At Acapulco Beach Soccer Cup
Beach MNT Deepens Player Pool in Tough Tests During Spring Tournaments
Continuing in its effort to deepen the player pool under new head coach Marcelo Mendes, the U.S. Men’s Beach Soccer National Team finished third at the 2026 Acapulco Cup, played from April 9-11 in Acapulco, Mexico.
The tournament took place just a few weeks after the side also featured at the Paraiba World Beach Games in Joao Pessoa, Brazil, with both competitions providing the Beach MNT with top-level opposition as the team played six matches, including five against opponents who qualified for the 2025 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.
In the two competitions, the U.S. competed with 13 different players, including five players with five or fewer caps at the start of the year, allowing coach Mendes to get a deep look at his player pool. The two competitions also saw the USA play without a number of regulars, including past Beach Soccer Players of the Year Ricardo Carvalho (2025), Nico Perea (2021, 2022) and Gabe Silveira (2023).
Things remained challenging for the Beach MNT in Acapulco as it fell 8-2 a Portugal side that finished third at the last World Cup in Seychelles. The USA got on the score sheet through Sasha Karlov, who tallied his first international goal midway through the second period, and captain Alessandro Canale, who bagged his 75th career international goal with a minute left in the match.
Facing Mexico on Matchday Two, the USA rebounded with a thrilling 6-5 comeback win against its regional rival. Canale, who made his 106th appearance to take over the Beach MNT’s all-time caps lead, opened the scoring, tallying his 76th career goal and after Mexico equalized, Antonio Chavez hit home a rebound with 30 seconds remaining in the first to send the USA into the break up 2-1.
A Tanner Akol free kick gave the USA a 3-1 lead three minutes into the second period, but Mexico responded with three straight goals to take a 4-3 advantage into the second intermission.
The USA hit back immediately on the opening kickoff of the third period as Chavez laid a ball for Andres Navas to power into the top right corner for the equalizer. Forty seconds later came a sensational team goal where each field player got a direct touch before Navas flicked forward to Chavez who back heeled his effort home to put the USA ahead 5-4.
Mexico equalized through Cristo Castillo with under two minutes remaining, but the USA got the winner from Fredo Dilbert who received the ball on the left and cut into the middle before blasting a right-footed effort into the top right corner with just over a minute left.
The victory marked the first for the team under head coach Marcelo Mendes, was the Beach MNT’s third-straight win against Mexico and improved the side’s all-time record against Mexico to 9-12.
The USA closed out the tournament with a difficult 9-0 defeat to Paraguay on Matchday Three, but still claimed third place in the Acapulco Beach Soccer Cup, learning lessons to build from as the team continues to work towards qualification for the 2027 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.
Below are match reports from all three games.
Match: United States Beach Soccer Men’s National Team vs. Portugal
Date: April 9, 2026
Competition: Acapulco Beach Soccer Cup
Venue: Arena GNP Seguros; Acapulco, Mexico
Attendance: -
Kickoff: 8:30 p.m. ET
Weather: 90 degrees
| Scoring Summary | 1 | 2 | 3 | F |
| USA | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| POR | 3 | 3 | 2 | 8 |
| POR - Rúben Brilhante | 8:06 (1st) |
| POR - Rúben Brilhante | 7:49 |
| POR - Leo Martins | 2:11 |
| POR - Leo Martins | 10:59 (2nd) |
| USA - Sasha Karlov (Cody Valcarcel) | 6:13 |
| POR - Bé Martins | 3:49 |
| POR - Miguel Pintado | :13 |
| POR - Bernardo | 6:39 (3rd) |
| POR - Bernardo | 1:24 |
| USA - Alessandro Canale (Andres Navas) | :59 |
Lineups:
USA: 1-Austin Collier, 2-Tanner Akol, 4-Fredo Dilbert, 8-Andres Navas, 11-Alvaro Franco
Substitutes: 12-Andres Diaz, 21-Brian Shushkovsky, 3-Antonio Chavez, 5-Sasha Karlov, 6-Cody Valcarcel, 7-Matthew Citron, 9-Alessandro Canale (Captain)
Head coach: Marcelo Mendes
POR: 1-Pedro Mano, 2-Rui Coimbra (Captain), 8-Bernardo Lopez, 10-Bé Martins, 11-Leo Martins
Substitutes: 3-Andre Lourenço, 4-Tim (Felipe Santos), 6-Rodrigo Pinhal, 7-Rúben Brilhante, 9-Miguel Pintado, 12-Diogo Dias, 18-Duarte Algarvio
Head coach: Bruno Torres
Misconduct Summary:
None
Officials:
1st Referee: Mario Alberto Nava (MEX)
2nd Referee: Ignacio Gongora Ga (MEX)
3rd Referee: Julio Josué Ramos (SLV)
Timekeeper: Alexander Rafoso (CUB)
Match: United States Beach Soccer Men’s National Team vs. Mexico
Date: April 10, 2026
Competition: Acapulco Beach Soccer Cup
Venue: Arena GNP Seguros; Acapulco, Mexico
Attendance: -
Kickoff: 11:30 p.m. ET
Weather: 81 degrees
| Scoring Summary | 1 | 2 | 3 | F |
| USA | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| MEX | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| USA - Alessandro Canale (Cody Valcarcel) | 3:58 (1st) |
| MEX - Ramon Maldonado | 2:05 |
| USA - Antonio Chavez | :32 |
| USA - Tanner Akol (freekick) | 9:02 (2nd) |
| MEX - Jose Vizcarra | 7:24 |
| MEX - Ramon Maldonado | 4:30 |
| MEX - Antonio Echeverría | 3:22 |
| USA - Andres Navas (Antonio Chavez) | 11:58 (3rd) |
| USA - Antonio Chavez (Andres Navas) | 11:19 |
| MEX - Cristo Castillo (freekick) | 1:51 |
| USA - Fredo Dilbert (Andres Navas) | 1:08 |
Lineups:
USA: 21-Brian Shushkovsky, 2-Tanner Akol, 3-Antonio Chavez, 5-Sasha Karlov, 11-Alvaro Franco
Substitutes: 4-Fredo Dilbert, 6-Cody Valcarcel, 8-Andres Navas, 9-Alessandro Canale (Captain)
Subs Not Use: 1-Austin Collier, 12-Andres Diaz, 7-Matthew Citron
Head coach: Marcelo Mendes
MEX: 12-Antonio Echeverría, 3-Juan Carlos Morales, 5-Cesar Cruz, 7-Ramon Maldonado (Captain), 10-Jose Vizcarra
Substitutes: 1-Jeancob Ramirez, 2-Alejandro Garcia, 4-Edgar Portilla, 6-Hector Acevedo, 8-Erick Samano, 9-Cristo Castillo, 11-Enoch Lopez
Head coach: Gabriel Alejandro Macias Cabrera
Misconduct Summary:
MEX - Antonio Echeverría (caution) 5:42 (2nd)
USA - Alvaro Franco (caution) :22 (3rd)
Officials:
1st Referee Jorge Tunon Moran (PAN)
2nd Referee Jonathan Josue Her (CRC)
3rd Referee Ignacio Gongora Ga (MEX)
Timekeeper Daniel Misael Mari (MEX)
Match: United States Beach Soccer Men’s National Team vs. Paraguay
Date: April 11, 2026
Competition: Acapulco Beach Soccer Cup
Venue: Arena GNP Seguros; Acapulco, Mexico
Attendance: -
Kickoff: 11:30 p.m. ET
Weather: 87 degrees
| Scoring Summary | 1 | 2 | 3 | F |
| USA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| PAR | 2 | 5 | 2 | 9 |
| PAR - Yoao Rolon | 5:36 (1st) |
| PAR - Thiago Barrios | 3:58 |
| PAR - Carlos Carballo | 8:45 (2nd) |
| PAR - Jesus Martinez | 6:12 |
| PAR - Sixto Cantero | 5:17 |
| PAR - Thiago Barrios | 2:58 |
| PAR - Carlos Carballo | :33 |
| PAR - Neston Medina | 6:26 (3rd) |
| PAR - Luis Gomez | :17 |
Lineups:
USA: 21-Brian Shushkovsky, 2-Tanner Akol, 3-Antonio Chavez, 5-Sasha Karlov, 11-Alvaro Franco
Substitutes: 1-Austin Collier, 12-Andres Diaz, 4-Fredo Dilbert, 6-Cody Valcarcel, 7-Matthew Citron, 8-Andres Navas, 9-Alessandro Canale (Captain)
Subs Not Use: None
Head coach: Marcelo Mendes
PAR: 12-Yoao Rolon, 2-Sixto Cantero (Captain), 6- Thiago Barrios, 9-Nestor Medina, 11-Jesus Martinez
Substitutes: 1-Carlos Ovelar, 3-Matías Luraschi, 4-Nicolas Bareiro, 5-Luis Gomez, 7-Nestor Medina, 8-Carlos Carballo, 10-Carlos Benitez
Head coach: Joaquin Molas
Misconduct Summary:
none
Officials:
1st Referee: Ignacio Gongora Garcia (MEX)
2nd Referee: Mario Alberto Nava Severiano (MEX)
3rd Referee: Alexander Rafoso Veitia (CUB)
Timekeeper: Julio Josué Ramos Mejia (SLV)